The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-01-16
BY GERTRUDE WELSH.
(Researeh Department, w. p. of A.


sumers by means of monopoly fixed
prices carried ON with such extensive
ness and such success as in the
slaughtering and meat packing indus
try. This industry cannot be equalled
for the number Of products, by-prod-
ucts and services held under control
by the fewest possible capitalists. Ten
years ago, these few were the big
Five" companies of Armour, Swift,
Morris, Wilson and Cudahy. With the
purchase of the Morris firm by the
Armour interests in 1928, they became
the "Big Four" Latest news on the
subject, however, February, 1920 re-
duces the big Four" to the big
Two" Armour and Swift, whose COM
panies together slaughtered AT per
cent of the total number Of animals
passed by federal inspection in 1924.
"Big Two" Control Food Prices.
Along with this increasing concen-
tration of control in the meat packing
industry has come an expansion of
activity that has made the big Two"
predominant not only in this field, but
in almost every field of food produc-
ton. Factors that made possible the
growth of the packing industry and
its easy manipulation of prices by
handful of men were equally effective
in bringing other Industries under
their domination.
Their vast distribution system of
refrigeration and "peddler" cars, with
the advantages arising from private
car lines, icing stations, cold storage
plants and network of branch
houses, not to mention the control of
real estate sites, of banks, of trade
periodicals., as we'll as of stockyards,
made possible their invasion Of the
Wholesale grocery trade. In one
year, the four packing firms, but more
especially Armour and Swift, sold
over $4,000, ooo, 600 worth Of groceries.
Strategic Points Occupied.
As many as 674 different articles
of general utility were enumerated in
list published in 1919 as commodi-
ties distributed by the five largest
packing companies. Included were
such diverse products as Coca Cola
and fence posts, curled hair and Red
Dog flour, molasses, musical strings,
potash, putty containers, tallow and
tile.
Especially, in the field Of meat sub
stitutes have the big packers strained
themselves to occupy strategic points,
to such an extent that they have an
nuaIIy handled, for instance, over one
half Of the interstate commerce in
poultry, eggs and cheese,-and play a
leading part in distributing canned
vegetables and fruits.
Dictatorship of the Packers.
Among the companies in which the
big packers have obtained interests
large enuf to be dictatorial influences
are the cattleIoan companies which
make the necessary loans TO growers
and feeders of livestock, and railways
and private car lines transporting live
stock and manufactured animal pro-
ducts, as well as most important
stock yards and cold storage plants.
They are interested in banks from
which their competitors are forced to
borrow; in companies supplying ma
chinery, ice, salt, materials, etc.: they
are the principal dealers on the pro-
vision exchanges where future prices
in animal products are determined;
they or their subsidiary companies
deal in hides, oleo, ETC., even purchas-
ing these by-products from the small
err packers unable to carry on their
manufacture.
From rendering fats from what
would otherwise be wasted In their