Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-09-15
Editors Letter Box
Sugar Shortage
Mr.. Editor:

Z. EOlIoY.
Your winthrop correspondent asks if
there il any connection between the
packers and Gamers and the sugar
shortage. 1t is very evident there Is
very close connection. The Gamers are
very large users OF sugar. and there
fore are the iobbers' best customers. So
a hint from them TO the jobbers about
The middle OF August that shortage OF
sugar j. desirable will do the trick. This
means that the housewives of this
country will put up some 100000 less
cans OF fruit than they would If they
had ali the sugar they needed This
takes away from the farmer q market
for over 100000 bushels Of his fruit
and gives the Gamers the chance to
buy it all the cheaper. Besides the
fruit that the women would put UP
would be worth double that which the
Gamers put up. So you see that by
this little trick the Gamers make a
market for an extra 100000 cans of
their wares. This will take an extra
Sloeoo.0p out of the consumer. and be-
sides a can Of the fruit put up at home
ie worth about double that we get from
the trade. And this loss of the op-
portunity to put up the desired guam
tity simply means loss Of some S1o.-
aoO.0oo to the frugal housewives. and
an equivalent profit to the trade. Have
you seen where any OF the Maine DEL
egation has raised his voice in behalf
Of his constituents in regard to the high
cost Of living? Senator Fernald did
make a long speech the other day in
defense of the packers. making them
out to be a very much abused lot. ami
entitled to the charity and the sympa-
thy and support of all good citizens.
According to him the packers and can
rers are not making excessive profits.
but are having hard time In the world.
In contradiction to the senator's state
ment allow me to quote from an ad-
vertisement Of the Skinner Packing Co
of Omaha, Neb. This company's plant
covers nearly IS acres They are ad-
vertis;ng for the sale of a new issue
of stock. As an inducement to buyers
they make the following comparisons:
$1,000 invested four years ago in the
Lafayette Packing Co. would now be
worth $1,000: 5000 invested in the Green
Bay Packing Co. nine years ago would
now be worth $1,000: 5000 in Swift &
Co. six years ago. $4,000: in Morris &
Co. three years ago. $1,000: in Cudahy
& Co. six years ago. $4,000: in Armour
& Co. five years ago, $4,000: in Jacob
Dodd & Co. 70 years ago. $4,000: in the
Pacific Packing Co. Is years ago. $1.soo.
They also show in the same advertise
ment that the following dividends have
been paid by the following companies:
Swift Co.. 8%; Pacific Co. $50; Ken
lucky Packing Co.. 4sT: Cudahy Co..
4aTe; Atlantic. Packing Co., S7e; Ar
mour Co.. 1o05es: Standard Co., 1866:
and Morris & Co. 1906. II Is very evf-
dent that the statements in this adver.
tisement are correct. for so large con-
cern would not dare to send SUCH state
meuts through the mails and lay them
selves liable to criminal prosecution by
the p. O. authorities. The above ad-
vertissment 10 copied from the Con-
gressional Record. page s5'S. and SEN
ator -Fernald can refute It II 1t Is not
q statement Of facts At least he has
not done 20 yet. and It appeared some
sig weeks ago. Senator Aidrich told
ne that Lttleheld was not popular
when ne was in Congress: that he was
not taetful. In other words. that the
interests could not handle him. We do
not hear anything in regard to the
present delegation. do we? They seem
to be tactfuL what the I'd District
needs 10 q good. successful. business
ms In Congress. Not lawyer who
has coiv done legal. business for 9th
err We have just such man right
heve IN Augusta. Some Of his friends |
want -himi to allow his. name to be used
for the Once Of governor. But he can
not sGord- to do that.ay We want him
IN consress.
-. OLD PEssI,fIsr.