The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-05
u. s. ON WAY
TO RECOVERY.
PACKER SAYS
Progress Slow but Sure,
Armour Co. Head Tells
City C. of C.
URGES MEAT PRICE CUT
Cost Should Be Consistent
With PubIIC'S Ability
to Pay, He Says.

We are on our way out of the
depression and the progress is
sure, even il ii is slow" Robert n
Csbell. Armour e. Co. president de-
clsred today AT the first Of the 1885
rs membership forums of the In
dianapolis Chamber of Commerce.
In spite of all handicaps and
uncertainties that exist. general
business is better today than it was
q year ago" Nh Cabell asserted at
the forum luncheon at the Column
Ole Club.
Warming that consumer price
trends rapidly are becoming a
menace to the packing industry was
sounded by the speaker in discus
sion of the Federal livestock reduc-
ton program
Used Best Judgment
1t is farthest from my mind 10
crititise the Federal governments
livestock reduction program" he
said. Its objective was to reduce
supplies to a point where livestock
prices would be profitable to farm
ers. and certainly that is a goal
greatly to be desired.
The government used its best
Judgment under most difficult cir
Cumstances. The effect of the
drought could neither be foreseen
nor provided for and the net re-
suit Is a regrettable shortage in the
supply of livestock and a present
scale of meat prices. sufficiently
higher than it was a year ago to
cause great agitation among con-
surners all over the country"
Housewives protests over meat
prices can not be met with a simple
explanation that there is a shortage
Of meat and that present prices are
not high as compared 70 other times
Of high prices, Mr.. CabeI declared.
AAk Program Not sold"
Nor is the attitude of consumers
changed materially by knowledge
that the bargain prices which they
obtained in 1888 and 1884 reflected
livestock prices which were ruinOus
10 the farmers. Housewives have no
quarrel with the farmers and no de-
sire to grind them down. but never
thelesS they want an adequate sup
ply of meat and they want it at
prices which they can afford 10
pay"
The governments agricultural
program, helpful as it has been in
producing greater income for the
farmers. has not been sold 20 the
consumers, the speaker asserted. 1t
was inevitable that The Reduction Of
supplies and the imposition of proc
eSSing taxes and the other taxes
necessary TO finance the govern
ment'S comprehensive operations
would increase substantially the cost
of livestock and the cost of market
ing meat. he said.
Those who are in control of the
livestock production program must
ever keep in mind that the con-
SumerS ultimately set the price of
meat and livestock and that arti-
fetal methods of increasing prices.
however justified. may decrease
consumer demand. Mr.. Cabell
pointed out.
Urges Improved Quality
All the government s efforts to
date toward improving the outlook
for the livestock growers have been
directed toward controlling the sup
ply. It is equally important. in
my opinion. that efforts be directed
toward a fair cost of production and
improved quality.
1t seems to ME that the time is
at hand for the Federal government.
the farmers the packers and all in
tereSted directly or indirectly in
agriculture to bend their every ef-
fort to increasing the herds and
flOoks to a point where the business
of supplying the nation with ade-
quate quantities Of meat can be
carried on at prices consistent with
the publics ability to pay" he de-
clared.
In this situation the packing in
dustry looks 10 Indiana for a full
measure Of cooperation. Mr.. Cabell
said. It's farmers and livestock
raisers must be encouraged to grow
more livestock and TO improve the
quality of the herds.
Export Trade Needed
Il realize that We can't expect
any large increase in the supply of
livestock this year but in 1886 and
the years thereafter it is entirely
reasonable to hope for an increase
in the supply of livestock from this
territory"
Mr. Cabell declared in conclusion
he believes il Is time for the gov
eminent 10 take a hand in e-eStab-
fishing the vanished export trade
and that while We probably would
not now be able 10 export il the
channels were open. We should be
preparing TO do so.
IN such preparations he said il
should BE- realized that quality is
the crying need OF the meat bust
ness and that all livestock herds
should Be improved by the elimina =
ton OF scrub stock.
New ~r.--f.~l IL -