The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-06-25
Beef Trust Operations

A few weeks ago reports reached
this country from Argentina that
American meat packers had already
or were on the point of securing a
monopoly in the distribution of the
meat supply of that country. There
were those disposed to view this
story either as gross exaggeration
or even as an out-and-out canard, but
in the light of later information they
probably will revise their previously
entertained opinion.
1t now appears from information
the accuracy of which can hardly be
disputed, that the plans of the Amer
lean beef borons to secure control in
Argentina have been successful to
such degree that competition is
threatened and the establishment Of
a hard and fast monopoly seems i'm
minent. This situation is revealed by
the action of six frozen beef concerns
engaged in supplying the British mar
ket in notifying the Argentine govern
ment that they will have to 60 out of
business unles the plans of the Amer
lean beef barons are checked.
Their complaint is that 1t Ia the
purpose of the Americans to sell beef
from Argentine in the British market
below cost until such time as they
have stified all competition. When
that has been accomplished II will not
be long before the market will be Sc
curely in the clutch of the beef bar
ons, who will then be able to fix pri-
ces at any level they may see fit.
In the memorial of the six indepen-
dent beef companies the government
is asked to intervene to the end that
competition may be continued and
monopoly prevented. II is pointed
out that such monopoly as the
American beef men are seeking to es-
tablish in Argentina would reduce the
prices realized by stock growers while
there would be no reduction in the
price of export beef Indications are
that the Argentine government will
take effective action in the direction
asked for as ii seems fully afake to
the mischief likely to result IL mono
poly gets its grip on the countrys
meat exporting business.
Australia appears to have profited
by the sorry experiences of the Unit
ed States in dealing with the beef
trust, for 1t has assumed the regula-
ton of the meat exporting traffic and
by so doing has made the creation of
a monopoly almost impossible. The
demand in this country that all meat
producers be put on the free list is
the outcome Of q hope that by the
competition Of imported meat the
monopoly of the American beef pack
ers may be broken.
But even this was anticipated by
the American Beef Trust which
sought to prevent the smashing of
the complete and grinding monopoly
of the American market it has long
exercised by gaining control of the
export traffic in meats from Austria |
liza and Argentine. They failed COM |
pletely in Australia because of the |
wise foresight of the government in |
itself taking over the regulation of |
the business but that 1t has succeed |
ed to some extent in gaining a foot |
hold in Argentine is evidenced by the |
appeal for Intervention made by the |
independent exporters there. Ameri- |
can consumers who are paying tri- |
butte to the beef trust in exorbitant |
prices will sincerely hope that the
governments interference to thwart |
in Argentine will be prompt |
and Observation-Disclosures Journal