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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1919)
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAT, OCTOBER 17, 1010. iGOPE OF PUCKERS' GOHTRDL REVEALED Near-Domination of Food Market Is Charged. rive large packers together handle not to exceed 3 per cent. Fisurea Are Questioned. "The trade commission's figures showing the percentage of poultry, butter and eggs handled by the large packers are greatly exaggerated. We have Issued figures based on department of agriculture reports showing that Swift & Co. handles only about 6 per cent of the total quantity of these products sold in the United States. There is no combination or agree ment with other packers in the han dling of these products or to divide territory in their purchase or sale." FEDERAL REPORT MADE Handling of 200 Foodstuffs Un related to Meat Alleged --Business Relations Wei Hidden. WASHINGTON, Oct. 16. Reiteration of the claim that the five bis pack ing companies of Chicago bid fair to dominate the wholesale grocery trade and already handle more than 200 foods unrelated to the meat Industry, many of them directly competitive as meat substitutes. Is made in part IV of the federal trade commission's re port on the Industry, published here. "Extent to which the packer should fce permitted to enter unrelated food lines," the report said, "Is a matter which the public Interest alone fchould determine. "Two questions, primarily economic, axe involved: "Does this widening of activity re sult in additional economies of pro duction and distribution? Other Foodstuffs Controlled. "Does It result, and will It con tinue to result to the public In lower prices and better quality Of product and service?" Included in the list of commodities said to be falling under control of the "big five" are poultry and game, dairy products, lard and butter substitutes, canned and dried vegetables and fruit, canned, cured and froseh fish; oooar coffee, molasses and cane, corn and maple syrups. In addition. Armour & Co. is eaid to be handling exten elvely soda fountain preparations' and utensils. "Owing to the maze and secrecy of the packers' methods of conducting much of his business," It adds, "exact statistics on many of these commodi ties are not available for the country aa a whole.". Connections Are Concealed. "Many companies manufacturing- or handlinsr these commodities are con trolled by packer - interests, no hint of which Is disclosed by the names under Which they operate and even ?. thorough going examination may all to uncover the packer connection in every case." Four of the packers. Swift, "Wilson, Armour and Cudahy, the report states, through their subsidiaries and not including family controlled com panies, handled In 1918, 49.6 per cent of the estimated total of shipped dressed poultry and 33 per cent of shiriDed etrtcs. The same four handled 49 per cent of all factory-made cheese in 1918, the report says, and adds: "That the big five are in a posl tion to control 75 to 80 per cent of the cheese of the state (Wisconsin; Is generally conceded." Libby. McNeill & Libby, a Swift concern, alone, handled 10.4 per cent of all evaporated and condensed milk in 1918, according to the-report. Earnings Are Investigated. The Armour Grain company, a fac tor in the cereal and breakfast food business, reported surplus undivided profits for the year 1917 of $5,428,830 after deducting a 78 per cent dividend on capital stock, the report says, add- in er: "The year's net earnings amounted to 290 per cent on the capital stock and 67 per cent on the net worth of the company, including Capital, stir plus and undivided profits, as reported at the close of the fiscal year lsib Production of lard compounds and substitutes by the five packers dur ng the first six months of 1917 was laced at 49.4 per cent of thevtotal, .. nd oleomargarine at 61 per cent. Complete figures to show the pack- : itnerest in canned foods, such as uits and fish, wefe hot available e report says, but the business of 3 "big five" was shown to be large a growing. The Libby company med food sales alone showed a 33S cent increase in 1918 over 1915 )by sales of canned salmon in ased from 4.6 per cent of the world ;k in 1915 to 9.7 per cent in 1918, t report shows. Absolute Control fjae "So complete has become the con ol, especially by Libby, McNeiH & bby, over the pineapple supply," Ihe port reads, "that one of the largest wholesale grovers in the country was nable, in the Summer of 1918, to cure any supply whateveri'' There is sufficient evidence, the re ort continues, that the "big five," re dividing the field among therh--jlves. "If Arornur's grocery specialties are ' irgely concentrated along such lines s rive, cereals, cenrtain kinds of anned foods and cheese, and each Of he other of the five great packers oncentrates his specialties along a ew well chosen lines .the profitable ields become pretty well covered and pretty will ruled b ythe five." The report declares the meat pack rs, "are large speculators" and Lhat their control of capital and credit enables them to buy in such a way as to re-sell "Upon a market in which their purchases have foroed Up the price." It also asserts the packers have extraordinary buying and mar keting poWer, "due to certain advan tages, perhaps not always unlawful, but certainly often unjustifiable." Transportation Advantage Held. Among these advantages are enu- meraLea pacKer control ot 44. 8 per cent, or ail cold storage facilities, tneir rerrtgerator car service) the "highly favorable rules" obtained by tne packers for mixed Carloads of fresh meats and packing house prod ucts, permitting them to include great variety Of goods "foreign to ineir slaughtering business." with re suiting discriminations not aldiie In service, but also in rates. "Until the packers are shorn of the transportation advantages," the re port says, "there is no way of meas uring their true Industrial efficiency." CHICAGO, Oct. 16. Louis F. Swlfr, president of Swift & Co., today issued . ttpment denying the charges that the five big packers, by enlarging the scope of their business, threaten . to control the wholesale grocery trade of the country which are contained in the latest report of the federal trade commission. Mr. Swift's state ment reads in part: "In the first place, the packers do not control anything. Swift Co. is in active competition with all other packers in the purchase and sale of every product bought and sold. "The charge that the five packers have divided the field, each special izinf on certain lines, is absurd. Swift & Co. handles only such products a logically result from being in the packing business and such other prod ucts as can be handled efficiently through its sales organisation and re frigerating equipment. Swift & Co.'s sale of grocery products amounts to only a little over 1 per cent of the total wholesale grocery business. The UBLIC TO LEARN DANCES City Park Board , Provides Free Lessons at Community House. Lessons in social dancing open to the public will start Saturday night in the Peninsula community house. according to W. H. Knapp, playground supervisor of the park board. Mrs. Alta Travis will conduct the lessons, and Miss Jewel Toster will be in charge of .the community house. Following the lessons the evening will be given over to dancing tor all. No charge of admission will be made, but 15 cents will be collected from each person to help pay for the mu sic and the refreshments. Such pro-. grammes will be repeated every- al ternate Saturday evening. Lessons in aesthetic dancing will commence this evening in the Penin sula community house. Mrs. Travis will hold a Class for girls at 7130 o'clock and for women at 8:30 o'clock. The classes will meet Fridays at this hour. There will be no. charge. It is possible that similar classes will be started in the near future at the Sellwood community house. MARKED R SE SHOWN IN WAH-TIME WAGES Report on Eight Leading In dustries Interesting. MEN'S INCREASE GREATEST Coos Boycott Threatened. NORTH BEND, Or., Oct. 16. (Spe cial.) Previous to the adjournment of the Coos county teachers' institute here yesterday a " resolution was adopted unanimously by the attend ing teachers pledging; themselves not to accept employment in the schools of Coos county at a salary of less than 11000 a " year, ' payable - IB 'IS monthly installments, the hew scale to become effective next year. A res olution also was passed pledging the co-operation of the" teachers of the county in securing the state system of school maintenance and indorsing the movement for an Increase for the couhty fund for schools from $10 to $20 per pupil Until the state system is adopted. Teachers Have Reunion Banquet. CENTRALIA, Wash., Oct 16. (Spe cial.) One of the social events of the Lewis . County ' Teachers' " institute, which closed fcere yesterday,' was a reunion banquet held Tuesday eve ning at the Hotel Wilson by the charter members of the Centralla state normal school, ordered estab lished by the last legislature. A the ater party followed the banquet. Those in attendance, all Of whom were enrolled for the 1919 summer session of the normal school, were Matme Ko sola, Hilma Manberg, Helen Salzer, Velma Otto, Anna Ingalls, Lilliaji Lindh. Esther Salzer. Jennie Keto. Edgar Reed, Verner Hoggatt and Mr. Pattee. Odd Fellows Meet Saturday. CENTRALIA, Wash.. Oct. 