HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1917-07-27, Page 6..„
,emeemeaMe!"..,feese.fee.
Tb::1y he Bei Of
Init+tins"
Earle filar Hannotut, N.S.
"It is wit4 great pleasure that I write
40 tat you of the wanderful benefits I
have rdediite&l rim taking “Fruitea-
Wain. For yes" I wen si dreadful
sufferer fro.in Consis*doss aid Head-
aches, aniLI was miserable in every way.
t Nothing in the way of medicines seemed
to help me. Then I finally tried
it-a-tived" and the effect -wait
splen4id. After taking one box, I feel
like a new person, to have. relief from
those sickening Heettanber, _
MBA sdAggii* Dgwourh.
506,.,*_.at,6 far $2:04,:-(iiiel.Sties,
iAt affeAersioraisti4eatiaittbY Frid"ie
adivis Limitea, Ottawa.
Cg
it
Bancistere .SolicitorsConveyancer and
-0111
letigarrIr
donnee-nern
By -Ralph peel=
(Continuedfrom page seven.)
the pines were crooning softly, and
gradually the brave -head _drooped till,
betweefl the stitches she -fell asleep
But 'net for tong, for a knock at
the kitchen doer startled her, and be-
fore long she heard Jessiwevoice rise
wrathful.
"Indeed, do no such thing: This
is no time to come to the minister's
house.'
For answer there was a mumble of
words.
"Well, you can just wait until mem-
to prey *bout.'
tiveWAte,
'you. g$.t.
bavflO
e
Nottka,a,&019,11Ca affgrAe
mown amnia filnaearatalie
minion
Bank, Setiforth. Money to
loam
•
J. M. BEST.
Barrister, Solicitor,- Cottveya er
and Notary Pub °up p
over Walker's Furniture' , urn.'
Street, Seaford). -
"
PROUDFOO'Se RAN -AW
e
Barristers. Solicitais, iNetariei
Pub-
eith 41000-dY stP-014 Ted-StlifOrth.
on I .4 *the' Vdook- :Once tn
Kidd W. 'freudieot,_ Ti. C., J.
L. Killeran, H. J. D. Cooke.
g 99
"She can go in the morning."
"What is it Jessie?" The rainister's
wife came into the kitchen.
"Oh, Ronald, I'm 'so glad to see you
back. Hughie told me you had come
But your father is ill, he said. How
is he?"''
I:Weald shook lands shyly, feeling
much ashareed under Jessie's reptant.
"Indeed, it was Aunt iCitstiss that
sent ute," said Itanaid, .epologeticellye
."Then She lought to have known
better," 'said elesnie, sharply -
"Never mind ejessie -11-aneld,
teI
e aboutWouelatliei.t.'
."lieU IOW bad indeed, and my .aunt
.The boy's lip *ein-
e Vent On, -4.‘Ancl she
flapsyeti-Might have some
H.
ary an onorary Me
the Medical Association of the
Ve . Treeta,d)sessee,
sit 'c 1 is by thiefiegiti
ern presiOlinelikillitistry and Milkier.'
er a aPeeialtY. .0ill(tumMite
Hetel.Main Street, 'SeWritth. Al )r-'
den 1W -it 'the Anil to We'
prompt attention. Night calls re s iv -
ed at the office.
011N GRIEVE. V S •
threw• her hood. over b.er head,
ome simple medicines into her
_
orylfleroacolegradnage. Alite °mark. ing ag;and m ten -minutes was wait -
OL :dOmOsttiC for RanaId at the door.
remlItlY at -
g the-ma-tt*
us aggravitlins
levees : id r
donii. If,*aiketieteder 3t011 bav'
ing y-oiiiiiihtt
have notitEng to 'Were* about."
,.
is afraide
Med '4 TO4
;thought
med10113
egg.
