The Washington times., 1916-12-16
GRANGE WILL FIGHT
FOR CITY ABATTOIR
To Lead Farmers Bodies in
Pushing Legislation in
Congress.
SAY PACKERS GET PROFITS
Government investigation Cited
to Show Producer Gets
Small Share.
SAY PACKERS GET PROFITS

The National Grange will head
group OF farmers organizations which
will push the legislation soon TO DC
introduced In Congress for munich
pal abattoir in Washington, II was
learned here today.
Citizens of Washington arc taking
a deep interest in the proposal, ana
several civic bodies are considering
Il. II already has been Endorsed by
the Department of Agriculture.
The National Grange, which has
Endorsed the policy OF municipality
in the Congressional fight for the
plan here by its executive committee
PIan To Push Project.
Representative of Maryland and
Virginia farming interests have be-
como Interested In the announcement
Of the project, as contained In The
Times of last Sunday, and they are
Manning means OF pushing IL, beneN-
Ing such an abattoir In washington
would enable them to market their
bceves at good prices In competition
with packing interests.
Hearings before the committee
which will consider the measure after
Il Is introduced iV Congress VIII benr
upon the utilization by the producer
OF the by-products which. under IN
prevailing system, 20 to the big pack
srs to be resold at tremendous prohts,
II Ia claimed, to the farmers.
Cites 81 Per Cent Proat.
A Governmental investigation is cited
which showed that two years ago one
Chicago firm OF packers paid 60 per
cent profits In one year.
An argument Ii made for the munlci-
pal sbattoir bill in abatement made
public here today by William II CreaBy.
Formerly master OF the Pennsylvania
State Grange. and now secretary OF the
National Dairy Union. The statement
Meats are going to he scarcer and
higher, and the farmer u not TO blame
When tho farmer finds that meat rails
ing. even at the present prices. r. un-
profitable, when he can only make "a
profit OF ~ per cent on his Investment
while the packer who buys the farmers
animals and alnughters them, can make
g per cent profit. Il does not require
q Solomon TO determine who Is re-
sponsiblo for the high price OF beef
steak.
No Competition Exists.
Second. ~ tho farmer can only make
bh and the packer can make 81 per
cent. Il requires no brain storm TO dis
cover why the packer becomes n mil
lionairo and the farmer does not have
money enough 20 buy wad OF gum.
The Department OF Agriculture admits n.,,,n,,
In the purchase OF live stock. Says the
EIn most OF the countries Of
Europe public abat,oirs have been
oonsign their fat stock, the meat from
which Is then sold To the consumer
without passing through the hands
of AN interminable limo OF middl"men,
~ uFhn On IL al
81 have been In the sheep business,
living within thirty miles OF the popu-
1ous anthracite fields OF Pennsylvania,
yet could md no market for my
ewes, and In orde- 10 dispose OF the
ahecp I had 90 lead them on board
ears and ship them Co Buffalo. And
mt tho same time lots OF mutton IL
used In these sections. But small abat-
toirs have disappeared one after an
other until hogs are the only meat
animals that are slaughtered In the
few remaining ones.
Farmer Gete Small Fraction.
''rho individual butcher OF years
ago is not much In evidence. lie II
supplanted by the meat dealer, who
buys from the big packing houses. In
fact, individual butchers who deteE
mined 20 do their own Strengthening
were put out OF business. Our farm.
ars. who were raising "A few head Of
cattle, found trouble In selling them,
and this led the farmers OF the East
who are admirably fixed for the rails
ing or cattle and sheep, To drop that
branch OF agricultuIs. IL will take
some time under favorable condisons
20 return 10 stock raising. Strange as
10 may seem, we often receive less for
our stock than the Western producer,
who Ii located from 800 TO 1000
miles away from the point OF con
sumption.
only a small fraction of the price paid
by the consumer, Enormous packing
establishments have monopOlized the
meat business, and there IL little or
no competition In buying the farmers
stock. The enormous fortunes that
have grown up in this business in re.
cent years show that while the con.
sumer has been forced 20 pay high
prices TO monopoly, the farmer has
not been getting enough 10 induce
him 10 keep up the supply"