The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-03-31
cOMMwsloNsa oARFELn's aEpoay


Il - - HNEHa - 10 8aVNfmuAo - a8o Hn0oE
Rseksrs.
The report OF Commissioner OF Cor
poFatIOns Garfield on the beef indus
try, after about eight months inves-
hgatlon In Chicago and elsewhere,
shows that there hns been an enormous
amount OF exaggeTation I'm the state
ments that have appeared for some.
time past in regard to the beef bust
ness. This investigation was set on
foot by resolution OF the House oe
Representatives adopted March z, 1904
and the aseertained facts after most
rigid examination OF the methods andgS
general conduct OF the business are
contained in a report covering S08-
pages. Its figures aud tables conclu-
Sivcly show that the popular belief In
enormous profits made by the large
packers, such as Armour 4 Co., Swift
4 Co. and Nelson Morris & Co., and
In the exclusive control Of the bust
ness which many think they enjoy. -
really without foundation.
The report made to President RoOse-
welt by Commissioner Garfield Is real
ly the first Official statement OF the ac-
tunl conditions OF the beef business
that has been made. and as all the con-
illusions arrived at are based, as shown
by him, upon data officially obtained,
there seems to be no rea son why they
should not be regarded as reliable and
in all respects trustworthy.
This report shows why the price OF
both cattle and beef advanced to the
highest level ever known after the
ahnrf ooru o,.ov1 - 1ONf
because OF the decrease in number Of
cattle and also in decreased weight,
"the high prices OF beef which caused
80 much complaint among consumers
at this time were attributable wholly
to these abnormal cattle prices"
All the figures Of the live weight and
live cost Of all dressed beef cattle were
obtained from actual killing records,
and an information Of every kind OBJ
talned by the Commissioner was volun-
tarily and freely offered by the pack
ers. all books Of record and papers
connected with the business having
been placed at his disposal.
To make certain that the results OF
the investigation should be absolutely
accurate, the Commissioner states that
y
was adopted. md, without going into
detail here, 1t is found that the conclu-
sion arrived ut shows nm average profit
Of % cents per head The Commits
sioner says "the close pRrallelism in
the results Of tho two methods OF as
the profits CONFIRMS conn.,
Dletely the correctness OF the general
1t Is clearly established
hat western packers do not control
more than half of the beef supply Of
he United Stntes," the conclusion OF
he Commissioner being that the busl-
hess done by them amounts to about
10 per cent" Of the total slaughter Of
he country.
The whole report Is extremely inter-
sitting and we'll worthy OF careful pc
usal. AS IN official report 1t may be
egnrded as worthy Of confidence and
t certainly leads the reader TO the
conclusion arrived Mt by the Commits
loner when lie states that 1.-The capt.
allzOtion OF none of these concerns is
Excessive as compared with it's actual
Investment" and that from thorough
nd rigid examination of original en-
ries in books and papers to which he
ad access there was also indirect evil
ence that the profits Of the packers
n their beef business are less than IS
frequently supposed" as shown by
omparison between the total profits
nd the total amount Of sales.