Evening star., 1922-12-30
ENGLISH ASSA|L
PACKING COMBINE
BIZ HAL OTLAHERTY,

my caD.e 10 Inc Htar and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright. l922.)
LONDON. December 2O.-Ever since
1t first became known that three
great American packing companies
were seeking to merge all their in
terests in one organization a cam
-paign OF vituperation has been car
ried on by the British newspapers,
aimed at the American packing COM
panies IN particular and American
trusts in general. English muck
rackers have proved to the sat;sfac-
ton Of a large section OF the reading
public that the American packers are
coasptring to raise the price OF meats
and other food products on the Brit
ish market.
Within tie last few days It has
been stated that the American pack
ers have tried to purchase one OF tho
the London carriage companies with
the object OF nonopolizing. the cart
ago business on shipments from
ony to to. Ss. %
leading the public into the belief that
the United States Is the only country
where great business enterprises are
allowed to combine or carry out ex-
tensive mergers. when, as matter of
fact, there exists in England today
tensive an organization for the pro-
duction and marketing of food
products as that Of Americas big
packing concerns.
British Firm Spreads Far.
This firm, known as the Wesley
Brothers. Is headed by two Of the
keenest business men in the United
Kingdom, who received their early
training in tho United States. With
in a comparatively short time, or vir-
tually since the end Of the war, this
firm has built up combination Of
packing houses and retail stores with
ramifications in nearly every part of
the world. BY the slow process Of
absorption the Wesley Brothers have
secured complete or partial control of
a chain Of stores throughout Eng
land, Scotland and Wales. the latest
estimates placing the number Of their
retail establishments at between 5000
packing houses in Argentina, two In
Brazil one in Venezuela, one in
Madagascar. four in New Zealand and
one in Australia.
In China the Wesley Brothers own
q company exporting eggs. poultry
duo OkACi AbSJ ho 70 tAGlA
own ships-the Blue Star line-carry-
Ing their products to and from Eng
land, and control a majority of the
cold storage houses in the United
Kingdom. For efficiency in handling
meat and giving 1t to the British pub
lie at the lowest price. possible this
organization is undoubtedly equal to
the American concerns. Its poten-
tial power IN controlling prices In
Great Britain is greater proportion
ately than the similar price-making
power of the American packers.
Competition Cuts Prices.
Owing to the fact that the London
agents of the American packers oper-
ate in direct competition with the big
British combines It is impossible for
the Americans to control the retail
prices Of meat here. II anything, the
American competition tends conse-
ouently to lower prices. for perish
able stocks are dealt in and these are
necessarily sold within a short time
after reaching England.
Ono Of tho regrettaSte results OF
tho present campaign against pack
ing Industry Is, the prevailing I'M
preston that American business
methods are entirely wrong and
never countenanced in Europe. when,
as a matter OF fact, Europe Is breed
ing today greater combines than were
ever allowed to be developed across
the Atlantic. but masks them under
'hish-soun1:77ss company names.