It
a jthi Atattelt UMW?: " •
,:ll'on,aereseee.e....•••••11;11110••••••••••••••••••••••0'
THE UPSMETDOWN WAT
The wrist watch, which rose so b ib
in powitanty on account of the en-
dorieninine --Web it by. men of thee
army and navy. has retired to 'gee lid
place in the soldieee'.anre..11en ea -
sow for this is. not that this styl of
watch proved to be less convert
thee it modeles, but that bullets
burating shrapnel which Coastal
threaten the exposed Men are li
"He wohurted badly --and he is not
right Wise
"Itiit how e hurt?"
Ranald b,esi .
"I ifit3Antiiiike—Lain tbinkiV it.
wee siiMettible Mint -,struck him .
"Ah, eteinri Where did the tree
strikeehetne
"Flerie"ipeinthegIet the breaet, "en
it is sore in his bretaing "
'-iettaidi if you put the sad-
dle.ow Pony I be ready in a min-
ute."
Jesyit was indighnint.
"YtneWill` Meier eslcjot this night. •
You willesetet soinejnalichie and thew
yq.v. cotto in the:Wm:whine
'Put the minister's- Wife heeded he::
- s
"You! are not Banald?"
"NO, 11asie 'fhe 'Oat:" -
"Oh Watts steleidid. We'll ilinei; . a
= ,
fine galloP—....that plokn
up
"Yes, A :just —lining "-lip,"
Ranald. . y. tO _the eteble
that eeini t . ectOe legalets- Writh,
n 'get the• ony ready. •
It. was no unusual thing for the
• ptiitiIU* VA? ROW
to de duty for et r and nurse.
doctor was tw ty miles away. So
Mrs. Murray. into her riding -habit
animals treated.
tended to and charkesmoderati. 'Vet-
erinary Dentistry a gfpecialty. 'dflIce
and residence on Goderieh street, one
door east of Dr. Scott's. office, Seae
forth.
MEDICAL,
DR. W.S. GLANFIELD, MA., M.B.„
Physician, Etc. Honor Graduate
of University of Toronte;.** years'
experience. Brucefield, Ontario.
DR. GEORGE HEILitiaNN.
Osteopathic Physician of'-rotderi..1.1.
Specialist in women's and children's
disea,ses, rheumatism, acute, chronic
and neryou.s disorders; eye, ear, pose
and throat Consultation free. 'Office
in the Royal Hetet, Seaforth, Tues-
days and Fridays,' 8: gam til1,11. p.m.
C. Se W. HARN,MDCM
425 Richmond, Street, London, 0 )`..
Specialist, Surgery and Genito-Ut jr
airy liseases of men and women.
Dr. ALEXANDER IZMIR
Physician and Surgeon
Office and Residence, Main • Str t,
Phone 70 • Hensa
DR. W. PEGIC
Graduate of Faculty of lleedic.
McGill University, Montreal; Member
of College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Ontario;Licentiate of Medical Coun-
cil of, Canada; Post -Graduate Member
of Resident Medical Staff of General
Hospital, Montreal, 1914-15; Office, 2
doors east of Post (Ace. Phone 56,
Hensall, Ontario.
•••.•••••11[
• DR. F. 3. BURROWS
Office and residence, Goderich stet
east of the Methodist church, Seaforth.
Phone 46. Coroner for the County of
Huron.
••••••••••••••
CHAPTER IV.
The Ride Per Life. 'de
The night was deer, with -a tench
of /Twit in the air, -yet with the feel-
ing in it of approaching spring. A dim
light fell over the forest the half-
moon and the Aare, end,: seemed to
fill up the little .clearing in which the
manse stood, with 'a Weird and mys-
terious radiance. Far away in the for-
est the long drawn howl of a wolf
rose ,and fell, and in A moment sharp
and -clear came an answer from the
bush just at hand. Mrs. Murray
dreaded the wolves, but she was no
Coward and scorned to show -fear.
"The wolves are out, Ranald," she
said, carelessly, as Ranald came up.
with the pony. .
