The Clinton New Era, 1917-07-26, Page 4PAGE. 4
Clean to handle, Sold by all Drug.
gists, Grocers and General Stores.
The key to business success is
ADVERTISE, This is the combination
which unlocks the safe of pro$peritty.
Patronize The New Era and be corvine.
ed,
11111IV111111 illlllllllllllllViVV11111111 111111111111V11111111V11101110VI11V(VuuIVVIVVuu
OUR SBRIA1 STORY
THE TRUE LOVE Off'
AARON 13URREj
by Lo.ulse Kennedy )Yiabie
11111 VVI�IUIIIIIIVIIQIIIIIVVIlIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIVIVIIIIIIIIIIII!lIUIIIIIIIIiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG
(Continued from lust week)
With a sullen face and head held high
the \venom moved past Burr, past Theo
shut Cis, with Praiieis Greene like a dug
at her heels. At the door she turned as
1f to speak, and then, thinking better
of it, dropped a defjant Courtesy and
was gone,
The general's voice stopped Greene
in the act of following.
"Captain Greene you have not been
dismissed A word with you, 'n
the future pray remember it is not
well to exceed your duty, For what
you have done you will be suitably
rewarded, Let me advise you to think
less of the lady just gone. Attempt
tt nobler part than that of tt mere hang -
IE
r fit
a or I;
f T
r
c t ;; ! Pr fits Tw
THE CLINTON NEW ERA..
The man went out in dull astonish-
ment at the turn of affairs, Theo sigh_
ed hapily as the doer *fused upon h m.
it seemed to her that the air Was Clear-
ed and the room brjgbtier with their
going,
You, Ni;t)or Bellwood, 1 shall find it
convenient to keep," the general went
on, He was 11 man who wasted no time
upon rhetoric, "A little hardship may
be good fora one of your temper. 1
will warrant that you blackmail no more
ladies, Remove him, and await my or-
ders."
Bellwood and his guard disappeared
in silence, The major was beginning
to think himself beaten,
"Here is your letter, Mistress Pre -
said the general in a kindlier
voice.
"I do not want it," she said with a
shiver.
"Perhaps Colonel Burr---" began
er-on of a light woman, If you want the general.
help in you ,upward endeavor,,come to. She looked up quickly at Burr, Then
me. You may now withdraw, sir." she advanced, took the letter, and, with
e
a .flesh on her cheek, held it 051 to hint.
"WBI yon( read It, Golottel Bur'?"
she faltered,
He took it slowly, his eyes on her
face, ,and hesituteci a moment, Then he
walked to the mantel -shelf, and took
up one of the dim candles,
'I have your perinlselon, sir?" he
Said to Washington; and that gentle -
Man shrugged his shoulders. Where-
upon Aaron Burr burned the letter in
the candle ;lame until no trace re-
mained.
"And my punishment, sir?" he said
then, very humbly,
"Ah, yes," answered Washington.
"Colonel -Burr, you have been most
culpably to blame. You run matters to
so line a point that it becomes hard
to say just where to stop, 1 with no
more of such detaings. You will so
conduct yourself In the future that no
misconstruction can, be put upon your
movements, There are to be no more
night rides in secret, Soldiers attend
strictly to business. I will admit"—
s
. c '
Cens p r
F ¢U.
irds o,
THE statement issued' by the Department of Labor concerning
the business of The William Davies Company Limited has
been given widespread circulation throughout the country and
provoked pubic unrest. 0
Whatever the technical wording of the report was, the effect has
been that the newspapers have published that "the profits on Bacon
alone" of this Company "for 1916" were about "five millions of
dollars." This interpretation of the official report is not surprising
in view of certain statements that the Commissioner of the Cost of
Living makes. The Commissioner is reported as saying that
"There were two individual cases of profiteering in 1916 and that
had these cases occurred since the passage of the cost of living
Order -in -Council, he would consider it his duty to recommend that
For the last fiscal year eating:Afarc.h 27th, 1917, The William Davies Com-
pany bought and killed 1,043,0.00 head. of Liye Stock (Cattle, hogs and Sheep.)
