The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-26
ARMOUR GIVES
VIEWS ON HOW TO
CUT FOOD COSTS
Urges More Production
and Less Governmental
Fixed Prices

to J. Ogden Armour. World produc-
ton of food must be increased and
the arbitrary fixing of prices and
conditions in all lines of business" by
our government, must relax from the
war time basis and we must get back
to conditions prevailing before April,
1917.
Mr.. Armour was interviewed by
reporter for The Chicago Tribune i'll
his Office at 208 So. La Sale street
He gave his views, and the reasons
for them, to explain the packers side
/ of the price situation, and to answers
some of the charges recently made by
the reports of the food admlnlstra-
ton.
Just why, so that the layman can
understand it, are meat prices SO
high? " Mr.. Armour was asked. he
settled himself behind his desk and
thought minute before replying.
+ HIGH, SAYS CONSUMER
"To begin with, it makes a great
deal of difference what angle you view
the matter FROM" he said. "The con-
usmer says prices high, but the 1--we
stock producers say they have been
losing money at ruling prices. If you
compare today's prices with the prices
that prevailed before the war, then
prices are high indeed, but if the COM
parison be between meat prices ana
prices of food in general, then, sur
prisingly as it may seem, meat, or at
least beef and lamb, arc cheap.
But | presume that when people
say prices are high they are uncon-
sciously comparing the prices that
prevail now with those prevailing
before the outbreak of the great war,
and because of the Importance that
attaches to the whole matter l wei
come the opportunity you offer to
present an exposition of the matter.
The public ought to be fully CONVEX
SAINT with the situation; it ought to
know the why's and whcrefores OF
high prices and when it does know
them it will not be misled into dong
anything that is unwise.
! 4 have in front of me statement
lust received from our accounting
department. 1t compares the prices
paid for meat animals last month with
the prices paid each year in June
since 1914 1t shows that in 19l4 we
bought hogs for $8.12 a hundred
pounds. In 1915 they cost STAT; in
1916 they cost $9.47; in 1917 they
Jumped to $15.32; and in 1918 to
yS1G.41, and for June of this year our
average price was $20,25, or an IN
crease this year OF 149 per cent over
g. the cost in 1914"
ANSWERS CHARGES
Il just want to seize this oppor-
tunity to say few words about the
legislation that has been proposed at
Washington he said, "the leglsla-
ton which its advocates promise the
consumer will lower the price of meat
and which they promise the producer
- will make his live stock worth more
1t becomes apparent to any one VINO
studies the situation that in the very
nature of things some one is pellg
fooled-the 1.6 per cent prott on vol
ume which the food administration
showed the packers made last year.
and which is about the usual rate, can
not be so divided between the produc-
er and the consumer that 1t Is gong
to mean anything to either OF them
"Yet because prices are high GER
tain critics of the big packers are
seeking to enact laws that will cripple
packer activities. | want to say that
tn law which has been proposed
cannot do other than lessen the etii'
cheney of the big packers, and any
lessened efficiency means hlghel
rather than lower prices to the con
sumer.
81 hope The Tribune's readers viii
1 interest themselves in this whole mat
ter to the extent of finding out Wha
the facts really are. ....e.
"Meat prices are high as compared
to the prices that ruled before thu
war, but they are low as compared
with the levels that other basic food
have attained, and they are low com
pared to the prices which would Il
all likelihood prevail if the etficlenc.
of the present packing industry
ruined by legislation based on mlsun
derstanding, misrepresentation, an6
ungrounded prejudice-on the theor
that the price Of meat can be reduc
ed and the price of meat animal
Y raised by one and the same law. -.
REQUIRES TWOFOLD ACTION
"The remedy for the present hlgl
prices requires two fold action. Flrs
and foremost, world production o
food must be increased. Europe
PROSTATE and is going to make som
tremendous eXertions to get produc
ton there back on normal basis. The!
need money to rehabilitate the farm
and factories and replenish the mea
1 herds. The people of this countr
have great sare Of the worlds golo
| and it is incumbent upon America
IN business men and the government o
! the United States to arrange lon
term credits, SO that Europe will haV
the money it needs to get things GO
ing again.