Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-08
MEAT RECORDS
/. SURPASSED BY
PRODUCTION IN /,
UNITED STATES
One Packer alone Slaughter.
ed 1,400 900 Cattle in
"a Weeks.

products for 1918; between two
and three cents per dollar of
sales.
2. Indicated gross sales for
1915; about three billion dollars. &,
8. Indicated not profit on
meat for 1918, something less
than W. cents per dollar of sales.
4. Indicated net profit per
pound of meat in 1918, u fraction
of q cent.
s. Total animals slaughtered
in the three fiscal years falling
within the world wal, 10000, 900,
divided as follows: Cattle, IT,
OOO, 900; sheep, $4,000, 900; hogs,
61,OOO,OOO.
9. Indicated percentage Of
proceeds paid for livestock in
1918, between 90 and 81 per cent.
Chicago, Aug. 8.-The meat records
of all countries and all ages have now
been surpassed by amazing produc-
ton in America. according to an au-
thoritative statement issued here to-
day by Armour & Co,
One packer alone has slaughtered
about 1,4O0, 900 cattle in the first "a
weeks. of his fiscal year 1918. The
total number of animals killed by the
leading packers during the three fis-
cal years falling within the world
war period and ending in the fall of
1917 is given as los, 100000 CLASH
fled as follows: Cattle, 1900, 900;
sheep, $1,000, 900; hogs. $1,000, 600.
1t is believed that the aggregate
gross sales of the five larger packers
will approach $4,000. 900, 900 for the
year 1918. On this whole amount the
average net profit indicated now will
be between two and three cents per
dollar Of sales. But on meat the aver
age profit is running less than the two
cents per dollar Of sales which is less
than the limit allowed by the federal
regulation restricting profits On meat
to nine per cent on the capital in
vested.
These sales figures represent an in
crease of a full third yer the opera
tons of these oncerns last year and
also show that their financial turn,
over is more than twice what it was
in their largest year before the world
war and has trebled itself in five
years. These large totals are OF
course due primarily to increased
prices, rather than to increased ton.
mage.
The meat business is now believed
to be the largest American industry
and the operations of these concerns
alone probably constitute one-twen.
tieth Of the country's manufactured
output.
The five leading packers made gros.
sales a%ggregating $5,000,0 00, 900 fol
the three-year period 1915-1916-1917
Their average earnings in the same
period were about 3 cents per dollar
of sales, including even the most prof.
liable non-edible, by-product line:
with the rest.
1t is calculated that the average
receipts last year per head Of cattle
both from beef and by-products-ex'
ceeded the cost of the cattle IN, thu
hoof by about, $3.50, and that of thi:
$3.50, the cost Of dressing, selling anc
freight used up about $40, leaving
a net profit Of $1.1O, or a small frac.
ton of a cent a pound for dressed
beef.
Records kept at the stockyard:
show also that in the six months end.
ing April 80 last (the six months aft
er the nine per cen law on meat)
n packer paid s323,00O,00 for live
stock which yielded 1,558,6O0,O 0t
pounds dressed weight; and that tn,
same packer paid s21. 900, 100000 il
the same period Of 1917 for live stool
which yielded 1~,338,3O0,O00, tn
weight thus increasing 16 1-2 per cen
while the cost of the live stock to tn
packer was increasing 50 per cent.
1t is estimated that the capital em
ployed by the five packers in thei
businesses at present aggregates NOR
than $500, 900, 900.