This, plus purchases of outside Meats, produced 160,000,000 pounds of Meats.
The Company handled 6,550,000 pounds of Butter and Cheese, 5,650,000 dozens
of Eggs, and manufactured 26,50(1,000 tins of Canned Goods.
The net profits on these were .68 cents (or two-thirds of a cent) per pound on
meats, 1.04 cents on Butter and Cheese, 1.04 cents per dozen on Eggs, and .47
cents (or slightly less than one-half a cent) per tin on Canned Goods. These
profits include profits on all By -Products derived from these accounts.
During the year the Company served at its retail stores 7,500,000 customers,
the average purchase of each customer was 85c,, and the net profit upon each
sale was 5-8 of 1 cent,
The turnover of the Company from all its operations for the last fiscal year
ending March 27th, 1917, was $40,000,000. The net percentage of profit upon
this turnover, after deducting war tali, was 1.69 per cent., or including war tax
Respecting the Report of the C
Last Winter the Commissioner, under authority of
Order -in -Council, required packers to submit statements
under oath for seine years back and up to December 1st,
1916, of incoming stocks of Meats and the cost of such, as
well as statements of outgoing product and the selling value.
This Company represented in writing at the time that the
information as specifically required was not in accordance
with Packing House Accounting methods, and invited the
Commissioner to send an Officer to the Head Office of the
Company to examine the books for any information desired,,
and to secut;e a viewpoint as to the best way of collecting
data which would be of use to the Government, This offer
was declined, and there Was,nothing to do but fill in the in-
formation required as literally as we could determine it.
For example, there was no recognition of the fact that a
raw product may enter a factory under a specific classification
and leave the factory as a finished product under some other
classification,
We submitted a series of accurate figures based upon our
interpretation of the official requirements which made no
provision for charges of any description other than incoming
freight and unloading charges to be included in the cost or
to be deducted from the selling price. There was nothing
in the report which could be read so as to determine a profit
and loss statement. The very fact that with only ii statement
based upon cost of raw products and value of sales in Great
Britain a Government Official has deduced "Large tnargies,"
Profiteering" and "Criminality" if it had occurred since
the passage of a recent Act, shows too dangerous a trifling
and incapacity to be permitted to deal with any important
situation. The statements of this Company have been treated
by the author of this report as if the out -going product was
identical with the incoming product, and from the series of
reports he has singled out two items—the Bacon and Egg
reports—and from their deduced an erroneous "margin"
which the newspapers have interpreted as "profit." The
author of the inquiry shows a strange lack of even a funda-
mental knowledge of simple bookkeeping and a dangerous
inability to co-ordinate figures. The following are specific
and outstanding errors in the report:
The principal item that is c. using excitentent deals with
cold storage bacon. The terra cold -storage" is not defined,
and the public is allowed to,mat a is own definitions. As all
Bacon in a packing house is un er refrigeration it is really
all cold -storage, and therefore this Company's figures of
cold storage Bacon represent the complete quantity of
Bacon handled ifs its entire Plant, wh ther in freezers or in
process of cure for immediate shipment. That some com-
,1„
C "nt, per nd
the facts be laid before the Attorney -General for consideration as
to their criminality." The situation created by such erroneous
• and damaging statements is serious as emanating from a Govern-
ment official, from whom one looks for not only accurate statements
but correct conclusions.
The William Davies Company, being a private concern, has fol-
lowed the practice of all private corporations, except when it made a
bond issue m 1911, in that it has not published reports of its assets and
liabilities or profit and loss. The present circumstance, however, in
which a Government Official has led the public to false conclusions,
makes it advisable for this Company, for both the public interest and
its own interest., to publish particulars of its business as well as point
out the error of the statement of the Government Official.
3.45 per cent.
The William Davies Company has assets of $13,385,000 of which $3,865,000
is tied up in fixed investments.
To provide the necessary facilities for the increased volume of business the
Company expended $750,000 in buildings and equipment during the year.
Companies of other character present no more reasonable statement of profit
and loss based, upon the investments made in the business.
