A re the Packers Profiteers?
Plain Facts About the Meat Business
The Federal Trade Commission in its recent report on war profits, stated
that the five large meat packers have been profiteering and that they
have a monopoly of the market.
These conclusions, if fair and just, are matters of serious concern not
only to those engaged in the meat packing business but to every other
citizen of our country.
The figures given on profits are misleading and the statement that the
packers have a monopoly is unsupported by the facts.
the larger portion of the profits earned has been used lo finance huge
stocks of goods and to provide additions and improvements made neoes
sary by the enormous demands of our army and navy and the Allies
If you are a business man you will appreciate the significance of these
facts, li you are unacquainted with business, talk this matter over with
some business acquaintance— with your banker, say— and ask him to com
pare profits of the packing industry with those of any other large industry
at the present time.
The packers mentioned in the report stand ready to prove their profits
reasonable and necessary.
The meat business is one of the largest American industries Any citizen
who would familiarize himself with its details must be prepared for large
totals.
The report states that the aggregate profits of four large packers were
$140,000,000 for the three war years.
This sum is compared with $19,000,000 as the average annual profit for
the three years before the war, making it appear that the war profit
was $121,000,000 greater than the pre-war profit.
This compares a three-year profit with a one-year profit— a manifestly
unfair method of comparison. It is not only misleading, but the Federal
Trade Commission apparently has made a mistake in the figures them
selves.
The aggregate three-year profit of $140,000,000 was earned on sales of
over four and a half billion dollars. It means about three cents on each
dollar of sales— or a mere fraction of a cent per pound of product.
Packers profits are a negligible factor in prices of livestock and meats.
No other large business is conducted upon such small margins of profit.
No evidence is offered by the Federal Trade Commission in sup|>ort ol
the statement that the lnrge packers have a monopoly. The Commission's
own report shows the large number and importance of other packers
The packers mentioned in the statement stand ready to prove to any fair
minded person that they an* in keen competition with each other, and
that they have no power to manipulate prices
I f this were not true they would not dare to make this positive statement
Furthermore, government figures show that the five large packers men
tioned in the report account for only about one third of the meat business
of the country.
They wish it were possible to interest you in the details of their business
Of how, for instance, they can sell dressed beef for less than the cost ol
the live animal, owing to utilization of by products, and of the wonderful
story of the methods of distribution throughout this brood land, as well as
in other countries
The five packers mentioned feel justified in co-operating with each other
to the extent of together presenting this public statement
They have been able to do a big job for your govemntunt in its t* .te of
need; they have met all war time demands promptly and completely and
they are willing to trust their case to the fainnindedness of the American
people with the facts before them.
Furthermore— and this is very important— only a small portion of this
profit has been paid in dividends. The balance has been put back into
the businesses. It had to be, as you realize when you consider the prob
lems the packers have had to solve— and solve quickly— during these war
years.
Armour and Company
Cudahy Packing Co.
Morris & Company
Swift & Company
To conduct this business in war times, with higher costs and the necessity
of paying two or three times the former prices for livestock, has required
the use of two or three times the ordinary amount of working capital. The
additional profit makes only a fair return on this, and as has been stated,
DORENA
(Special to The Sentinel.)
July 10.— Mi»» Nora Ward has been
quite ill with measles. Her brother.
Chalice, is also ill with them.
Mr. and Mr». Glen Jennings and baby
son returned to their home at Leona
Saturday.
Mr. and Mr». Chu». Teeters and three
daughter», accompanied by Dr. uml Mr»,
il. H. Petrie, Mr. and Mr». Horace Con
ner and children, of Cottage Grove, and
Mi»» Lily Conunt, of Vonetu, went on :t
»hort camping trip up the middle fort
of the Willamette lust week.
Mr. and Mrs. John Kirk and daughter
Bertha, Miss Rebecca Bab-» uml Mi»»
The full series of high
boiling points in “ Rc-d
Crown’’ makes power
and mileage sure. Look
for the Red Crown sign.
STAN D AR D O IL C O M P A N Y
(California)
the G asoline o f Q uality
W. J. Woods, Special Agent, Standard Oil Co., Cottage Grove, Ore.
Faye Jennings »pent the Fourth in Ku
gene.
The farmers are harvesting grain.
' The Doreria people enjoyed a picnic
, up Krit creek the Fourth.
John Holstroin and family, Herths
Kirk and Dori» Fughimi went up the
• McKenzie river Saturday and »pent the
week end camping out.
Among Cottage Grove visitors from
here Saturday were .Mr». Lee Thomason,
Miss Rebecca Bales and Mrs. Henry
Mendell.
Mr». Roxy Bennett nini daughter,
Georgia Hummers, of Eastern Oregon,
visited relatives here last week.
Mi»» Lottie YaiiHchoiaek has been
engaged to tench the Wright school be
low Walker.
DORANE
(Specilli to The Sentinel.)
July 8. Mi»» I’enrl Ashby, who wns
staying with Mrs. Ralph Lynch, has re
turned to her home lit Silk Creek oil lie
count of sickness.
John Gilbert, of Cottage Grove, spent
several day» visiting relatives on the
Miusluw river last week.
Lawrence Leff, of Glenadn, celebrat
ed the Fourth with friends and relatives
here.
Wilson & Company
Mr mid Mrs Elmer Crowe motored to
Filami Friday.
Miss Fvn Wentworth arrived here last
week to spend the summer nt home.
ignite ii number from here motored to
Eugene the Fourth.
Mr. and Mrs. (leoerge Hawley and
Mrs. K White spent the week-end nt
Eugene.
The lln-lb-v ville nnd Lornne Red
Cross served n picnic dinner here on
the Fourth.
Mrs. O. C. Davis and -laughter Velma
lire visiting rl'lntives and friends nt
Silk Creek.
Several from the Grove attended the
dame at the grange hall on the Fourth.
Save Money
on Your Washings
by sending them to the Cottage
Grove Laundry. Fuel, soap, nnd ev
erything that enters into washing
has greatly increased in price, but
our charges have not risen accord
ingly. We can save your money Re
sides, what’s the use o f sweating
over the wash tub these hut dnysf
DRY C L E A N IN O A
S P E C IA L T Y
better!
M o o d y ’* l)e e p -C u rv *
K ry p to k I c i h u
A re Itellcr
W H A T A D IFFERENCE THE RIGHT GLASSES M AKE
BRIHO YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS TO US
“ W E UNDERSTAND EYES ’
COMPLETE LENS GRINDING P L A N T ON PREMISES
SHERMAN
Broken Lemma
Quickly Replaced
881
Willamette
W.
ÓMOODY
E YE SIGHT SPE C IALIST
AND O PTIC IA N
Kin-el,
Eugene,
I f you can’t sell it, try the want ad. way.
Oregon.
Factory ou
Premised
Telephone
Seldom fuils.
362