Show artistic job prin printing tinz at the new advocate 0 are t the ahle h ackers a c k D r is jl roti r 0 A f i teer t e r s plain n facts about the meat business the r federal trade commission in its recent report on war profits stated that the five large meat packer have hae been profiteering and that they have a monopoly of the market markt these conclusions if fair and just are matters of serious concern not only to those engaged in the meal meat packing business but to every other citizen of our country the figures giveron given on profits are misleading and the statements statement 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 ne decesary the meat business is one of the largest american industries any citizen who iio would familiarize himself with its details must be prepared for large totals the report states that the aggregate profits of four laige packers were nvere 1 for the three war yearb ta ais is with sum compared as the average annual profit for the three years before the war making it appear that the war profit was 12 1 greater than the prewar pre war profit this compares a year profit with a one year profit a manifestly estly unfair method of comparison it is not only misleading but the federal deCommission Tra apparently has made a mistake in the figures them themselves beles the rhe aggregate three year profit of was earned on sales of over four and a half billion dollars it means about three cents on each dollar of sales mor r mei feie meie e fraction of a cent per pound of product packers profits arc are a negligible factor in prices of live lic stock and meats no other large business is conducted upon such small margins of profit furthermore Further morle and this i iq very ver y important imports nt 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 ou realize when hen you ou consider the problems the die packers have had to soh soke cand c and aoh sobe e quickly during these s ar years ears to conduct this business in war times with higher costs and the necessity ct ef paying 0 two or three times the former prices for live stock has required the use 01 ol 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 the larger portion of the profits earned has been aed to finance huge stocks of goods ard to provide additions addition i and improvements made necessary by the enormous demands of our army and navy and the allies K if you ou are a business man you ou will ill appreciate the significance of these facts if you are unacquainted with business talk this matter over with some business acquaintance with your banker say sa and ask him to compare profits of the packing industry with those of any other large industry dt the present time no evidence ei dence is offered by the federal trade commission in support of the statement that the large packers have a monopoly the commission s own report shows show the large number and importance of other packers the packers mentioned in the statement stand ready to pro prove e to any fair minded person that they arp aro in keen competition with each other and that they have no power to mamp prices if this were acre not true truc they mould suii id not dare to make this po positive sittle statement furthermore government figures show that the five fife large packers mentioned in the report account for only about one third of the meat busness b of the country they thoy wish it were possible to interest ou in the details of their buness bua iniss ss of ho how for instance they can sell dressed beef for less than then the cost of the live animal owing owing to utilia utilization of byproducts by products and of the wonderful story of the methods of distribution throughout this broad land aa a iv well ell as in other countries the five e pa packers chers mentioned feel justified in in co operating I 1 with ith each other to the extent of together presenting this public al no jhc statement they hey have haic been able to do for do a big job your government in its time of need the have met all war ar time demands promptly and completely and they are willing to trust their case to the fair of the american people with the facts before them armour and company cudahy packing co I 1 morris company swift company wilson company N |