The William Davies Company offered to the lmpe'ial authorities, as well as
to the War Office Service (which represents the Imperial authorities in Canada)
to place the output of its Factory with respect to Bacon supplies, Canned Beef
and fork and Beans at the service of the authorities, on the basis of cost plus an
agreed percentage. These offers were successively declined as the authorities
evidently desired to purchase in the open market, and on this basis The William
Davies Company has secured War Office business by open competition with the
world.
nmissioner on the Cost of Livin
panics interpreted cold -storage product as "freezer" product
only is evidenced by the smallness or entire lack of
figures on the Baehr' list for some Plants, indicating that many
Firms did not submit statements of their complete stocks.
as did this Company. An Official of this Company pointed
out this cold -storage distinction to Mr, O'Connor and Miss
McKenna in Ottawa a few weeks ago, and the failure to make
the distinction after having had it pointed out evidences lack
of desire for accuracy of the real information desired.
It is true The Wiliam Davies Compiny, in 1916, exported
97,701,039 pains a of Bacon, but ss: et) to t know how the
margin of 5.05 cents per pound is arrived at Ly Mr. O'Connor,
as there were no firares to justify such a conclusion, The
probabilities are Out the margin is arrived et by taking the
average cost per poi:nd of incoming product from the average
selling price per pound of outgoing product. This may be
a rough way of estimating the gross margin when dealing
with small figures, but when dealing with figures the size
that Mr. O'Connor has to deal with, a very small fraction of
a cent per pound of error makes a very important difference
in the total, and one must be careful to snake sure that the
outgoing product is the same finished merchandise of the
incoming product reported on.
Ailowing it to pass, however, as a rough estimate, we
with to point out—(first)--Une ingwry of the Commissioner
allowed only for incoming, freight tied, unloading charges,
and made no provision whatsoever f, r operating charges of
any kind, such as labor, curing materials, refrigeration, et
cetera. Sucit actual ehnraes on the 97,791,000 pounds
exported were $1,142,000=or 1.2 cs.ts per pound,. This
amotnnt coverers all themes up to the point of placing the
Bacon on ears f,n,b. paek'neaboese. .addition to th's was
the'aetunl cost to Mud and soil this 07, 791,000 pounds i:: Iina-
lsutd after leaving 1.I:e pnc.i:y tnse, which involved charges
of 2.9 cents per pound—or 12,S3ti,004. Thais 2,9 cents per
pntme Metaled inland and, ix:eaut freight, landing cearres, war
and marine inestrance, cables, soul ellfn l cammissicm to agents.
The ocean freight and war risk nlo'e would matte up 2.4
cents of the cleirge of 2.0 cents per pnond. Th's I 2 cents,
plus 2.9. cents --a total of 4.1 conte—nn et be dc.;iietrd front
,sir. O'Conner's margin of hale eenla per pound, leaving a
margin of .95 cents, or slightly Ices Ilit't a cent per pound
which still has to he reduced became of the error of premises
and because of farther factors which have to Le considered
to determine net profits.
It is quite evi;lent some of the "tier packers did not
show selling values -in the cuuutry in which the goods were
The Company does not challenge either the legal or moral right of the Govern-
ment to investigate business enterprises when public interests directs such an
investigation should be made. If an investigation of the packing and meat
business is ordered, the Company will place at the disposal of the Government
not only the data it would be required to supply under Order-in-C'euncil
directing that inquiry be made, but will place the experienee of its officers
at the disposal of the investigating committee, if it is considered they 'can.
render any se'eice which will be of value. The Company has not now --nor
at any time during, the fifty years of its operation—anything to conCeai in method
or practice of carrying* on its business.' It does, howeve, claim the right to con-
duct its export' business without abusive colnnient from Government civil
servants --especially when the conclusions drawn from the data asked for are
improper and false. . "
One of Canada's chief exRert industries is the packing business. It is essential
to the live stock industry sand, along with. other export industries, it maintains
the financial stability di tl s<s country, and should, providing rt is on a sound basis,
receive eneouriigedlent` and 'not slanderous abuse. In view of the publicity
given to the report of the Commissioner on the cost of Hying, ,the Company
demands the sante publicity in having an official Government investigation of
this report to determine the truthfulness or uutruthfulnese of its conclusions.
