Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-10-17
BIC s HANDLE 200 FOOD
ARTICLES BESIDES MEAT
Federal Trade Commissions Report
Shows Vast Invasion Into Other
Lines of Trade.
GRABBING NATIONS BUSINESS
C.,fair Advantages Given by Control
OF Refrigerator Transportation AMI
Cold Storage Warchouse-Packo
Divide Field Between Themselves.
IBy Associated Press.l

IBv Associated Preysl
| WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-Reiteration
OF the claims that the Ave big pack
Ina companies of Chicago bid fair TO
dominate the wholesale grocery trade.
and already handle more than 200
foods unrelated TO the meat pack ing
Industry. many OF them directly com,
petiti"e MS meat substitutes. is made
! In Part ~. OF tho Federal Trade Com
missions report on tho industry. pub
lished today.
The extent to which the packer
should he permitted TO enter unre.
lated food lines teven assuming Iesl.
innate competitive methodist" the re-
Port said, us matter which tho pub
lie interest alone should determine.
Two Questions Involved.
Two questions, primarily economic,
are involved:
Does this widening of activity re
suit in additional economies Of pro.
duction and distribution?
Docs IT result, and viii II continue
TO result. to the public In lower prices
vice?
"A third question not hero discussed
reiates TO the ultimate effect OF such
the political and social fabric Of
American institutions"
included In the list of commodities
big nve" are poultry and game. dairy
products. lard and butter substItutes,
canned and dried vegetables and fruit
c canns cure cured and frozen fab. cocoa:
maple sirups. In addition. Armour &
Company. one Of the fve. Is said to
be handling extensively soda fountain
preparations and utensils.
the extent OF packer control varies
with the locality and commodity and
the dealer whose business is being
absorbed. the report asserts.
Much Secrecy Maintained.
owing TO the secrecy OF the pack
era methods OF conducting much OF
his business" II adds. exact statistics
available for tho country az whole
which will show just how far tho
packers control has reached.
Many companies manufacturing or
handling those commodities ure con-
troiied by packer interests. no hint of
which is disclosed by the names UNI
der which they operate, and even a
thorough going examination may fail
to uncover the packer connection in
every case" "
Four OF the packers--swift. Wilson
hrmour and Cudahy--the report states,
through their subsidiaries. and not in :.
Guiding family controlled companies,
handled in 1919, 1915 per cent OF the
e eoui,sx ~ totai OF shipped dressed
GEES
Haadiss Msch Cbeese.
The same four handled 20 per cent
OF all factory-msde cheese in ioIs. the
report says, and adds:
central one pig 10 ny Sc are per In een, 5.
cheese OF the state 1WisconsIn) is
generally conceded"
eo hlsey' Men: MG%e'il & Libby; . Swift.
OF Az eVaporated and condensed milk
IN i9lS, according to the report.
me armour Grain Company. a fac,
business, ronorted surplus and undi,
vldcd prohts for the year 1917 of Sc.
t26;S3O after deductins az per cent
dividend on capital stock, the repor.
:: ss, POS l;o. or Eso per cent on tho
worth Of the oompany in eh INC es NE.
rspertf$ 1 he U eoss 81 r The ssc Al
niE sh.re of Lard BuAi.e.s.
sutsttutee.o b. OF !a I'd, eoompognds aHd
al, al 90 Ier cent OF the total and cleo,
ms a!G;n1Ins a. 4, 81 per cent
fTus and sh n"e Sere t0G not a ssfh L.
t thhe tSSE9ra vs says ss but tn business Of
canned food sules alone showed 32S
Pf Se Sales salmon s9as oysr si
y 1sl' I. o. per cont in isis. ths
$50, complete has become the control,
cspscilliy by Libby. Mcneil 4 Libby,
reads, That one OF the largest Whole /.
any supply whatever"
There is sufiicent evidence. the re-
G Gort continues NJ that TIE big five" are
Armour's Grocery SpeeiaIsIes.
III Armours grocery special,ies are
| largely concentrated along such lines
| as rice, cereals, certain kinds OF canned
| FOODS and cheese, and each OF the other
Of the i've great packers concentrates
lines. the profitable fields becomin z
pretty well covered and pretty well
ruled by the live"
ARE large speculators" and MAT their
control OF capital and credN enables
them to buy In such a way! as TO re-
sell upon market In which their
II also asserts that tho packers have
extraordinary buying and marke tin q
power due TO certain advantages, per-
t haRT n Often aTays anagu but GER
Some Great Advantases.
Among these advantages are emu
81 all cold storage facilities. their re-
frigerator car service, the highly fav.
for mixed carloads Of fresh meats and
picking house products nermitting
goods q fore eh TO ,bsir slsns iet 81
lions not uIone In Service. but also in
Until the packers arc shorn of the
TRANSPORTATION advantages granted
0y !. inc way ss ihsr
| true industrial efficiency"