Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-12

sIaughterers. OF cottensed oil soap
stock for the season 1sl6-1S17. the
Big Five produced 500 per cent Of
the total for the country.
Oleomargerine production for the
entire United States from July 1916
to June 1916 was Alt per cent con-
trolled by Armour. Swift, Morris and
Wilson interests; and TAI per cent
by the "Oleo Legislative Pool" en-
bracing beside these packers. John
+. Jelke Co.. and w. J. Moxley. Inc.
In grains. the Armour Grain Company
Chicago. Of which J. Ogden Armour own,
q per cent. of the stock and other mem.
bers o fthe Armour family 229 per cent.
directly or through its subsidiaries oper.
ates over 90 country grain elevators. 1t,
eight terminal elevators at Chicago and
its two at Kansas City constitute .
per cent of the total elevator capacity
Of those cities. In 1917. its sales wert
4,s47,O0 bushels or 226 per cent of al
grain receipts at Chicago, the worlds
greatest market; and its business /.
growing rapidly. In connection with til
chain of country elevators. the Armour
Grain Company merchandise fertilizer
feed, coal. fence posts, wire fencing
buffers hardware, binding Irvine, lum
Der. mill work. cement, lime, plaster
brick. sand and gravel and roofing.
In the manufacture of breakfas
foods. and stock and chicken feeds, tn,
Armour Grain Company. says the re
port, sis expanding especially in tn,
line Of producing retail brands. Within
four years. it has undertaken the manu-
facture Of Armour's Cats. has take,
over the Buffalo Cereal Co., with it.
many brands of cereal foods and anima
feeds. and in 1917 took over the Map,,
Fake Mills. of Battle Creek, Mich"
Packer Invasion Of Other Food In.
dustriss
"The reason why the packers ar,
seeking control of the substitutes 70,
meat-the foods that compete will
meats-are obvious" SAYS the report
III the prices of substitutes for meat.
are once brought under packer control
the consumer will have little to Sair
ir turning to them for relief from ex
eessfve meat prices" An Armour adj
vertisement in the New York Dali,
Mail. December 81, 1917. said in part:
The intelligent housewife ha. com,
70 realize that the Armour name IL syn
onymous with virtually every food III,
needs for her tabie-practically every
en,sE Tor every meal in the week, in
vegetables. fruits. condiments. beyer
ages-eAe can obtain them oil under tn,
guarantee of the Armour name.
Packers in Poultry and pair,
Products
Judged conservatively by trade est,
mates, the Big Five handle ut leas
half Of the poultry. eggs and cheese Z,
the main channels of interstate com
H.eree," the report states. Most est:
mates place the total production i,
dressed poultry and eggs controlled D.
the packers at a higher percentage.
Practically all estimates receive,
stated the packers handle Is to 50 pc
cent. of all cheese produced in Wiscon
sin alone where $50 per cent. of the en-
tire country's cheese was made at tn
time Of the last manufacturing censu
In 1914. All of the Big Five are distribu
tors Of cheese and all except Wilson !
Co. own and control large cheese com
panies.
THE packers are also important fac
tors in condensed milk, and are raptdl,
increasing their proportion. Wisconsin
Is covered by their creameries. conden
feries and buying stations and a simila
process of concentration and control
already evident in the other principa
dairy states.
Swift & Co. is the largest single but
ter distributor in the United States
handling in 1916 approximately 100000
pounds or nearly as much as the com
bined sales of the two largest non
packer organizations: and the butte
department was pushing for q Is De
cent. increase in 1918 over 1917 Swift 4
Co. alone, for its own creameries, col
lects cream in Arkansas, California
Colorado. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kan
sas, Michigan. Minnesota, Missouri. Ne
braska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma
Texas, Wisconsin. and Wyoming. Com
panies owned or controlled by it, sue:
as w. F. Priebe & Co., Western Mea
Company, Union Meat Co., and Libby
Mcneil & Libby. obtain milk and cream
iE still other states.
armour & Co. in 1916 handled III
its branch houses alone over 2s.0ct.-
ooc pounds of butter. Most cf its
creamery butter was manufactured
by the Eau Claire Creamery Co, Eau
Claire, Wis, which Is contr ,lle. b,
Armour: the Kentucky creame. jos,
Louisville. owned entirely by Arm
our; Oakdale Creamery, Cakda,c
California. A. S. Kinimontn Produce
Co. Winfield. Kan. and the Michigan
leo & Cold Storage Co.. operated by
Armour; and the Armour plan- N
Rochester. Ind.
Morris & Co. operates no creamer-
les but controls Sherman White &:
Co.. Fort Wayne. Ind. anil buys
large quantities Of butter manufac-
tured by other concerns: Cudahy
owns the D. e. Wood Butter Co..
Evansville. Wis. and the Sunlight
Produce Co., Sioux City. Wilson &
Co. owns no creameries but purchas
en- outside"
The Big Five, the report shows.
sold in 1916 through their branch
branch houses alone, nearly NG,o,0, Eu
pounds Of poultry. 10000, 900 pounds
OF butter. 100000 pounds OF cheese
and over 135. 100000 dozen eggs.
Packers in Canned Fruits, Etc.
Fruit and vegetable canning are
remote from slaughtering and meat
packing, but the big packers. through
their branch house system of djstri .