New Britain herald., 1919-10-16
ARMOUR X co. SEEKS
 SODA WATER CORNER
Same Concern Had Surplus ) Undivided Profits of S5,- 426,S3O For 1918, After Deducting 7S Per Cent. Dividends.

'N(. of the claim that the five big pack ing companies of Chicago bid fair to dominate the wholesale grocery trade and already handle more than 200 foods unrelated to the meat packing industry many of them directly com petitive as meat substitutes, is made in Part IN of the federal trade com missions report on the industry, pub lished today.
 % Two Economic Questions.
 "The extent to which the packer should be permitted to enter unre- lated food lines," (even assuming competitive methods). the report said, lis a matter which the public interest alone should determine Two ques- tions, primarily economic, are in volved: Does this widening of activity result in additional economies of pro- duction and distribution?
 Does it result and will it continue to result 10 the public in lower prices and better quality of product and service?
 "A third question. not here dis Cussed, relates to the ultimate effect of such vast and powerful orsani2a- tions on the political and social fa- bric of American institutions"
 Seek Soda Water Control.
 InCIuUeQ Ill llAes lfSl Ol x said to be falling Under control of the "big five" are poultry and game, dairy products. lard and butter sub =titutes, canned and dried vegetables and fruit, canned. cured and frozen fish, cocoa, coffee, molasses and cane corn and maple syrups. Tn addition. . Armour & Co.,, one of the five, is said to be handling extensively soda water.
 Packers Work in Secrecy.
 lowing to the maze and secrecy Of the packers methods of conducting much of his business" it adds, "eXact statistics on many of these commodi- ties are not available for the country as a whole, which will show just how far the packers control has reached. - Many companies manufacturing or handling these comm odities are con trolled by packer interests, no hint of which is disclosed by the names un- der which they operate, and even a thorough going examination may fail to uncover the packer control in every case"
 Have Poultry Monopoly.
 Four of the packers, Swift, Wilson, Armour and Cudahy, the report states, through their subsidiaries and not in cluding family controlled companies, handled in 1918. 49.5 per cent of the estimated total of shipped dressed poultry and 33 per cent. of all ship ped eggs.
 Tho same four handled 49 per cent. of all factory made cheese in 1918, the V report says, and adds:
 That the big five are in position to control 75 to so per cent. of the cheese of the state (Wisconsin) is generally conceded.
 Libby, McNein & Libby, Swift concern, alone handled 10.I per cent. of all evaporated and condensed milk in 1918, according to the report.
 Enormous Profits.
 The Armour Grain Co.,, factor in the cereal and breakfast food indus try, reported surplus undivided profits for 1918 of $5.426.S3O after deducting a 7S per cent. dividend on capital stock. the report says, adding
 The years net earnings amounted to $2.9OS,912, or 200 per cent on the capital stock and 67 per cent. on the net worth of the company. including capital. surplus and undivided profits, as reported at tho close of the fiscal year, 1916."
 Control Lard Compounds.
 Production of lard compounds and substitutes by the five packers durin $ tho first six months of 1917 was plac- cd at 49.4 per cent. Of tht total and elomargarne at 51 per cent. Com plete figures to show that packer in- terest in canned foods such as fruits and fish were not available the re- port says but the business of tho ''bg five" was shown 10 be large and growing. The Libby company's can- ned food sales alone showed il 2e5 per cent. increase in 1918 over 1915. Libby sales of canned salmon in- creased from 4,6 per cent, of the world pack in 1915 to 9,7 per cent in 1918, tho report shows,
 Pineapple Supply, Too,
 go complete has become the ron- trot especially by Libby, MeSsil and E Libby, oyer the pinehDpts supply" k inc report reads, "that oHe of the largest wholesale graeefs in the eoun- Easa4iaiiRd aa Tenth Pa aesA