Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-03-17
COMMISSIONER GARFIELD'S RE.
PORT ON BEEF INDUSTRY.

The report of Commissioner Gar.
field on the beef industry has at last
been published. 1t must be some
what of a surprise to those who have
been indulging in wholesale adverse
criticism upon the methods Of the
Chicago packers, as 1t discloses facts
and figures which clearly show that
the great food producers have been
innocent of the serious offenses with
which they have been charged. They
have been for long time accused by
newspapers all over the country Of
extortionate prices demanded, and OBJ
tanned, of depression of values of cat
tie at the various stockyards where
their business is conducted, of enor-
nous profits wholly disproportionate
to the capital employed, and, in gen.
eral, of so carrying on their business
that the public, under an organized
system of spoliation, were being
robbed for their exclusive benefit.
We find now, however, that not a
single one of these charges has been
sustained but, on the contrary, that
rigid and searching investigation, Of
licially made, has resulted in COM
plete acqulttal.
Instead OF extortion it is shown that
no industry can be found where so
narrow a margin of profit prevails
the actual records and original en-.
tries, to which the commissioner had
free access, showing that the high
est net profit ANY OF the packers
made on their sales Of beef was two
and three-tenths per cent in 1902 and
in one instance that the profit realized
in 1904 was one and eight-tenths per
cent.
The variations in the market prices
for cattle are extensively treated
and no evidence of any kind was dis
covered or even limited at, tending to
show That values of cattle are In the
slightest degree improperly affected :
or controlled by packers at any OF
the chief centers of the industry.
On the whole, the report completely
dissipates the prevalent idea that
great fortunes are being amassed by
illegal and improper methods en-
ployed by western packers, showing
that notwithstanding the high prices
for beef prevailing in 1902 the bust
ness was less remunerative than in
years characterized by normal values,
both for cattle and product. He says
that the year 1902, instead of being
one of exorbitant profits, as has been
commonly supposed, was less profit
able than usual. In fact, during the
months when the prices Of beef were
the highest, some, at least, of the
leading packers were losing money
on every head of cattle slaughtered.
1t was not possible to advance the
prices of beef in full proportion to the
great advance in the prices of cattle
at that time
After all that has been written re-
fleeing upon the great business in
terest engaged in the marketing and
distribution of the product of one OF
the greatest of our national indus
tries, it is gratifying to all fair minded
people that the prejudiced attacks
upon it have failed Of verification;
and the great western packers may be
congratulated for having passed
through such a searching and thor
ough official investigation unsmirched.
The results of this investigation,
based as 1t is upon exhaustive data.
officially obtained and verified by
United States government experts,
must be accepted without hesitation.
as the investigation was made under
circumstances that guaranteed COM
plete accuracy with a possible dispo-
sition indeed. to arrive at entirely
different results.