Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-07-30
ARMOUR GIVES
VIEWS ON HOW TO
CUT FOOD COSTS
Urges More Production
and Less Governmental
Fixed Prices

Two things must be done to re
mcdy present high prices, accordin:
to J. Ogden Armour. World produc
ton of food must be increased ant
the arbitrary fixing of prices ant
conditions in all lines Of business" b!
our government, must relax from thu
war time basis and we must get bacl
to conditions prevailing before April
1917.
MI. Armour was interviewed by /;
reporter for The Chicago Tribune il
his office at 20S So. La Sale street
He gave his views, and the reasons
for them, to explain the packers side
of the price situation, and to answers
some of the charges recently made by
the reports of the food administers
ton.
"Just why, so that the layman Can
understand it, are meat prices Sc
high? " Mr. Armour was asked. He
settled himself behind his desk and
thought minute before replying.
HIGH, SAYS CONSUMER
"To begin with, it makes Il great
deal of difference what angle you view
the matter FROM" he said. "The con-
usmer says prices high, but the live
stock producers say they have been
losing money AT ruling prices. If you
compare today's prices with the prices
that prevailed before the war, then
prices arc high indeed, but if the COM
parison be between meat prices and
prices of food in general, then, sur
prisingly as it may seem, meat, or at
least beef and lamb, are cheap.
But | presume that when people
say prices are high they are uncon-
sciously comparing the prices that
prevail now with those prevailing
before the outbreak of the great war,
and because of the importance that
attaches to the whole matter | well
come the opportunity you offer to
present an exposition of the matter.
The public ought to be fully CONVEX
SAINT with the situation; it ought to
know the why's and Whcrcfores of
high prices and when it does know
them it will not be misled into doing
that is unwise.
Il have in front Of me statement
just received from our accounting
1t compares the prices
paid for meat animals last month with
the prices paid each year in June
since 1914. 1t shows that in 1914 we
bought hogs for $8.12 hundred
pounds. In 1915 they cost STAT; in
1916 they cost S9.47; in 1917 they
jumped to $15.32; and in 1913 to
S1G.41, and for June of this year our
lvcragc price was $2O.25, or an in
crease this year of 149 per cent over
he cost in 1914"
ANSWERS CHARGES
81 just want to seize this oppor
unity to say few words about the
legislation that has been proposed at
he said, "the legisla-
ion which its advocates promise the
consumer will lower the price of meat
md which they promise the producer
will make his live stock worth more.
t becomes apparent to any one who
tudics the situation that in the very
nature of things some one is being
oolcd--the 1.6 per cent profit on vol
me which the food administration
bowed the packers made last year,
md which is about the usual rate, can
lot be SO divided between the produc-
n and the consumer that it is going
o mean anything to either Of them.
"Yct because prices are high GER
ain critics of the big packers are
ccking to enact laws that will cripple
ackcr activities. l want to say that
h law which has been proposed
annot do other than lessen the eff
ioncy of the big packers, and any
esscncd efficiency means higher
athcr than lower prices to the con-
inner.
81 hope The Tribunc's readers will
interest themselves in this whole mat
CT to the extent of finding out what
he facts really are.
"Mcat prices are high as compared
o the prices that ruled before the
'ar, but they are low as compared
18th the levels that other basic foods
ave attained, and they are low COM
AIRED to the prices which would in
II likelihood prevail if the efficiency
f the present packing industry is
uincd by legislation based on misun-
erstanding, misrepresentation, and
prcjudice-on the theory
hat the price of meat can be reduc-
d and the price of meat animals
aiscd by one and the same law.
REQUIRES TWOFOLD ACTION
"Thc remedy for the present high
riccs requires two fold action. First
nd foremost, world production of
god must be increased. Europe is
rostrate and is going to make some
cXertions to get produc-
ion there back on normal basis. They
ecd money to rehabiltate the farms c
nd factories and replcnish the meat