Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-07
WANT PACKERS
To AID THEM IN
SOLVING PROBLEM
Delegates to National Confer
enCe on Marketing and Farm
Credits See Waste in AMI
NAL Industry,
10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wiRSI


annual session of the National Con-
ference of Marketing and Farm
Credits devoted their time today to
consideration of the packing industry
as it related TO the stock man.
Debate followed the presentation of
papers treating with the raising and
marketing of livestock
Many speakers insisted that the
whole industry, as proposed in the
Borland bill, should be investigated,
not as an attack on the packing in
dustry, but to discover where lies the
waste which some economists assert
account for the absence of substantial
profit.
w. II. Parry, of the federal trade
commission, was an attentive listener.
1t is this commissioner which the
cattle men asserted should make the
investigation.
d. b. Heard of Phoenix, Ariz., pres
ident of the American National Live
stock association, and A. f. de Ricqles
Of Denver, secretary of the associa-
tons market committee, advocated
inviting the aid of the packers in solv-
ing the problem of the cattle men.
Mr.. de RICHES suggested that pos
sibly packing monopoly properly
controlled would be a good thing, and
that it even might be for the good of
all concerned if the packers who are
also the biggest wholesalers, should
go into the retail meat business.
oil
Mcclure president of the American
National Livestock exchange of Kan !
sas City; T. W. Tomlinson, secretary
of the American National Livestock
association, Denver; George X. An |
drews, commissioner of agriculture
for the Missouri Pacific railroad, st. |
Louis; f. l.. Burke, a ranchman of !
Omaha, and E. c. Lasater of Texas !
said to own the largest dairy herd in |
the world. Another speaker was
Henry Krumery of Wisconsin, who |
said that the packers last summer |
purchased so per cent of the cheese |
made in his state. He said that the |
packers bought cheese at II and II I
cents which reached the consumer
at from 25 to 30 cents.
Address by de Ricqles.
The address by Mr.. de Ricqles was
the principal one devoted to livestock.
In the course of his remarks he said:
"A continued study of the special
market question leads on in the direc-
ton of monopoly. The more you dig
into it the more you are convinced
that it is a monopoly, and perhaps
you also believe that instead of de-
this monopoly and expert
with something else, we had
better take charge of it so as to elm
mate its bad features and continue tho
good ones.
Il think the principals in this pack
ing house business are convinced that
they should ease up a bit on the old
time market pressure. l am satisfied
hat great many things have been
lone at market of which they were
lot informed and even if they did
know it, l believe that they have come
o the conclusion that it is not good
policy to continue to put too much
pressure on either side of the business;
hat is, reduce too much the price of
'attle that are bought at market, or
o hold the dressed beef at too high
value. In fact, | do not think they !
rave as much to say about the price
# dressed beef as we think they have,
because | noticed a butcher in New
York city who was bidding for several
arcasses considerably less than the
alesman wanted. When his bids were
lot accepted he went shopping at an
ther packers. That was a revelation
0 me, as | always thought that the re-
ailer had little to say about what he
aid but it looked as if he had it
retty much his own way"
In New York city, the speaker said,
he retailers cart their wholesale pur-
bases in their own wagons, which he
aid often were unsanitary.
1T has occurred to me-" he said.
that as an economic move, we may
Inally ask the big packers to add the
etailing feature of the business to
heir undertakings. We would then
e dealing with responsible parties
HON we could hold TO account for
prices or unsanitary
u.
Mr.. de Ricqles said that his COM d
nIttee had arranged a conference ii
nth the packers, and that the pack Ia
rs would be asked to Join in a petit W
ion for an investigation by the fed fe
raj trade commission. Their previous 81
efusal to do so, he said had placed =,
hem in q questionable position. -
Arthur Meeker, general manager q,
t Armour & Co. and many others
onnected with the packing industry 81
ere, were among those present. None 81
f them. however, was on the program G.
( speakers. st
Mr., Tominson said that the ques- Il
ion was asked why, if the packing II
BUSINESS were so profitable, more peo- u
lie did not go into it. He said the o.
eason was that the Independents a
cared the big packers would go into $,
heir territory with cut prices just r,
ong enough to drive them out of bus n
ness. a
Mr.. Heard quoted a statement that a
europe could live on the products c.
wasted in the United States. and said y
we want the help of packers in rem n
dying this condition" p
Milk producers present drew up a D
set of bylaws for national n
organization which 1t was voted yes q
erday to form.