Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-23
COMMITTEE HEARS
ARMOUR SCIENCE
eve Do a Real Service to the
Country" Declares Chief
of Packers.
BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN
Company Operated on Lowest
Profit Possible to Help
All Concerned.
BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN

WASHINGTON. January 22.-J
Ogden Armour is a good deal of
fatalist. He exposed some of his busi-
ness philosophy to the House Commit
tee on Interstate Commerce to-day,
when Its members made 1t a field day
for questioning him about the packing
business.
1t Is not often that Congressman
gets chance to crossqucstion a wit
ness who represents many hundred
million dollars in family fortune, and
have that witness say yes. sir" and
no SIR" with SO friendly a smile as
Mr.. Armour is displaying in his two
day srilling at the Capitol, and as re-
suit every member OF the committee
insisted on asking few questions.
asked before.
Representatives of the national
throughout the session and took
copious notes. Some of the testimony
may may be wasn't entirely. pleasant to
mour, finally broke his calm when
asked series OF questions based on
2 circular and gave vent to his in
cignation at the attacks to which his
industry had been subjected.
TAKE LIVE ANIMAL AT
ONE ENDS MEAT RESULT
We do real service to the coun-
tiry" he had said. I'VE. take in the
and turn out dressed meat at the
other We bridge a gap between the
producer and the consumer and we do
At the lowest margin OF profit possible
we have grown large because we have
bnen efficient. We have become what
Ice 10 the producer and the consumer.
II we hadn't been the best possible
agency to perform this service. we
nt Ind
here after these years, we must be the
best agency that has been offered for
this service.
We can't live unless the producer
lives. He must make fair profit for
US to maintain our business. To charge
mat IN we would attempt to, force him
FOOLISH. 1t would be fatal 10 our bust
ness. And we couldn't sell our produ-
s's lie could a aens nishsr price than the pub
lie wouldn't buy from us." q =,
READING FROM PROGRAM FS-
BRINGS FLUSH TO PACKEn
just here Representative winslow
began reading from the program of
,. 1ne farmers headquarters for govern
ment ownership. The deep voice of
Levy Mayer. Mr.. Armour's counsel.
chance"
Mr.; Armour's face flushed slightly,
and his eyes flashed as he Strengthened
IN his chair. and loosened his indigna-
tion against the Federal Trade Com
missions report. The committee mem
pers shook themselves from the lethar-
gy of routine and leaned forward to
catch his words.
1t was evident that the somewha,
tired-iooking man. who had been talk
Ing most OF two days. had the fires
and forces within. which had done
much to build his company from tho
$l6o.o0o company his father founded
70 the $113.o00.o00 concern of to-day,
hftY years later.
That sounds very much like the
he said. The Federal Trade Commits
sion Tor some reason or other decided
to attack us. Maybe they thought
IL IL wouid be popular. I don't know
up: Their attack is one of innuendoes
When they found that Armour & CO.
owned 20 per cent of the Chicago
stockyards they suggested that the
otner packers owned the rest. 1t is
CONSUMER MUST BEAR
BURDEN IN THE END
We're down here on trial. yet we've
done nothing wrong. believe we do
great service to the country. It's
unfortunate that the stockmen some
times lose money. But this hill Won't
change II. 1t will only make the pack
ing and allied operations less efficient
and more expensive and the consumer
Will nave to bear that burden.
Some one is trying to fool some
BODY. This activity is creating an un-
fair feeling: There has been no prof
teering. We've done business on a
closer margin Of profit than any other
Dig manufacturing business l know.
Ihey have no facts against u.s. They
say that so and so is true and then
OF course something else must be
true. Their campaign is an 'of course
campaign"
GREAT HRyrpp pyAUr