Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-29
Profits in the Meat Business.

state that Investigations in fifty cities
| by agents of the agricultural depart
lnent reveal suggestive facts about the
advance in the price of the neccessaries
of life. In these cities the average in
crease charged to the consumer over
the wholesale price paid by the retail
dealers was IS per cent. In eleven of
these cities the rate of Increase was
more than 80 per cent; in twelve cit
les it ranged from 40 to so per cent. In
/ the other twenty-seven cities the adj
vance over the wholesale rate was from
20 to 40 per cent. These figures seem
to indicate that retailers in some parts
! of the country are making excessive
profits. Whether the retail dealers are
acting Independently. whether they are
operating in conformity with an agree
ment among themselves, or whether
they are bound by an agreement with
the wholesale dealers, is matter upon
which enlightenment is greatly needed.
The public comedies that the small
dealer is entitled to a fair and reason
able ~lprofit But when, as stated on
the authority of the agricultural de-
partment, the consumer is compelled to
pay the retailer for ordinary articles of
food prices SO per cent above the
Wholesale cost of these commodities,
the situation resolves itself apparently
into one of eMtortion, rather than of
fair profits.
Senator Bristow Of Kansas, in an
interview published in the Sun
asserted that revolutions have
been started by less than the
American people are suffering now"
The price of meat in his Judgment
ought to be less today than it was
twenty-five years ago, instead of
great ter. because in the preparation and
sale of meats now there is no waste
When / was boy he declares, "25
per cent of the carcass went to waste.
Now nothing is wasted, not even blood''
And yet despite the economics which
are employed, the utilization of all
parts of carcasses for commercial pur-
poses and the profits derived from the
sale of by-products, the price of meat
has steadily advanced In explanation
of this advance, it is alleged by
the packers that the supply of live
stock in the United States has not in
creased proportionately with the in
crease OF population. But the investi-
cations of the agricultural DEPART
ment show that this claim is not sound
our esteemed contemporary the Phila-
delphla North American, published
statements which it declares to be
based upon indisputable authority.
During the ten years from 1899 to 1909,
says the North American, beef cattle
IN this country increased from 1894
225 to 49,399.00O, an increase of 10 per
cent; the number of sheep from SO, 114.-
453 to o6,0S4,0OO, an increase Of 4B per
cent; the number Of swine from 49,
60l,6ol to 54,1470O0, an increase of 40
per cent. In this period the increase
, OF population, 1t is estimated, has not
. exceeded 20 per cent, and therefore the
. claim that there Is a scarcity of meat
per capita is unfounded
In Canada, where the pinch of high
) prices is also felt, but less acutely
than in the United States, the depart
ment OF labor of the Canadian govern
ment mas arranged to publish weekly a
(. list OF wholesale and retail prices fol
the information of consumers. The
1 Comedians. with the facts provided by
their government. will be able to fix
upon the wholesale dealers and the re-
tailers the exact degree of responsible
ty which attaches to each of these
r classes for the advance in the cost OF
e living. Mr.. Fisher. the Canadian min
lister OF agriculture has demonstrated
recently that the British householder
t is able to buy bread made Of American
: flour and bacon from American hogs
cheaper than the consumer in the
United States. The advantage which
the Briton enjoys in respect to cheaper
n bread and meat has a direct bearine
IL OIL two subjects of great Importance t,
= Americans. The first is that the Brit
ish dealer is satisfied with smaller
profits than the American dealer. Th.
second Is that. despite the claim il
a certain quarters in this country tina
Y there is scarcity Of meat In the Unitet
It States, American bacon Is exported t,
y Great Britain and is sold there to con
e tsumers at figure belowsthe prevailing
e price in this country.
= lf the facts in the possession Of tn,
IT government prove, as alleged, that Their,
e. IS no scarcity of cattle in the United
. States, that the packers combination
d makes large profit ESTIMATED a
70 $f.4O) on each head of cattle slaughter
e ed. that by enforcing agreements in re
: straint Of trade prices are kept abov
fair and reasonable profit, the govern
p ment must act energetically an,
speedily for the relief Of consumers.
$. the packers combination fixes the pric
n, to the wholesale dealers ana the latte
% bind the retail dealers to sell Mt q stipu
10 lated price, then, so far as. the prod
le ucts OF the packing houses are con
10 cerned, the retail price Of meat ID fixe
d by the western packers. But the ad
l. vance In prices il not confined to ar