"They are not many, I think," - an-
swered the boy. as carelessly;.
are . you—do you think—perhaps I
could just take the medicine—and you
will come--"
"Nonsense, Ranald! bring up the
pony. Do you think I have -lived all
this time in Indian Lands to be afraid
of a wolf?"
"Indeed, you are not afraid, I know
that well!" Ranald shrank from lay-
ing the crime of being afraid at the
.door of the minister's wife,whose fear-
lessness was proverbial in the com-
munity "but maybe---" The truth was
Ranald would rather be alone if the
wolves came out.
But Mrs. Murray was in the saddle,
and the pony was impatient to be. off.
"We will go by. the caineeeni' clear-
ing, and then fake their *obit track,
It is a better road," said &maid, after
they had get through the big gate.
"Nov, Itamild, you think I am a-
fraid of the swamp and by the Cam-
erons' is much longer."
"Indeed, I hear them say that you
ere. not afraid .of the—of anything,"
said. Ranald 'quielay; "but this road is
better for the horses."
"Come on, then, with your colt";
and the pony .dateted ewer. . her
quick -springing gallop, followed by
'he colt going with a -long, easy, lop-
ing stride. Fqr a mile they kept side
by side till they reached the Camer-
•otes lane, whep Rai41, held in the
colt and allowed the pony to lead.
As they passed through . the Camer-
on's yard the big back • dogs, famous
bear -hunters, came baying at them.
The pony regarded them with indiffer-
ence, but the, pony- shied and plunged
it "Whoa, Liz!' Liz was Ranalirs con-
traction for Lizetee, the name of the
French- horse -trainer and breeder,
Jules La Rocque, gave to her mother,
who in her day was queen of the ice
at L'Original Christmas races.
"Be quate, Nigger, will you!" The
dogs, who knew Ranald well, ceased
their clamour, but not before the kit •
chen door opened wad Don Cameron
came out.
(To be continued next week.)
DRS. SCOTT & MACKAY
J. G. Scott, grednate of. Victoria and
College of Physlcians and Surgeons
Ann Arbor, and member of the Col-
lege of Physicians and Surgeons, of
Ontario.
C. Mackay, hoilor *graduate .of Trin-
ity Universal's, and__ gold raed,allist of
Trinity Medical College; member of
the College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Ontario.
DR. H. HUGH ROSS.
• Graduate of 'University of Toronto
Faculty of. Medicine, member of Col-
lege of Physicians and Surgeons of
Ontario; pass graduate courses in
Chicago Clinical School of Chicago;
Royal Ophthalmic Hospital, London,
England, University Hospital, London,
England, Office—Back of Dominion
Bank, Seaforth. Phone No. 5, Night
Calls answered from residence, Vic-
toria street, Seafarth.
e,4•• e Alit IONEERS.. . .
THOMAS BROWN.
Licensed auctioneer for the coin i>as
of Huron and Perth. Correspond re
are Moments for sale dates can Oe
made by *ling up Phone 97, stud ta
or The ExPoliter Mee. Charges
e4 ate and siattsfaction gueranteed.
R. T. LUKER
Ureastsod Auctioneer, for the County
ed is Wee attended to Ail
zts of the Osaiste, Si a years' ex-
gieJesom initikuitobaad tesi-.4igise-
visa- Twos eseanaable. nous o
17fir11 Ussisa, Cantratta P.O., R. It.
14e. 1. atillys iatt at The Boras Zxs
will*: fiesdasiito sataaapas ata
NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
Yo u have tv!ro 'al tern ati ves : Either
you are mobilized or youare not. If
not, you have nothing to worry about.
"1? you are you have two alterna-
tives : Either vott are in camp or at
the front If you are in camp, you,
have nothing to, worry about.
"Tf von are at the front, yoti have
two a Iterriati ves : Either yoii are in
reserve cr you are on the fighting line.