We do not seek public consideration as a corepany, but• we :do say that untruth-
ftil official stateniients, or sfatentents the effect ofwh:ch.is tai create an untruth,
e
sold—a proceeding quite proper, as the forms submited to be
filled in were indefinite and ambiguous, thus permitting with-
out charge of evasion a variety of interpretation as to the
information required. It is tbns possible that of all the
figures submitted by the different packers that no two sets
of costs and sales prices are determined at the sante common
point. It is this difference of interpretation of what was
required that accounts for the difference of the alleged
"margin" made by the different companies. Common
conclusions, however, have been drawn by the author of the
report from varying bases of premises.
The figures of the Egg business were submitted on the
same basis as Bacon, and similar deductions must be made.
(Second)—The above margin is further reduced in that
the author of this inquiry singled out the Bacon figures as an
item in which the selling price shows an alleged improper
advance over cost, but he did not give us credit for the
statements of other products, of which figures were submitted
the selling prices of which were under cost. The reason
of this was that through failure to inquire the Department
entirely overlooked the fact that product may come in as
pork and, through the process of manufacture, go out as Bacon
or, in another instance, enter the factory as beef and go out in
the form of canned meats; for egomple: much of the product
which cane in as pork, and which was entered oh the pork
sheet submitted to the Commissioner—about which he makes
no mention -was cured and left the factory in the form of
Bacon, and suns, therefore, entered on the outgoing side of the
Bacon sheet—the result is that the Bacon sales are increased
by this amount over the incoming stocks of Bacon, and, like-
wise, the sheet showing sales of pork is reduced by the amount
that went out in the form of Bacon. If the Department
takes one set of figures that show favorable to the Company
they should take another set of figures that show unfavorable,
as the principle in either case is the sante, and failure to do so
looks as if the author of the report was exercising more
enthusiasm than sound judgment in his investigations.
(Third)—It is queried in the report, that"if the margin of
3.47 cents," alleged to have been made in 1015, "was satis-
factory, why was it necessary to show increased margin in
11116?" Assuming again for the moment the soundness of
the premises in asking such a question basal on an erroneous
"margin", it will he found that the increased margin is chiefly
absorbed in increase t ocean freight rates and war risk in-
surance in 1916, of which apparently the author of the report
was in ignorance.
adversely affect the live stock industry of this eciuutry, which is so valuable and
essential a wealth -producing power and, in the long run, are harmful to the very
pcop1c'thae the statement sock s to benefit.
11 the passing out of existence of a corporation such es The 'William Davies
Company, er if mat ienalizntion of packing houses would materially and per-
manently reduce, food prices, then in view of the present world tragedy it ought
to be consummated without delay. - The fact of the matter is, however, that
with millions of people in Europe turning from producers into consumers because
of the war, and the tremendous destruction of food products incident to war,
there is no remedy for the high prices of food while such conditions last, except
the renedy of thrift and increase of production.
Long before there was talk of a Food Controller in the United States or
Canada The William Davies Company urged the Government at Ottawa, in
writing, to appoint a, Food Controller with full power to do what he saw fit, as
we realized at Haat time the upward tendency in the price of food commodities
unless checked by official effort: At the most a great deal cannot be done in
reducing food prices while currency is inflated and until the scale of prices of all
kinds of commodities declines also. What can be done our only be done by a
Food Controller. We wish to point out that nothing at all can be accomplished
Nnless the data secured are aecurately and clearly made and the deductions
the# frorri sound. Only public harm arises from dangerous innompetency
in the haphazard collection and careless use of important figures.
As far as The William Davies Company is concerned this terminates all public statements of the Company, and it will pay no more attention to specul ive
and k hatarcl statements Made tidier by stews a ssn or civil servants. The onPy further statement that will be made will bo at an o eial:investigation.
(lp J p p �
C. FQXS General- Manager
THE WILLIAM DAVIES CoMPANY, LIMITED
Toronto July llth„ *01
Thuraday, July 26th, 1917
with a courtly bgw to Theo—that (he
sight of this lady is a great polus in
your excuse; yet 1 cannot but bitt:na
you severely."
