Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-11

provision exchanges where future prices
in standard cured animal products arc
determined; they or their subsidiary
companies deal in hides. olco. fertilizer
material and other crude animal by
products; purchase from other packers
these crude by products, and themselves
carry the manufacture thereof to a
further stage than most of their com
petitors.
Vast Distributing System
''ThCy are important factors in the
leather industry. in oeomargarinc and
lard substitutes. in cottonsccd oil. in
fertilizer. in soap. in blue. etc.
"Thcir vast distributing system. with
the advantages arising from the con
troll of private cars, cold storage and
a network of branch houses n"S enabled
them to extend their activities on large
scale into poultry, eggs. cheese. butter,
rice, breakfast foods, canned vcgc-
tables, soda fountain Sunrlics ~''' other
lines.
'Individuals of the Armour family
are owners of grain and elevator com
panics. aud !. Ogden Armour is a
prominent factor in the American Inter
national Corporation. with its shipping
and shipbuilding interests. its import
and export companies in various lines.
its interest in company organized TO
develop cattle raising. meat packing,
qucbrachc extract and allied businesses
in Paraguay. its control of large
tea importing company and sugar
machinery corporation. and its minority
stock in the United Fruit Company.
"Somc of Swift & Co. sub
salaries are growing tropical fruits IN
Hawaii; subsidiary of Wilson X
Co, Inc. has reached into the sal
mon fisheries of Alaska, and Nor
ris concern cans shrimp taken in the
waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
"In England. France. Italy. Holland
and other European countries large
meat distributing companies have been
organized by the packers to sell the
meats from their plants in the tinted
States. Argentina. Uruguay, Paraguay.
Brazil and Australia.
"Thc big five. the report said, have
control of or interest in public utility
corporations in Sioux City, Kansas
CITY. South st. Paul. Portland, Ore. !;
South San Francisco South st. Joseph,
Mo-. Hill City. MINI; Fort Worth,
Tex. and Chicago"
As to financial power, the report said
IN part:
The packer has drawn to a marked
degree upon the banks of the country
for liquid funds 70 assure himself
loans ample to his purpose, the big
packer has secured affiIiation through
stock ownership, representation on dl-
rectorates. and in other ways with nu-
merous banks and trust companies. Mr..
Armour. Mr.. Swift, Mr.. Morris and
Mr.. Wilson are directors in banks af-
filated closely with those who 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 is great. not
only for financing their own national
and international operations. but tor
affecting, for good or for i'll, the credit
of cattle producers and of competitors
or customers in any line
After reviewing the interest of the
packers in the leather, fertilizer, cot
tonseed oil. grain and breakfast food
industries. the report said:
''The reason why the packers arc
seeking control of the substitutes for
meat-the foods that compete with
meats-are obvious. If the prices of
substitutes for meats are once brought
under packer control, the consumer will
have little to gain in turning 10 them
for relief from excessive meat prices.
Handle Half of Poultry
Judged conservatively by trade cs
Inmates, the big five handle at least half
the poultry, eggs and cheese in the
main channels of interstate commerce.
Recently the big packers began
dealing in various staple groceries and
vegetables, such as rice, potatoes. beans
and coffee, and increased their sales at
such rate that in certain lines they
have become factors of great moment
Referring to the packers activities in
South America, the report said that
from establishment of a single plant in
Argentina in 1907 by Swift & Co., the
American packers, Swift, Armour,
~ hnI l..