The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-03-16
r. packers rxonerAt.d By GARFIELD.

~ S0ck0SD 6z0neC0te0 " 00T00Iue
The reDoft ct Commissioner Garfield
b the me- hOds under which the Ab1sincse
of tile so-callcd beef trust is conducted
kas been Published aud closely printed
book Of over 3OO pages is the result Of he
Examination to which, that industry has
been subjected. The report is very full
md complete. every phase of the business
having been Investigated with the utmost
care and thoroughness, as is shown by
exhaustive tables OF figures, with authen-
ticated facts and statistical data covering
hlmost every detail of the business.
After careful reading Of this report
St is impossible to arrive at any other con.
clugion than that for some time past
there has been a great deal said aud writ
ten about this great industry that has
elad no foundation in fact. 1t would ap.
pear that popular clamor has resulted
from newspaper comment and the pas
sage of many resolutions by those who,
as pIainly shown by the report, We're with
out any definite information. This re-
port, the result of an inquiry in compli-
ance with congressional demand upon
the secretary Of commerce and labor. 10
SO complete and detailed that, as whole,
at will not Of course be read by the pub
Tic at large, but the facts and figures
authenticated BY government expert ex-
aminers. which it contains, show with
indisputable certainty that the hue and
CIR raised during the past year against
the packers has been at least unreason-
able and much of it, indeed, has been
hysterical.
These officially ascertained facts are .
surprise to very many who have been inn
pressed by the denunciatory language
they have read and heard for some time
past, for they now find that, instead Of
the great profits said to be made by
western packers, the business is being
conducted upon smaller margin Of
s sG THAN e5 essss'1SE Garfield il h s5ni
says: "The year 1902. instead of being
bne of exorbitant profits. rs has been
commonly supposed, was less profitable
chan usual" and this will be remembered
Us the year when the highest prices ruled
and the packers were being everywhere
accused of cxtor,onate methods. Regard
ing this very year when the complaints
pf injustice were the loudest and the
most unanimous. the commissioner says:
SIN fact during the months when the
prices of beef were the highest, some, at
least, of the Leading packers We're actual
ly losing money OH every head Of cattle
slaughtered" for the reason, he CON
The prices Of beef in full proportion to
sthe great advance in the prices of cattle
ut that time"
i The report also shows that the public
belief that enormous profits are usually
characteristic of the beef business is en-
Eilely erroneous, as it proves, after full
5nvestigation, that the maximum net re-
turn on the several investments was two
sand three-tenths per cent. and the mimi
mum one and eight-tenths per cent.
The report is much too detailed and
extensive to attempt any thorough review,
but it clearly demonstrates that there
has been great deal sof unnecessary
alarm on the part Of the public as 10! the
meat situation and a good deal Of loos.
dcnunciation oil packers about WHOSE
methods and business there has been lit
tie or no real information The concl:l-
eions of Commissioner Garfield are Ill
tho more valuable as the investigation
was by no means commenced in anything
Alike a friendly or partial spirit and that
1T has been full and complete is shown
when he says: "All the statistics taken
from the books of the companies were
checked in she most thorough manner:
totals selected a. random were verified
by the items. Many typical bha.h.s Ct
cattle have been traced from the tune of
purchase to the time of sale as dressed
beef, thus obtaining accurate uforn,a-
Zion from original records of costs, of
actual selling prices and of ultimate
profits. In many cases the statements Of
cattle purchased by the companies were
compared witt, accounts of the commits
sion houses Though whom ths cattle
Avcre sold. The various checks thus en-.
plcycsl insure The absolute accuracy VI The
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