Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-06-01
nent confessed by Casey and the mat.

several payments that were made on
interest and otherwise. Mistakes are
liable to happen and while the board
feels that Mr.. Altenbernd is honest,
yet they feel that those mistakes
should be corrected. The board also
feels that the attempt to tie up all
of our operations on a judgment exc
cution at this time was uncalled for,
especially when it is claimed and now
admitted that the amount claimed
therein was in error.
Mr.. H. J. Walsh, who has been
assistant secretary for the Packing
Company for several years, has ac-
cepted a position in the packing bust
ness at St. Louis Mo-, and has left
for there with his family.
Branch Houses Losses HeAvs One Of
the Seven Reasons of Failure
One Of, the seven reasons why the
Packing Company was unable to con-
tlnue in business is the following:
Branch plants We're put in at South
St. Paul, Milwaukee and Duluth, a..d
in addition to tllst agents were con-
tracted with in Boston, Philadelphia,
Chicago and New York
The story Of these branch houses
an1 Eastern agents reads like 1ict:en.
The Bank Of Monte Carlo rcvec had
anything on this venture. Losses
came so fast that it must have been
difficult to keep a record Of them.
St. Paul Branch
The st. Paul branch alone lost
SIS, 900 and three reasons are advanc-
ed for the loss. l.. Declining prices
on meat which occurred between the
time it was billed out Of Fargo until
it arrived at St. Paul and was sold.
Those customers who bought meat
during this period can remember that
the price to them didn't take any sud-
den and unexpected plunge downward.
On fresh meat so shipped there would
Of course be loss on a declining
market but even that was no excuse
for continuing to lose. Loss on bad
accounts. That was matter entire
ly in the hands Of the manager. Re-
peated and continued losses on bad ac-
counts could not possibly be justified
in any business. 8. Loss occasion
ed by spoiled meat. When meat is
received several hundred miles from
the plant, for example, Boston, Mass,
it is quite easy for the agent to es-
tablish claims of this kind. On &C.
count Of mismanagement at the plant,
which will be developed in a succeed
ing article, there was some justifca-
ton to the claim Of spoiled meat, but
that fact in itself only furnished fuel
to the flames that were consuming the
stockholders money in Boston, Phila-
delphia, Chicago and New York. !.
Milwaukee Branch
The Milwaukee branch house show
ed loss of about $4,000, but in
this connection it is we'll to remember
that the former manager of the Mil
waukee house worked in that house
and took pains to- have invoices adj
justed and reduced for products ship
ped and in that way held the losses
down, but on the same basis as the
other houses the Milwaukee branch
lost over $4,000.
Duluth Branch
The Duluth branch lost approx
mately 100000. Before the plant
got well under way there was loss
there of $4,000 which hasn't yet been
fully explained. The defense made
by the agent there was that the pro-
ducts were billed, out too high in
price, that the meat was spoiled, and
finally it was claimed that he never
received the meat at all. That should
have been and apparently was good
and sufficient defense. The longer
the branch was kept open the more it
lost, until the amount rose to nearly
100000.
Other Branches
r The Chicago venture lost approx
,mately $4,000; Boston was a trifle
less; Philadelphia came to the front
with over $4,000. The agent there
not only refused to pay for what pro-
duce he received and denied our claim,
but was able to attack what cash we
had on hand there and get away with
it. So far as the records here are
concerned he was allowed to proceed
on his way rejoicing. .i..
New York maintained its accustom-
ed advantage and through, claims for
spoiled meat, reduction in invoice
price poor debts, and any other ex-
cuses that came in handy, made loss
Of s1s 900.
Some Conclusion Based on This
ss Isl, i. Experiences s. 55a
The foregoing is the record Of the