"And my punishment, sir?" said Burr
again, humbly,
"That I may leave In the bands of
Mistress Prevost, since site has a stead•
ler head than yourself, sir, You must
deal with hint harshly, macinm," said
the general, a slow smile showing in
his eyes upon the look upon their faces,
"You will return to your regiment and
await orders from the lady,"
"Sir, 'tis my ardent wish tto eke
orders from her for the rest of my lite,"
cried Burr,
"indeed, Is it so? You surprise me,
Culp/let Burr, I did not dream of it,"
said Washington dryly. may 1 sugest
that you return with the lady to her
coach, so that you may be more easily
at her command? I hesitate to suggest
the thought before such bright eyes,
but, in short, I tau sleepy.'
There was more than the hint of a
smile upon his face now, Ile bowed
low, cutting short their graceful words.
Burr opened, the door, and the ladies
swept deep courtesies. Cis passed out,
cheeks burning and eyes alight, turned
to follow, but changed her mind, She
flew back across the room to the gen-
eral by the fireplace, sank down quick-
ly, and, before he could prevent her,
laid a warns kiss upon his hand, Then
she. was gone in a flash.
Without a word, Washington held
out his hand to the young man,
"You will not grudge me that, sir,"
he said kindly. "Allow me to wish you
every happiness("
Without u word, because of the
lump that had gathered ( nhis throat,
Burr wrung the great commander's
]rand hard, and passed out quickly.
Cis, who had spoken ne word thru
the interview, recovered speech in the
FIIT IIF A. NEW'
rERSO
Takia Only One Box Of
After Taking y �
`'Fru tra-fives"
Rem San' IInanopn, N. S.
crit is with great pleasure that write
to tell you of the waadeiiai benefits 1
have received from taking " Frult-a-
tives", For years, I -was a dreadful
sufferer from ConsIs5alion and head-
aches, aaen was miserable in every way,
Nothing in the way of medieln es seemed
to help me. Then 1 finally tried
"Fruit -a -fives" and rho otlect was
splenclld. After taking ono box, 7 fool
like a new person, to have relief from
those sickening headaches".
Man. 112ARTIIA, DE WOLFI:.
50e. a box, 6 for $2.50, trim sine, 255..
At all dealers or sent postpaid by Frait-
a-tives Limited, Ottawa.
darkness of the carriage. -
"Is not General Washington a won*
derful gentleman?" she began politely,
and bridled with indignation when no
attention was given her.
THE END.
Chilaren Cry 1 1i
FOR FLETCHER'S
CASTof to
WHAT is so beautiful as the soft, rosy, delicate skin of the
baby. And yet baby's skin is so tender and so easily
chafed and irritated that It must have care and oonsider-
ation.
It is a fine habit for mothers to have Dr, Chase's Ointment
at hand for use after the bath. By its soothing, healing influ-
ence it soon allays the inflammation, brings relief and comfort.
and prevents the development of eczema, for eczema Is the natural
result of neglected skin irritation,
Mrs. W. L. Barnes, Timmins, Ont., writes : "I want
to tell you about the ease of my little boy who had baby
eczema when he was three months old. it started on the
top of his head, on his forehead and around hie ears.
The doctors failed to do him any good, so I tried Dr.
Chase's Ointment on the recommendation of a friend, and
in a month's time the child was entirely free of this
disagreeable skin disease. ire is now four years old, and
has never had any further trouble from ailments of this
kind."
Dr. Chase's Ointment
�
60c a box, all dealers, or Ddmanson, Bates & Co., Ltd., Toronto.
Do not be talked into accepting a substitute. Imitations
only disappoint.
elfi
,'ll
l(f eft f . .,, ; 4,7es
of this famous War -time Sweetmeat are
sent to the soldiers, sailors and aviators
at the front.
If you have a friend there, see that every
parcel or letter contains a few bars or a
package of i lgilrel? i'` S, the great chew-
ing confection that is used around the
world.
Keep it always on hand. It
helps teeth, appetite, digestion.
Seale r: tight
Kept right
"Affter every
meal"
MIME
PM CANAI'dN
The- ,Flavour hosts