Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-08-08
MILLIONS OF
POUNDS OF FOOD
IS STORED HERE
Local Packers Hold Vast
Quantities of Meat in
Storage, Says Report
of Assessor.

Hdt CHciIuOus Quantities Oh lOOu
are stored in Omaha cold storage
warehouses, is shown by the latest
statistics taken by Deputy County
Assessor H. G. Counsman.
In one warehouse alone over TO-
100000 pounds Of meat are stored by
three local packing plants. The re-
port further shows that in the same
warehouse large quantities Of fruit
are stored by local commission
firms.
The assessors report, taken in
April, shows that Swift & Co. have
the largest amount of meat stored
in this warehouse. When statistics
were taken, this firm had 900,956
pounds of beef, 1868 pounds of
corned beef, 2,426,466 pounds Of
pork, 9404s9 pounds of cured pork,
l,228,875 pounds OF dry salt pork,
l8,303 pounds Of lamb and mutton,
and a miscellaneous quantity of
meat estimated at l,l88,438, making
a total of 6,714,6l0 pounds.
Millions of Pounds.
The report shows that the Cudahy
Packing Co. had total of 1,402, 688
pounds of meat, and the Morris
Packing Co. a total of 2,l33,533
pounds. The Armour Packing Co.
stores all surplus meat in its own
warehouse, according to Mr.. Couns-
man, and does not make a separate
report of the quantity stored.
II never saw SO much meat in
my life" declared Mr.. Counsman,
"as I did when 7 checked up on
these statistics. Other Omaha ware
houses store smaller quantities of
meat, of course. but the total
amount is amazing.
I'm this same warehouse the Skin
ner Packing Co. had 10000 pounds
of poultry stored.
Although the report was taken
in April, it is safe to assume that
there is as much meat stored there
now, if not more than there was in
April"
Out of Laws Reach.
There should be a new law max
ing it a felony to store or destroy
food stuffs to keep up prices" said
County Attorney A. V. Shotwell.
when told OF the cold storage prob
lem.
There is no law in the state now
making the malicious destruction
of property by the owner an offense:
If man has 100000 pounds OF
pork. he can dump it in the river
without violating the law"
The state law on cold storage pro-
vides that food can be stored in
warehouses for II months, and if
permission from the food commits
sioner is obtained it may be kept for
a longer period, providing the food
is in the proper condition. The law
says it is unlawful to advertise cold
storage food as fresh for sale, and
after it is once taken from storage
it cannot be returned.
Unless there is conspiracy to
fix prices by storage to put food out
of reach of the public, nothing can
be done to remedy the cold storage
situation, according to Mr.. Shot
we'll, who also stated that he be.
lieved cold storage warehouses
were being used to regulate prices.
Must Prove Conspiracy.
Evidence Of conspiracy would
have to be proved beyond a doubt
before any action can be taken" Mr..
Shotwell continued. There is a
new law in Ohio which makes it
possible to prosecute any one hold
ing food stuffs in storage to prof
iteer, and the same law should be
passed here.
"County Prosecutor Schlesinger
of Columbus, O.. has filed proceed
ings in the Franklin county court
against the Columbus Packing Co.
and the Fairmont Creamery Co. re-
Gently under this new law He has
asked the court for an injunction
and a receiver for 1851 pounds OF
pork which he alleges the creamery
company has had in storage for the
packing company in excess of the
period stated by the law and for the
purpose of profteering."
Store Hides, Too.
In addition to the hundreds of
thousands of pounds of meats and
other foodstuffs stored in Omaha,
as shown by the figures of Mr..
Counsman, it is reliably reported
from other sources that the packers
also have stored in and around
Omaha many thousands of hides, to
keep them off the market.