The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-03-16
COMMISSIONER oARrIgLo's RI.
PORT.
~ IL Found ca re Favorable % the
Great Packers.


~ IL Found ca re Favorable 20 the
Great Packers.
The report of Commissioner Of Cor.
ooratlons Garfield on the beef indus
cry. after about eight months investi.
CATION In Chicago and elsewhere,
elbows that there has been an enormous
amount OF cxaggeratlon In the state
ments that have appeared for some
time past In regard 10 the beef bnsl'
ness. This investigation was set on
foot By resolution OF the House oil
Representatives adopted March Z. 1904
and the ascertaiuci facts after q most
rigid examination Of the methods and
general conduct OF the business are
contained In report covering JOS
pages. Its figures and tables conclu'
siveiy show that the popular belief In
enormous profits made by the large
packers. such as Armour & Co, Swift
q Co. and Nelson Morris & Co. and
In the exclusive control OF the busl'
ness which many think they enjoy. Is
really without foundation.
The report made 10 President Roose-
velt by Commissioner Garfield Is real.
iy the frst official statement OF the &C
tual conditions or the beef business
that has been made. and as all the con
illusions arrived az are based. as shown
BY him. upon data officially obtained.
there seems TO be no reason why they
should not be regarded as reliable and
fn all respects trustworthy.
This report shows why the price OF
both cattle and beef advanced TO the
highest level ever known after the
short corn crop Of 1901. and states that
because OF the decrease In number OF
cattle and also I'm decreased weight,
''the high prices OF beef which caused
90 much complaint among consumers
at this time were attributable wholly
90 these abnormal cattle prices"
All the figures OF the live weight
and live cost OF all dressed beef cattle
were obtained from actual killing rec
ords aud NIL Information OF every kind
obtained by the Commissioner was
voluntarily and freely offered by the
packers. all books OF record and papers
connected with the business having
placed at his disposal.
To make certain that the results OF
che Investigation should be absolutely
accurate, the Commissioner states that
q double method OF ascertainlng profits
was adopted. and. without going into
detail here. II Ia found that the conclu.
sion arrived at shows an average rront
OF 90 cents per head. The Commits.
sioner says ''the close parallellsm In
the results OF the two methods OF asccr'
tainlns the profits confirms completely
che correctness OF the general conclu-
sions." IL Is clearly established that
"western packers do not control more
than half OF the beef supply OF the
United States" the conclusion OF the
Commissioner being that the business
done by them amounts I'd about 10
per cent OF the total slaughter OF the
country.
The whole report Is extremely inter
estlng aud well worthy OF careful Pc
rusai rs sn official report II may be
regarded as worthy OF confidence and
ft certainly lead: the reader 10 the
conclusion arrived at by the Commits
sioner when he states that the capital.
txation OF none OF these concerns Ia
excessive as compared with Its actual
Investment" and that from thorough
aud rigid examination or original en-.
tries iu books and papers 10 which he
had access there was also indirect EVIL.
dence that the profits Of the packers
On their beef business are less than Is
frequently supposed" ms shown by
comparison between the total profit
"a tha fnfni amnunf nf anlaa