Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-15
BEEF TRUST IS
HIT BY BRITISH
REPORT OF COMMITTEE DE
cLARES THAT AMERICAN FIRMS
ARE POSSIBLE MENACE.

London, May 13.-The departmental
committee appointed in July of 1908
to inquire into the alleged combina-
tons in the meat trade in the united
kingdom issued it's report last even.
ing.
large portion thereof Is devoted TO
the American beef trust and it's rep.
lresentatives in London, the committee
concluding that while a combination
exists to a certain extent between four
companies in the United States, en-
gagged in the united kingdom. it is not
at present sufficiently powerful to en-
danger seriously the beef trade as
whole.
But should these firms, as seems
possible, acquire considerable interest
in the Argentine, the situation with
regard to the meat supply of the unit
ed kingdom might become serious.
with such command" the report
says, ''of practically the whole i'm
ported live cattle and chilled and froz
en- beef trade, the firms composing
such combination might be able to 'le-
termine beef prices at Smithfield mar
ket itself and largely affect prices
throughout the country"
Doubtful of Americans Ignorance.
According to the report of the rep
resentatives Of the American com
panies In London all told the commit
tee that they knew nothing of the
conditions prevalent in the United
States and commenting on these
statements, the committee says:
'"The committee reluctantly is COM
PEELED to express grave doubt as to the
reality Of this uniform. ignorance, and
its assumption naturally has tended TO
| throw doubt upon the other state
ments made by the representatives If
these firms. 1t is almost incredible
that Armour & Co., Swift & Co., Nor
ris & Co. and the Hammond Beef
company. the last named, represent
ing the National Packing company,
should be in combination in the
United States and in competition ia
the united kingdom"
In paragraph relating to the local
tendency to exaggerate "the power
and malevolence of successful trade
competitors" the committee COM
ments upon the trade methods of the
American companies.
These are superior to those pre-
vailing in this country" it says, "and
perhaps less Influenced by considera-
tons Of sentiment. AS one witness
put it: Business is business all the
way, and we do not run business for
love This maxim is ruthlessly ap-
piled by the American companies;
they are therefore, unpopular among
their trade competitors
Thinks Firms Consult on Prices.
| The committee failed to find evil
dence of any deliberate action on the
part of the Americans with the object
of destroying inconvenient rivals, and
it does not think that they have yet
attempted to capture or control the
whole beef trade in this country, as
alleged
AT the same time it is satisfied that
the firms mentioned consult together
with regard to prices and the amount
of the supplies to be put on the mar
ket, and that they fix the prices at
WHICH chilled beef shall be sold in
| the provinces and, furthermore. that
provincial statesmen are practically
bound to sell at the price daily die
tated by the Americans.
The committee acknowledged that
it has received great assistance from
the reports of the senate COMMITTEES
of 1890, and the report published ir
1905 by the American bureau of cor
porations. Lengthy extracts from this
report are contained in paper issuee
to parliament during the evening.
Monopoly of Cattle Steamers.
The report finds that the American
companies have a practical MONOPOLY
of cattle steamers from the Unite
States and to great extent, those
from Canada and that they also ow,
a large proportion of the cattle land
ed at Deptford market from the Unit
ed States; out that there is no evi
'dence that they made improper U.s.
of the market.
1t is admitted that Morris & Co
monopolizes the import of live cattl'
at Manchester, with harmful effec
: upon the fat and ORAL dealers, but i
is pointed out that this monopoly il
due to the corporation having granite,
Morris G Co. a three years lease, be
cause they wanted. for their own pur
poses, to develop the Manchester shi
canal.