16. (Spe cial.) A big delegation of Centralla Oddfellows will attend the Semi-an nual meeting of district No. 6, I. O. O. FG., to be held Saturday in the Oddfellows' temple in Olympia. The district includes Olympia lodge No. 1 Shelton lodge No. 62, Centralis, lodge No. 67, Skookmudhuck lodee tfo. 129 of Bucbda, Kamilche lodge No. 140 and Tenino lodge No. 244. Rev. Charles T. Goodsell will deliver the address of welcome to the delegates and Judge JoRrl M. Wilson, of the Thurs ton county superior eauft. will speak in the evening. Dufur Fruit Wins First Prize. THE DALLES, On, Oct. 16. (Spe clal.) The special award made for the best general fruit display at the Wasco county fair was won 1 y B. B. Ingels of Dufur. Second prise went to the Mosier Fruit Growers' associa tion, and third place to Mount Hood Orchard company. The apple exhibits this year exceed any ever before placed. Poultry and ladles' textiles and domestic process awards also were announced. Portland Banker on Business Tour. SEND, Or., Oct. 16. (Special.) To make a thorough investigation of farming and business conditions in this part of the state, Carleton B. Swift of the Livestock State bank of Portland and vice-president of the Centra! Oregon bank bf Bend, arrived here this morning, and Saturday Will start a ten-day auto tour, which will include Klamath Falls, Lakeview, Fort Klamath Silver Lake and points in Harney county. He will return to Portland. by way of Bend.. Aberdeen Tailors Get Increase. ABERDEEN, Wash,, Oct. 16. (Spe cial.) Aberdeen . tailors, who have been Working on a guarantee basis of 39 a week,-have asked for a straight $40 a week salary. Their request has been granted by the local tailor shops to sro into effect next Monday. The rise will apply also to Hoquiahi. Advance Generally Kxceeds Tbat ot Cost of Living, According to Conference Board Figures. BOSTON, Oct. 16. (Special.) Aver se wages of men-in eight leading industries, as measured by average hourly earnings. Increased all the way from 74 per cent to 112 per cent uring the period from September, 1914, to March, 1919, according to a report on wartime changes in wages issued today by the national indus- ries conference board. Increases in weekly earnings of men ranged from 62 per cent to 110 per cent. Percentage increases in earnings f women workers were broadly simi lar in the respective industries, with. however, a somewhat wider range. The eight industries included were metal, cotton, wool, silk, boot and shoe, paper, rubber and chemical man" ufacturinft. The average results are based on payroll data for one week, sually the third week of September, for the years 1914 to 1918 and for the first week of March, 1919. Noteworthy Feature Shown. A noteworthy feature of the results is that the highest percentage in creases in earnings often were re corded in cases where the absolute earnings Were relatively low, or vice Versa. Thus hourly earnings of male workers in cotton manufacturing in creased over 100 per cent, as against 4rt Increase 6f about 70 per cent for mftle workers in the metal manufac turing industries. Actual hourly earn- ngs of the latter, however, were 50.2 cents in March 1919, as compared with 31.9 cents for male cotton opera tives. In the case of male workers n the rubber manufacturing industry a high actual hourly average was ac companied by a high percentage rate f Increase. The increases shown were in most cases greater than the Corresponding percentage increase in cost of living, which was placed by a previous "re port of the board at 61.3 per cent for he period from July, 1914, to March, 1919. "This fact indicates," says the report, "that these workers were in general able to maintain and even to mprove their standard of living pre vailing: in 1914." The report empha- izes, however, that comparisons or relative values afford no means whereby the adequack of wages or living standards prevailing in either period can be determined. The com parisons simply afford an approxi mate idea of the extent to which the relationshiD between wages and liv- ng casts existing at the opening of the war was maintained or changed during the succeeding four and one- lf years. The report does not purport to discuss the question whether or to what extent wages should vary with changes in the cost of living. Earnings of Men Greater. Actual earnings of men were con sistently greater than those of women. The report points out. howeevr, that this fact does not afford conclusive evidence as to how faj the principle of "equal pay -for equal work" was applied, since tne tasKs at wnicn men and women were engaged In any given industry, while often broadly similar, were not necessarily identi cal. The highest average of hourly earnings of men for any of the eight industries was 61. Z cents, in ruooer manufacturing: the lowest 88.9 cents. in cotton manufacturing.' The cor responding averages In 1914 were 28.8 cents . and 18.9 cents, respectively. Average hourly earnings of men workers in the metal trades were 50.2 cents in March, 1919, against 28.9 cents in September, 1914. The high est hourly average for women in 1919 was 32.8 cents, in wool manufactur ing; the lowest 29.2 cents, In rubber manufacturing. The corresponding 1914 averages were 16.7 cents and 17.4 cents. The highest average of weekly earnings of men for any industry In March. 