The Washington times., 1919-08-06
Blame Middleman For
Meat Profiteering"
Packers Tell Senate

farmers S2,2s for wheat naturally
they expect more for their corn. hogs
and other commodities, he explained.
Mr.. White was unable to give the
committee any comparative list OF
washington prices and the prices in
other cities but agreed to furnish the
price lists. Armour & Co., through
its local representatives does q
wholesale business with the retailers
amounting between $4,000, 900 and
100000 annually.
There has been a gradual increase
in the price Of live stock since 1914
from $7.4S per hundred weight to
War In Chicago, on July % last.
Mr. White told Senator Cappsr that
II was impossible for him to say
what the farmer received for that
same meat but he did say that cattle
cost the Chicago packers practically
f125-S5 per head. The price OF meat
Is largely governed by the increase
OF o., the prices Of its by-produets. Mr.
The fastest figures available fop
washington show that the average
price OF beef Is 20 cents a pound for
high grade.
Answers Dealers Charge.
Besides its local agency here. Ar
mour & Co. has a second agency un-
der the name of the Columbia Hotel
Supply Company. which a George
town butcher recently told the COM
mittee was for the purpose Of catch
Ing customers both ways" In
reality, Mr.. White said. this concern
supplies only the hotels and restau-
rants, dealing in choicer cuts.
w. W. Trewhllla, local reresenta-
tive Of Armour, was put upon the
stand but proved a disappointment in
supplying the committee with any
definite prices in Washington.
Prices Of fresh beef ranged with a
difference Of 9 cents in Washington
from November. 1918 to July IL, 1918.
when the best quality brought ~
cents and the lowest 10 cents.
Explaining how the various cuts
affected prices. he said that a rib Of
beef cut out OF a carcass selling at
20 cents would sell wholesale at 90
cents.
Senator Capper interrupted at this
point to tell the committee that he
bought a sirloin steak the day before
and was charged 45 cents a pound
for it. What would the retailer pay
you for it?'' he asked. Mr.. Trewhella
replied that the average price for a
pound Of Ioin OF beef would cost the
retailer about 80 cents.
Prices IN Washington last week
were a tribe higher than $1T.44 the
hundredweight. Il Appears ana q
person would have to pay about %
cents to % cents a pound for round
steak from a carcass selling at IS
cents a pound wholesale.
The prices Of eggs last week
ranged from ~ cents TO a cents a
dozen to retailers, Mr.. Trewhslla
said. and the same eggs cost Armour
80. 20 a dozen. The highest price the
retailer had to pay for eggs was SO
cents, with prices tending downward
until they reached the present point.
Mr.. Trewhells explained that when
a carload of meat was delivered to
the Washington agency the selling
prices were furnished him along with
Il, and It was his business to get the
nearest to those prices that he could.
On August II the price he obtained
for fresh beef was 81 cents a pound.
or one-fourth OF a cent more than
the packers asked. Pork prices were
about cents a pound lower on July
II last, he said. than they were on
November IL.
Senator Sheppard expressed . Gu
riosity to know why the retail price
of meat stays up while the wholesale
price goes down.
Mr.. TrewheIla replied that he wish
ed he knew the answer also. except
that the retailer is not so sensitive
to market conditions as the packers.
when the packers send me beef It's
plum up TO me to sell il right away
he said.
William Diesing, of Omaha, Neb..
the Cudahy Packing
Company. and Thomas Creigh, Of Chi
-.
were the witnesses this afternoon be-
fore the committee. Swift & Co. Of
1cials are scheduled to testify tomor-
row.