The Holly chieftain., 1905-03-17
COMMISSIONER oARslGLD's Nc.
PORT ON oEGs INDUSTRY.

The report ~ Commissioner Gar
neid IN the beef industry has AT last
been published. n musi DO some.
what ~ surprise Ia those who have
been lHduIsibg In wholesale adverse
criticism upon tho methods Of the
Chicago packers. as II jisciosca facts
and ngnfes which clearly show that
the great food producers have been
Innocent Ut the serious OneBsos with
which they have been charged, They
have benp for "a long tiDe accused by
newspapers all over tho ro,uilfy Of
est0ttI0nnie prices demanded, and OBJ
tnined. ~ depression uf ynlt,4s of cat
tie st tho various s'ockyarAs where
their business In conducted. Of epOr.
NOUS profits wholly disptOportlopaie
IT, the capital employed, and In gen
oral. of so carrying on their business
that tho public. under an organi,cd
system ~ spoIiatiop. were being
robbed for iheIr exclusive bcho1t
Wa IND now, however. that not n
single Ona of these cbargeH has been
Sustained but, on the contrary. that
riEld and searching Investigation, of
heialiy made. has resulted In com
plste scqUlttai
Instead III oAtorlion II Ia shown that
no industry can be found where No
narrow d margin Of profit prevails
the actual records and original en-
ttioa. to which tho comnls lssiouer had
FREQ access. showing that tho high.
cat not pfuht any OF tho packers
made ON their aalcs OF beef was two
and .tontha per cent IN 100. aud
N one instance that tho prom, realized
Ia 1904 WAS one and eight tonths per
cent.
The variations In the market prices
Tor cattle are asbauatively treated
and no evidence or any kind was dis.
covered. or even hiutod Mt, tending to
show that values of cattle are In tho
sliRhtoat degree Improperly affected
or controlled by packers nj any OF
the chief centera Of tho industry
On the whole. the report completely
dissipateH tho prevalent Idea that
great fortunea are hetng amnssed by
illegal aud Improper methods cm
ployed by weatcrn packers, showing
that Notwithstanding the high priccs
for beef prevailing IN 1909 tho busl
hcss wHB lesa remunciatlve than IN
ypafs characterized by normal values
both for cattle aud product He says
that the year 1909, instead OF bcinR
one or pxorbitant protits, ns haa hcen
able than usual In fact. during tho
Months when the prices ot beef were
the htshest, acme, al least. OF the
leading packers were loa,ng money
on every head OF cattle slaughtered
II waa not posaible 10 advance tho
prices Of beef IN full proportion to the
9rrat advance In the prices of cattle
al that time"
After all that has heep wrlttcu re
hectina upon the ereat husinosa In
tereat engaged IN the marketing and
distribution OF the product ot onc Of
the greatest OF our aationa, iodus,
trles, It Is Rtattfyiag to all fatr minded
weuplc that the ptelNdtcea a,taaks
aIMn I, have failed OF verlacation.
and the great western packers may be
coMNratulateu Tor having passed
thtaugh such aearchina aud thor
ough oIneial Investigation unsm,rehed,
The resulta ot this Investigation,
haaed az u Ia upon eNhanative data,
officially ehta,ncd aud verified by
United States government experts,
muat be accepted without hesitation,
Az tho Investigation was made under
circumstances that guaranteed com,
p,cse accuracy With a possible dtspo'
st,saM indeed, to arrive at entirely
different results,
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