Evening journal., 1918-08-09
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1918.
NEAT PACKERS AND MEAT CONSUMERS.


the belief that the public will welcome authoritative
information on the meat phases Of the nations food
problem, r. D. MoNanus. of Armour and Company,
Chicago has statement which cannot fail to be
OF interest all consumers II shows in brief the
following points:
indicated net profits on all products for 1913; between
two and three cents per dollar of sales
Indicated gross sales for 1918; about three billion
dollars.
Indicated net profit on meat for 1918: something less
than two cents per dollar Of sales.
Indicated net proht per pound of meat in isis
fraction Of a cent.
Total animals slaughtered in the three fiscal years
falling within the world war: i05oOOO00 divided as
follows Cattle, 100000; sheep. 21OOOOOO; Hogs.
eiOO0O00.
Indicated percentage of proceeds paid for livestock
in 1918; between 90 and 81 per cent
In amplihcatlon of the above the statement shows
that the records OF all countries ages have
been surpassed by amazing production in America
packer alone has slaughtered about 100000 cattle
the first thrty-our weeks Of his fiscal year 1918 The
total number OF animals killed by the leading packers
during the three fiscal years falling within the world
period and ending in the fall OF 1917 is given
i05O00OO0
It is believed the statement says that the aggregate
gross sales OF the i've larger packers will approach
s3000O0O00O for the year 1918. On this whole amount
the average net pront indicated viii be between two
three cents per dollars Of sales. meat the
average profit is running less than the two cents
dollar OF sales which Is less than the limit allowed by
the Federal regulation restricting profits meat to
nine per cent. the capital invested
These sales figures represent increase of full
third the operations these last year
and also show that their financial turnover is more
than twice what It in their largest year before the
world has trebed itself in nve years. These
large totals OF course due primarily TO increased
prices, rather than TO increased tonnage
The meat business Is now believed % be the largest
american industry and the operations Of these
probably constitute ohetwentieth Of the oountrys
manufactured output.
The five leading packers made gross sales sggregat-
ing s50O0OOOO0O for the threeyear period i9i59i697
Their earnings in the period about
three cents per dollar Of sales including even the most
profitable non-edble, byproduct lines with the rest
1t is calculated that the average receipts last year
per head Of cattle-both from beef an by-products-
exceeded the cost of the cattle the hoof by about
$3.50 and that Of this $780, the cost OF dressing selling
and freight used up about s7lO leaving net profit Of
siiO small fractions OF a cent pound for dressed
beef
Records kept the stockyards show also that in the
six months endng April 30 last tthe six months after
the nine per cent law meat, packer paid |
s330OOOOO for livestock which yield pounds
dressed weight; and that the same packer paid s2iO-
100000 in the period of 1917 for livestock which
yielded 100000 the weight thus increasing i6h per
cent while the cost Of the livestock to the packer was
increasing 81 per cent.
1t is estimated that the capital employed by the 1--WE
packers in their businesses at present aggregates more
than ssOoOO0Oo0.
Supplementing the above from Armour and Company
Wilson and Company another the Big Five packers
say:
Ihe Allied cause has been in large measure sus-
tained by American farmers and livestock raisers
Without the immense supplies Of meat and other
foodstuns supplied by the American producer it is
doubtful whether the Allied armies could have been fed
when the war began, the United States at once
began to ship large quantities Of beef abroad although
for some time previous 10 this had consuming
the beef raised in this country and in addition had
started to make importations from South America
From that time forward the American producer
and particularly the livestock rasers have shown bet
up in their efforts. and this too the face increasing
dincutes and rising production costs.
THE lighting has found meat to be an absolute
'ssentia-ths applies to all the armies Of the Allies
md the American livestock producer been supplying
his need, and will continue TO do so.
Figures available indicate that in spite of the
smendous volume of meat exports cattle American h