The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-12

The Big Five, the report shows, have
control of or interest In public utility
in Sioux City. Kansas City.
South st. Paul, Portland, Ore. South
San Francisco, South st. Joseph. Mo. :
Hill City, MINI. (; Fort Worth, Tex, and
As to financial power. the report in
part says:
The packer has drawn to a marked
degree upon the banks OF the country
for liquid funds he could not
operate on the scale he does without the
very large loans furnished by the banks.
To assure himself loans ample to his
purpose, the big packer has secured at
nliation through stock ownership, rep
resentRtion on dlrectorates and in other
ways with numerous banks and trust
Mr.. Armour, Mr.. Swift. Mr.. Morris
and Mr.. Wilson are directors In banks
sffillated closely with those vino are
strong at the sources Of credit in the
United States. Being thus allied with
the powerful interests at the sources of
credit, the packers power 10 great, not
only for financing their own national and
international operations. but for AFFECT
ing, for good or for III, the credit of cat
tie producers and Of competitors or GUS
toners in any line"
The packer invasion Of the leather in
dustry In shown In the report to have
reached the following point at the close
of 1917: Armour. Swift. Morris and
Wilson--Cudahy not being engaged In
tanning until the close Of 1s17-pro-
duced ~ per cent of the country's total
output of sheep and lamb shoe stock: II
per cent OF sheep and lamb gloves and
oNA. - 49, sx.<1lr
tanned from calf. kip and all skins other
than sheep and lamb and goat and kid,
and 20 per cent OF other leather tanned
from such skins Except glove stock) ;
12h per cent. of shoe stock from cat
tie sides. 9 per cent. of harness leather.
As per cent. of strap leather. FL per
cent Of betting. % per cent. Of sole
leather. and IS per cent finished splits.
The proportion Of stocks OF hides held
in the United States by the Big Five
packers. as against all other Interstate
slaughtered, the report shows. ranged
from 90.7 per cent. of a total OF So
s8s,s51 pounds on January 81, 1915, to
Ss.6 per cent. of 143.s21.s5 pounds on
July 81. 1917. at no time dropping below
ST. per cent.
Armour & Co.. Swift & Co. and Morris
& Co., the report shows, produced In the
fiscal year of 1917 approximately one
fifth of the entire output in the United
States of mixed fertilizers. and one.
tenth of acid phosphate. Armour 4 Co
had thirty fertilizer plants In various
parts Of the country. Swift q Co. had
eleven plants for the manufacture Of
mixed fertilizers and various Swift
slaughtering houses are equipped with
fertilizer plants
One-third of Cotton OIL Output.
The Big Five packers In the season
Of 1s16-ls17 produced nearly one-third
of the nations entire refined cotton oil
output Of 201.3S9,000 gallons, or 31.S pei
cent. Three other interests. the Proctor
& Gamble companies. the Southern Cot.
ton Oil Company and the American Cot.
ton OIL Company, produced 42.6 pei
cent. and all other companies 25.6 pei
cent. OF crude cottonseed oil the three
OF the packers operating cotton oil mills
Swift. Armour and Morris. produced
only some per cent. of the total pro
duction. using. however, large quantities
purchased from other concerns In theii
manufacture of oleomargarine. lard com
pound. cooking oils. soaps. fertilizer.
and other products.
Production OF lard compound and lart
SUBSTITUTES Wy hRtTsthlc SiduBHleTcTi
during the first half of 1917 was 81 pei
cent. in the hands of the Big Five pack
ers. the report shows. Including all cot
tonseed oil manufacturers as we'll as In
terstate slaughterers, the Big Five pro
duction during this period was 49.4 pei
cent. of the total production of lard com
pound and lard substitute by thes,
groups The average monthly holding.
of lard compound and lard substitutes
by the Big Five during 1915 was 81 pei
cent of holdings Of all Interstate slaugh
terers. OF cottonseed oil soap stock fo
the season 1si6-1917 the Big Five pro
duced 800 per cent. Of the total for tn,
country.
Oieomargarine production for the en-
tire United States from July. 1915. I,
June. 1916, was Az per cent controlled
by Armour. Swift, Morris and Wilson
interests and TAI per cent. by the "Ole,
Legislative Pool" embracing besid,
these packers the John F. Jelke Com
pany and w. ]. Monkey, Inc.
Ninety Armour Grain Elevators.
In grains the Armour Grain Com
pany. Chicago, of which J. Odgcl
Armour owns 81 per cent. of the stocl
and other members of the Armour famil
229 per cent, directly or through Il
subsidiaries operates over ninety coun
try grain elevators. Its eight termina
elevators at Chicago and its two a
Kansas City constitute IS per cent. o
the total elevator capacity of thos
cities.
In 1917 its sales were 74,s47,oo
bushels or 226 per cent Of all graf
receipts at Chicago. the worlds creates
market, and its business is CROWN
rapidly. In connection with its chat
of country elevators the Armour Graf
Company Merchandise fertilizer. feet
coal. fence posts wire fencing builder,
hardware, binding Irvine. lumber. mi
work. cement. lime. plaster, brick. san
and gravel and roofing.
In the maHufacture OF breakfast food
and stock and chicken feeds the Armou
Grain Company. says the report. "is ex
banding especially In the line of produc
ing retail brands Within four year
| It has undertaken the manufacture @
Armours Oats, has taken over the But
falo Cereal Company. with It's man
brands OF cereal foods and animal food
and In 1917 took over the Maple-Fl X
Mills of Battle Creek. Mich"
THE reason why the packers ar
seeking control of the substitutes 10
meat-the foods that compete wit
meats-are obvious" says the repor
IF the prices of substitutes for meat
! are once brought under packer contrc
the consumer will have little to gal
In turning to them for relief from eS
ccssive meat prices"
Judged conservatively by trade est
mates the Big Five handle at least ha
Of the poultry, eggs and cheese IN I'll
main channels of interstate commerce
the report states.
Practically all estimates receive
stated the packers handle rs to 80 pt
cent OF all cheese produced In W,scor