1919. was J29.35. in rubber manufacturing; the lowest $17.10. In cotton manufacturing. The corre sponding weekly averages in 1914 were $14 and $10, respectively. The September, 1918, average for male cotton mill operatives was $20.60. In the case of women workers the highest average weekly earnings were $15.10, in silk manufacturings the lowest $12.24, In the paper lndu; try. In 1914 the corresponding aver ages were $7.49 and $7.47, respective ly. Yakima Flier Goes Up 8 00 0 Feet AfclMA. Wash., Oct. 16. - (Spe cial.) - A - new altitude reedfd for eastern Washington was established yesterday by L. W. Brown, a loca aviator, who attained a - height 9000 feet after afl 80-mile trip from Goldendale over the Slmcde noun tains. . . Hebrew Printers Get Rise. NEW YORK, Oct. 16. Hebrew own, ers of job printing plants nave grant ed members of the Hebrew Typo graphical union NO. 83 a $6 a week in crease and 44-hour week to go into effect at once. President Gottesma of the union announced last night. "The Eyrie" resort. On the Columbl bluff at White Salmon, Wash., has been closed for the season. Adv. OUR CASH DISCOUNT TO YOU S. & H. Green Stamps 'Tis Like Finding Money No Effort on Your Part to Save 20 Extra S.&H. Stamps With Coupon 20 BRING THIS COUPON AND f.ST 20-EXTRA-20 : -S. & H." Trading kA t a in p s on your ! first SI cash our- i$J chase . and- double on the balance. Good on first floor and in basement today and Satur day, October 17 and IS. Why Use a New Blade every time you shave with a Gillette Razor? TWINPLEX STROPPER wilt give you 100 ehaves to every bfede. 10-year guar antee. 30 days trial. - Price $5.00 Use tKe Star Electric Vibrator The modern way to beauty and health. Price $5.00 CANDY SPECIALS Atlantic Cream Mints.. 49 Fancy Jordan Almonds...39f Phoenix Jellies .390 Tdasfced MarshmallowS. -49 fSPt FLAT-TONE WALL FINISH When you Use Flat-Tone you are sure of getting all that is demanded of a wall paint. It produces a soft, velvety, rich effect and is really washable. 29 Rich Colors to ChoOse From Quarts $1.25 Gallons $4.15 Marnot Varnish A Waterproof, durable var nish for floors. Half-pint to gallon cans. Miolena Cucumber Cream.. 50 Miolena Cold Cream 50 Miolena Cleansing Cream.. 50 Miolena Vanishing Cream.. 50 Cla-Wood Peroxide Dental Cream ,2o Cla-Wood Theatrical Cold Cream, pound 35 1 pound ..." 60 Nikk-Marr Face Dressing. . .$1 Nikk-Marr Hair Tonic. $1.23 Creme Oil Soap, doz.. . . .$1.00 3 cakes for 250 Cuticura Soap , .23 Woodbury's Soap 23 Large assortment of Soap, 10; 3 for 235; doz.. $1.00 Djer Kiss .Talc Powder. . .2o Djer KiSB Face Powder. .. .62 Java Powder 45 Azurea Powder ..$1.50 Tetlow's Gossamer Powder..20 Hughes' Ideal Hair, Brush. .98 RUBBER GOODS $2.25 3-quart Wood-Lark Hot Water Bottle. One - year guarantee. Special $L49 $2 2-quart Wood-Lark Foun tain Syringe, 5-foot tubing, three pipes One-'year guar antee. Special $1.49 $3 2-quaft Wood-Lark Com bination Hot Water Bottle and Fountain Syringe. One year guarantee. Special $2.39 Metal Hot Water Bottles Prices $2 to $3.50 Ladies' New Silk UMBRELLAS All shade and styles Of handles. $4 to $14 BOSTON BAGS Tan or black. $6.50, $7, $8 Assortment of Ladies' Patent Leather Purses 25 Discount NEW AND COMPLETE STOCK OF IVORY PYRALIN TINTEX Will freshen your faded or discolored garments. No boiling, no streaking. Package 10c Dyes of All Kinds Kit, Aladdin, Diamond, Put tnan, Dyola, Rainbow, Perfection the package 10t Lux 15c, 2 for 25c HOTPOINT RADIANT GRILL Bolls, broils, fries and toasts. Ahy two operations at same time-1 one above, "one below coils. Adjustable to three heats. Guaranteed. Price $11.50 S. & H. Stamps Save You Money Celluloid Kewpies - Just Received Priced 10 to $2 MAZDA LAMPS 10, 15, 25, 40, 50-watt, 35 t each, box of -5 ryg Woodard, Clarke & Co. Woodlark Building, Alder at West Park A GOOD REASON For buying a knit-tex overcoat There is a careless dressiness about this overcoat that adds smartness to the great est overcoat comfort you have ever known. Exclusive Agents for -"Sampeck" Clothes For Young Men and Their Fathers, Too