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


Big F1ve's advantage rests not 40, much
on their ownership Of canning factories,
although in some branches their output
amounts to more than n quarter OF the
total for the United States, as upon their
rapidly growing control OF the whole
sale distribution OF canned goods Ar
mour a Co. Increased Its canned goods
sales from about ss,boo,ooo in 1915 to
S1s,ooo.o00 in 1917, whereas the COM
bined sales of these products OF Austin
Nichols Company and Sprasue, Warner
Co., two OF the largest Independent
wholesalers, amounted to only some w.
900. 900 In 1917"
Also. Swift q Co, the report pointed
out through Libby, McNeill q Libby,
has become a factor OF considerable I'M
portanoe, canning tomatoes. beans,
baked beans, cabbage, spinach, aspar-
agus. beets. pumpkins, squash, sauer
kraut, pears. apples. cherries, grapes
berriea plums. prunes and pineapp'es
Libby, Mcneil a Libby (Maine) owns
90 per cent. Of Libby, McNeip q Libby
(Ltd.). of Honolulu, engaged in raising
and canning pineapples; 100 per cent OF
the Ahuimanu Pineapple q Ranch Co {;
100 per cent. OF the Thomas Pineapple
Co., and so per cent OF the Statson q
Ellison Co., engaged in canning.
Armour, Wilson and Morris have ike
wise entered the manufacturing phase
OF the canning field through acquire
ment Of ownership or control Oh can
ming companies.
"soth canned salmon and other
canned FISH, as well as dried and ealt
handled by Swift and Armour through
their branch house systems."
Go Into staple Groceries.
Recently the big packers began deal
Ing in various staple groceries ana Vese,
tables, such as rice, potatoes. beans ana
coffee, and increased their sales at such
rate that in certain lines they have
become factors of great moment.
Early In 1917 Armour Co. nrst
undertook the handling OF rice, and IN
that one year sold more than 16,oooSoo
pounds, thus becoming at a single move,
on the statement OF the vice-president
OF the company. the greatest rice mer-
chant In the world During this period
the wholesale price of rice Increased 90
per cent
I'm 1917 the big fves combined sales
Of meats and all other commodities
totalled S2,127,245,000: In 1918 they
were over $4,000, 900. 000."
The big FIVE in 1916, according to the
commission figures, slaughtered S2.z per
cent Of all cattle slaughtered by inter-
state slaughterers, s6.+ per cent. OF all
sheep, 1855 per cent. of all calves ana
6l.2 per cent. of swine.
The explanation Of the 61.2 per cent.
slaughter Of hogs lies, the report points
out. in the nature of the products The ad-
| vantage OF the big packer to utilize oy-
products most efficiently has less scope
in hog slaughter because only some 10
90 Nha ltx,a
| products, as against 20 per cent. of cat
| tie. Also the big packers lose the spe-
cisl advantage of their highly developed
| refrigeration and private car line sys-
TENS, since cured hog products do not
require refrigeration in shipping.
| Including besides all interstate elaugh-
terers, all wholesale local or interstate
slaughterers the big Ave percentages OF
slaughter in numbers of head are: Cat
tie, 745: sheep, 1875; calves. SIS
| swine, 56.s.
| Weapon Held by Big Packers.
| The ability OF the large packers to
uridersell the small slauShterer locally
says the report. els a potent weapon. even
II unused, to keep him from undertaking
any aggressive campaign to increase Dis
business"
| Average monthly holdings Of non
perishable meats during 1915. the report
shows were for the Big Five as against
all other interstate slaushterers; Frozen
beef, e5 per cent. smoked ham and
bacon. cal per cent; dry salt port. SIS
picked pork. 1o5; total meats from
swine. 10.
The Big Five control OF interstate
slaughter at the twelve great packing
centres-Chicago, Kansas City. Omaha
| St Louis New York city. 81. Joseph
Fort Worth. st. Paul. Sioux City, Okla
homa City. Denver and Wichita--wat
during 1915. s4.4 per cent Of cattle (: ss.l
calves. s43 sheep and lambs and 81
| swine.
Tn the Chicago market-the larges
In the countrywide Big Five slaughter
ST. per cent. OF all cattle slaughtered
there for interstate commerce, 93.6 pei
cent OF calves. s6.5 sheep and lambs ant
67.3 swine" the report states. I'm thu
remaining eleven cities they have 97.t
per cent. OF the total cattle slaughter"
Receipts of live animals at stockyard'
controlled by the Big Five packers. In
GLIDING Chicago as dominated. as against
receipts at independently controlled yard'
during 1916. were In the following per
centages: Cattle. 8S.1: sheep. 1871
calves. 1873: swine. 7k4: horses ant
mules, SAC: total all animals. 772.
owned SO per cent. of the 16,60o re
frigerator cars owned by interstate
slaughterers: 20 per cent Of the 1888:
ventilator cars. used principally in frui
and vegetable traffic. and 90 per cent
of the 24.5s2 total refrigerator cars o.
interstate slaushterers.
OF all refrigerator cars In the United
States the Big Five owned 81 per cent
OF beef cars. other interstate slaugh
terers per cent, private car companies
2 per cent: Big Five owned per cent
of ventilator cars, other Interstate
slaughterers per cent. private cal
companies 8 per cent. and railroad In
tercsts SO per cent.
The Big Five packers In 1915 hat
f,12O branch houses throughout tn
United States. SO per cent OF the tota
of all interstate slaughterers. The!
maintained 1927 pedler car routes. list
ing $1,000 towns, or 500 per cent o
car routes of all interstate slaughterers
Branch house sales OF fresh and curet
meat by all interstate siaughterers II
4 1915 showed the Big Five sold $40 pc
I cent OF fre-hh meat. S6.5 per cent. o
cured meat and s2.s of fresh and curet
combined.
The l,12a Big Five branch houses rep
resented in 1915 a book value invest
ment of s30.275.550. with sales Of SIs3.
343.549. AS to branch houses where boil
land and buildings were owned the in
vestment was 320.iS+.427 and sale
333S.s66. 1SB-an investment per dolla
OF sales OF 6 cents.
From establishment OF a single plan
in Argentina in 1907 by Swift q Co. tn
American packers Swift. Armour. Nor
ris and Wilson had developed by 1871
Until fer that year they exported ST.