The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-03
The Food Question and Some Facts
About II, =,

""iacturerS Record i'm gar.7 IN
the 'ilt. increased 'n.e earnings of. Armour. e.,
Co., and whether this increase was
De - larger volume of business or
20 larger percentage of profit on
,,.s0'' BUSINESS done, we have an Interesting
's'eer from that company which =
Especially timely in view OF the high
VI meats. In this letter II ia
s'a'ea that the company paid out d,,r
''s the fiscal year jus. cloalHs
man sioo'ooo,ooo for livestock in ex
cess OF what the same stock wo,,,a
nave cost at the prices preva,,,na -
1910. This increase OF s1so ooo oon
was paid direct to the farmers ~,
ORGANISATIONS Of the operations Of
th's company extend in MANY a,,o
tions and the total volume of business
Tor the year was $525,OOD,ooo. Tho
meat-food industry handled; hv ~.
cHmpany's plants in the United s,o.o
did a business last year OF $500 600 .
900, and the profit thereon wax on,v
3 1-S per cent. on total sales. ana
only 8 3-5t per cent. on the actna1 re,
capital invested in that branch NJ tba
business @
=, In these days.. when every noss,bla
effort is under way to miarepresant
the. food situation. in the country to
distort the facts and to create a spirit
of hostility to food conservation.
facts SUCH as gtven, IN Armour &
Co.'S letter are asrscia,iy interesting.
II becomes important fer every intel
ligent man and woman who wants to
do g. patriotic service to study facts
Of this. kind, -. 49, .
Pro.(iern1ans,i we, can rest- assured,
will in every way posaibie seek to cre-
ate . false, impression and claim that
there is abundance Of food supplies,
hoping thereby to stir up agitation
throughout the country and bring
on food riots. ti,us eadeavorinx In sy-
cry wav possible. to embarrass'. tho
ccuatry. Many thoroughly innocent
peoples. who are not IN the slightest
pro-German In thought. wifi be; naisied
by this ca1apeAgt and: !. will, say and,
write MANY things; which could not be
more thorouglllx in the ;. interest OF
Germany than IL. written by the Ger.
man propaganda itself We ara con.
SANITY sesing statements absolutely
false III every psrrdcnlar, but written
ws are sure. without ths shghtess
suspicion that they are: false, put oua
throughout stiis country, all founded
on faise Information or misinforma-
tion.. and all dsstined.. Roxssef inno.
cent the writer's may be. to help Ger
many. .. Thousanas' of. pecnla In this
country hdwsxsr Inn icent they may.
be In intention Of doins 90. are doing
their. bebt TO contrfbuts TO Gerihnay's
'welfSre and to- extend the length Of
the war; and making n,oket costly in
'neiii anuf money our effort to- save
ourselves ytl...,-.,t&
. TIE. letter from Armour g. Co.,
undsr date of October 9, is az fol.
lows: @g
j. You are right in your assumption
that an Increased volume OF: businass
MrGsls accounts for. the increase in
the totAa protitE OF, Armour q, Com.
pany. durine the, year 1915 OVER the
earnings OF previous Years. In fact;
our 1913 voiunne of business was 40
Per cent. larger than TIL? business done
In 1919. the fsuree being t$52S. .OOo.-
600 In 1915 and ss76, 900. 900 in
1915. t">,i
q Another important factor in our
increased earnings is our interest ir
rAany manufacturing businesses en-.
tirely. apart front the meat food in
dastfy. Naturally sonic of these have
benefited by conditions brought about
by the war; st---, .&..
The facts which, are important in
a discussion Of food prices however,
are tihess: or the, $20.1Oo:eoo earned
by the corporation in 1916, less thar
$9.77O,0oo was earned in the mea,
food industry by our plaats. in tn.
United States. These plants did, a
business amouht4nE to- 1902, loot, 900.
ana the profit, therefore was 3 Ia DO.
cent. on totsf safes and only 8 3-5 per
cent. on the' act,fai .Aat capital OF
sf1S.oooo0o which Armour g. Com,
i'any he's invested In the meat food
products business
There Is littie or no relation be-
tween prevailing high niea, pricesand
the earnings Of" Armour e. Company.
HIGH prices for meat are due to the