Washington at Sixth Bake -Rite Bakeries VERBAL CONTRACT VALID JURY AWARDS WOMAX $1500 INSURANCE FOR HOME. Fire Relief association for 15 years. ort N&Verhber 20, 19if. And Ihstructefl hitn, vefBally, to renew the 11500 fire insurance contract on the Sal quist home, four miles east of Grefham. Later and before the fire occurred tender of premium was made to Brown, who refused it On the gfotlnd that he fid longer had author ity to collect money for the com pany, as he had been relieved as agent. A. fire oh March 31, 1818, burned down the dwelling. When the Salquists Sought to col lect their insurance, they were fe- fused consideration on the ground that Brown was without authority to accept their renewal in November, particularly as It was only verbal. The Jury found that Brown had the propef authority and . that tB8 con tract Was Valid. MI16 C. Kins; Of Greshanl fepre sented the plaintiff; Hewitt & Sox of Albany the defendants. Corvallis Gets Presbytery Session. SALEM, Or., Oct. 16. (Special.) CorVnllis was selected as the place of the next meeting of Willamette Pres bytery, which closed a two-days'- ses sion liut hlpht. The presbytery meets semi-annually. Estaeada la Sued for $900. KStACAttA. Or., Oct. le.(Speelal-) The city has been sued for J900 by Mrs. Rose Perry of Garfield for dam ages for being permanently hurt on a defective sidewalk. The council ReneVval of Poller by Ofal Dlrec-1 tion Basis of Refusal by Com pany to Pay After Fire. Validity of a vefbal contract for ih surance fenewal was upheld by auryl In the court of Circuit Judge lCaVa- naugh yesterday when a verfllct I awarding Mrs. Carrie Salquist of I Gresham $1600 from the Oregon Fir I Relief association was rendered. This was the second trial of the case, the first, brought last spring. being non-suited oh a Voluntary hid-1 tion of the plaintiff because of defensa by the defendants. ActihK- for his Wife. Mr. Faldulst Read The oregonian Classified ads. saw John Brown, agent of the Oreg6n You Are Cordially Invited to watch our diamond - setters reset your diamond. We carry a very extensive stock of diamond mountings at most reasonable prices. Bring your diamond In today a new mounting will add" greatly to its beauty. An inspection of our watch and diamond stocks will please you. STAPLES The Jeweler-Optician 266 MORRISON STREET, BET. THIRD AND FOURTH i : -J A ROMANCE OF PORTLAND Thd big, hoirte-grown knockout It has an "amateur night" backed off the earth!' Also MITCHELL LEWIS in "FAITH OF THE STRONG" A picture as big as they make 'em! STARTS TOMORROW . ALICE BRAD7 in "THE BETTER HALF" Last Times Today PEOPLES Direction of-Jenson & Von Herberg will fight the ease. There has been much criticism as to the slowness of that body in having the sidewalks put in thorough repair. But the council has to work under a poor charter which ties its hands to a large extent. Tor Regularity 2YAU FUGSEN TheTriendly Laxative In tins only-Three sizes ATNYAL DHUd STOBES EVRYWHEHE All Baking by Electricity "THE SANITARY WAY" BAKE-RITE HEALTH BREAD "It's Different" TRY IT TODAY 15c For 1 Vi -pound Loaf Bake-Rite Bread one day old that is still moist and fresh we sell FULL U4-LB. LOAVES 2 25c I I DOUGHNUTS Large, Delicious, 25c a Dozen Cakes and Pastry Fresh From Ovens Daily We Are Helping Defeat the H. C. L 1 251 YAMHILL ST., Bet. 2d fend 3d Sts. Kf O YAMHILL STM Bet. 4th and 5th Sts. are you utter ly utter TP Mirn TAYLOR HOLMES i You'll see NMOd HCIISdn today only.. COMING TOMORROW "UP IN ALF'S PLACE," the latest Sennett comedy. "SIX-FEET-FOUR," a dramatic knock out in six hig acta. Vii .'m LmjT' m'.TYsT.' ... .-."Ii . mi. .....miii. . i STOPS BACKACHE IN FEW MINUTES Rub Lumbago, Pain, Soreness, Stiffness Right Out With "St. Jacobs Liniment." When y6ur back Is sore and lame or lumfcaa-o. sel&tlca or neuritis has ou stiffened Up. don't suffer! Get a small trial bottle of Old, honest "St. Jacobs liniment" at any drug store, pour a little In your hand and rub It riRht Into the pain or ache, and by the time you count fifty, the soreness and lameness Is none. Don't stay crippled! This soothinn. penetrating liniment takes the ache and pain right out and ends the mis ery. It Is mag-leal, yet absolutely harmless and doesn't burn or discolor the skin. Nothing else stops lumbago, sciat ica and lame back misery so promptly and surely. It never disappoints! A dr. HOTEL STEWART SAN FRAN CISCO Ini) Street, uat Oil U Alert Squirt Famous I er oee eeMce. eomfert and excellest cuiatne at reasonable price. Rates from 91.75 a Day Breakfast 40c ni 78c. Ltmcti 60c Sundays Vac Dinner $1.25; Sundaja $1.60. Municipal Car tine etred te deer. . Motor but meets trains end learners. Kead The Oregonian classified ads.