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I I WEb*™’:*?-:'■'' '.■ ,■ - ' . ■.■■■■v^ov
r Are the
Plain Facts About the Meat Business
Thf Federal Trade Commission in its recent report on war
profits, stated that the five large meat packers have been profit
eering 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 busi
ness but to every other citizen of our country.
The figures given on profits are misleading and the state
ment that the packers have a monopoly is unsupported by the
facts.
The packers mentioned in the report stand ready to prove
\ their profits reasonable and necessary.
o o o '
The meat business is one ofthe 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 avarage an
nual profit for the three years before the war, making it ap
pear 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 mis
leading, but the Federal Trade Commission apparently has
made a mistake in the figures themselves.
o a a i
The aggregate three-year profit of $140,000,000 was earn
ed on sales of over four and a half billion dollars. It means
about three cents on each dollar of sales—or a mere fraction of
1 a cent per pound of product.
Packers’ profits are a negligible factor in prices of live
stock and meats. No other large business is conducted upon
such small margins of profits.
o © O
m. Furthermore—and this is very important—only a small
. portion of this profit has been paid in dividends. The balance
has been put back into the businesses. It had to be, as you
| s realize when you consider the problems the packers have had
to solve—and solve quickly—during these war years
To conduct this business in war times, with higher costs
and the necessity of paying two or three t$mes the former
prices for livestock, has required the use of two or three times
I the ordinary amount of working capital. The additional pro
fit makes only a fair return on this, and as has been stated,
the larger portion of the profits earned has been used to fi
nance huge stocks of goods and to provide additions and improve
ments made necessary by the enormous demands of our army
and navy and the allies.
O O O
If you are a business man you will appreciate the signifi
cance of these facts. If you are unacquainted with business,
talk this matter over with some business acquaintance— with
your banker, say—and ask him to compare profits of the pack
ing industry with those of any other large industry at the pres
ent time.
, © © o ,
No evidence is offered by the Federal Trade Commission
in support of the statement that the large packers have a mon
opoly. 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 are in keen competi
tion with each other, and that they have no power to manipu
ulate prices.
If this were not true they would not dare to make this pos
itive statement.
Furthermore, government figures show that the five large
packers mentioned 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 of the live animal, owing to utilization
of by-products, and of the wonderful story of the methods of'
distribution throughout this broad 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 pub
lic statement.
They have been able to do a big job for your government in
its time of need; they have met all war time demands prompt
ly and completely and they are willing to trust their case to
the fairmindedness of the American people with the facts be
fore them.
Armour and Company .
Cudahy Packing Co.
Morris & Company
; Swift & Company
l Wilson & Company*
*. . „. . Jv, _ .
f ——
STATE NEWS BRIEFS.
--
Mr. and Mrs. Ed New, of Three
Creeks, Union county, have lost five
children by death in the last few days
, and have three more children at
■ death’s door. Two of the children
died on Saturday and one on Monday.
It is said that the disease, which is
an intestinal one, has baffled the
physicians.
• A cotton boll, almost at opening
stage, was brought to Dermott last
week. Crops are said to be further ad
vanced in that section than ever be
fore and the indications are for a
record breaking cotton crop as well
as excellent crops of all other kinds.
A road machine belonging to Col
umbia county was damaged by file re
cently. After the fire, which burned
the eab of the machine, was put out,
it was discovered that several holes
had been cut in the oil tank with an
axe.
If £ two-year-old baby wandered from
the home of its parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Melvin Hampton, of Wyatt, Union
county, a few days ago, and went two
miles, after which it was taken in by
a negro family. The baby was found
after a search of five hours.
When the publisher of the Mur
freesboro Messenger was called into
the service of the United States, the
Messenger and the Pike County Cour
ier were combined under the name of
the Courier-Messenger. The offices
will remain the individual property
of their owners. The consolidation
may be only temporary.
-BUY W. S. S.
TO CONSERVE ALL METAL.
Washington, July 7—Manufacture
of brass beds during the war should
be discontinued to conserve brass to
meet the milittary requirements, the
| amount of steel used in other metal
beds should be curtailed and the pub
lic should be asked to “draw from
their attics and other hiding places”
stocks of surplus furniture, so as to
V:- X V- . r ••V.v
meet the civilian requirements until
peace comes.
These were announcements recent
ly made by the War Industries Board
as "‘conclusions reached” between of
ficials of the board and a committee
representing the manufacturers of
metal beds and supplies.
-BUY W. S. S.
NOTICE OF CONFIRMATION
In the Jackson Chancery Court.
G. W. Rice, Petitioners.
vs. No. 3818.
E% SE%; SW% SE&; and SE%
SW%; Sec. 9, Twp. 10 N., R.
4 W.
Notice is hereby given that G. W.
Rice did on the 18th day of June,
1918, file a petition in the office of
the Clerk of the Chancery Court of
Jackson County, Arkansas, claiming
to be the owner of and in possession
of and praying for the confirmation
of the title and to have the same
quieted in her to the following de
scribed real estate situate in Jackson
county, Arkansas, to-wit:
The EAST HALF of the SOUTH
I
JAST Quarter; the SOUTH WEST
Quarter of the SOUTH EAST Quar
ter; and, the SOUTH EAST Quar
ter of the SOUTH WEST Quarter;
all in Section Nine (9), Township
Ten (10) North, Range Four (4)
West.
And that said petitioner will ap
pear in said court on the 5th day of
September, 1918, or as soon thereaf
ter as said court will hear and deter
mine the same, and ask to have her
title to said lands quieted, establish
ed and confirmed.
Now, therefore, any and all per
sons, firms or corporations who have
or claim any interest whatever in said
lands, are hereby warned to appear
and present their objections at the
said time above mentioned and set up
any right or claim they may have in
said lands and show cause why the
said title of petitioner should not be
quieted, tonfirmed and forever set at
rest.
In testimony whereof, I have here
unto set my hand as such clerk and
affixed 'he seal of salH court on this
the 18th day of June, 1918.
(Seal.).
R. W. Bandy,
Clerk of the Chancery Court of Jack
soi> County, Arkansas.
By J. B. Parrott, D. C.
10w6t.
-BUY W. S. S.
NOTICE OF SALE.
Notice is hereby given that the un
dersigned, as Executor with the Will
annexed of the Estate of M. M.
Stuckey, deceased will on
THURSDAY, THE 18TH DAY OF
JULY, 1918
between the hours of 9 a. m. and 3 p.
m. at the East Third Street entrance
of the Court House of Jackson County,
in the City of Newport, Arkansas,
offer for sale at public auction to the
highest bidder on a credit of three
months.
Ten shares of the Capital Stock of
the First National Bank of Newport,
Arkansas, of the par value of one
hundred dollars each.
The purchaser will be required to
'give note with approved security,,
bearing interest from date at tlm iSJdMg.j
of eight per centum per annum mM
Given this the 26th day of J»*|9
Executor Estate M. M. Stuckey, dp* V
■ ■ «■ ■ >.H§hH ' 8
The assessors of Bridge Impre**- '
ment District No. 1, of the City ,<gT 3;;
Newport, Arkansas, will meet at
office of the First National Bank eAjjl
Monday, July 8th, 1918, for the pur* ,
ing to the property in said district*
since the last assessment. „jtpf| I
This June 25th, 1918.
* FOR SALE CHEAP. 1
One good horse, one boggy apd
harness practically new. Also about.Mp
15 bales of old alfalfa hay.
cheap for cash. See J. S.