If you are in reserve,you have noth-
ing to worry about -
"1! you are on the fighting lineeyou
have two alternatives: Either you
scrap or von don't. If you don't. you
have nothing to worry about.
1 " If you do. you have two alterna-
fives : Either you get hurt or you,
don't. If you don't, yen have nothing
lds., et
die! eit
e , tief, i ntL
IThe .•' ligir two a 10041- ' his
, ° cuter ,apeniug threteeik WhiCii the
fibs
of tthe ' *etch' IhoWee. -Semen
steep encireletAiserAtell ried tilititens
.it securely in plaee, buckling on, the
oatitde 'of t1eleileelehb:3, Tee eliiitch
)sengs :.t604ewhiverd;- bap -whit - the
Wearer eisitee it Julia litai9eoe'glanlies
di3wn et 'hiss (time)* &ant the Alen,
-
it is in just the proper • position to be
reed. If it sh. WO ba, "tes ,sh t-
ene, tered by, a b1!et the fuljete Lkl. s
. , • .
tid or m'egal Would bieciatietteseid held in
i
Uy the leather cage. so that 'they setold
ly do no harm. :deny a fighter has had
to theete k the watch on _hie wrest for
-
-14=bg' Vtilte.fetlnit rniglet have
_ e 1044 Of an aniri. The
eanetneeseeletteettaidesseeienenseeetisteetemeree
It* sireig feir neekers to a
telt aches and. pains. and suffer in
silence—this leads to chronic sickness
and often shortens life.
If your work is tiring- if your nerves
•i are excitable; if you feel languid, weary
or depressed, Scott's Emulsion over-
comes just such conditions.
It Possesses in concentrated. form
.
the Ve7 elements to invigorate the
1 b ood, strengthen e tissues, nounsh
theverves-and build up your strength.
Scott as nowne. Toronto. oat.
e eFate
'rt -bhe ddy Ui.n iThe V010.
MAILOS it all the morkirtilte016
44 a proelettO Aar**. It May be
Wore tinder tniia OA-fidget:Wt.
ido
TEA IN THE MAKING AND IN •
THE SERVING
kik' olirreor toe ileneerellita:ctullptteeheut.ncldtree:,
bet !tot ems lei 'life thausand knows
how to Berra A WV of good tea.
"Mkt -114h* is simple; warm the
tehhitliftesh Water,: freshly boiIe
and stili 661114, pit the teS fist° the
Pot, ',pour on the oihng water—hid
there iiou are The liaisons depends;
on tlie taste in teas of the housekeep-
er, and the strength depends on whst
she considers good for the
"Phe '4erving is equally rn ple—
aiben yott oyr how..
it'd the
4tcost lin twice, but altnough we
lie eard oer and over again, hew
few of us really realize it? Ti
tea ever geetetet On be eptelle in the
zer vies. We eeli each. otuer thst tee
ehoula not be allowed to steep more
than three minutes, and, sometitues—
Whelk weliainien to think a it—we dc
pour it out ebout that time.
"But even when this is done with
the drat cup, how eboht the unfortun-
ate seemid cep? Isn't it equally true
of it, that it should not steen more
than three minutes ? 'Remember, tho
stee_meg process does not step. wive
WO decide that it DI sufficiently Staietasa
to be ready to pouritgoes on Steep..
ing so long as it on the leaves. There-
fore. to serve teo properly, pour it
into another warmed teapot at the
end of three minutes "—e verywome
an's World. "
*Alleged F'rofits of The William Davies Ct pany
191 on, as Indicated by 1 epartment of
Labir to be rive Cents per Pound Untrue: -
Actual
Thirds of a Cent per round
TliE statement issued by the DepititmeittOfiabor concerning
the bUsiiiess 4 The William Davies Company Limited has
been given widespread circulation ilirOtighout the country and
provolccd.pul*.ttntest. ,
WhIztOier ItX.e tMinicial i'Ording of the -report Was, the effect has
been that the newspupers. hive published that "the profits on Bacon
..
alone" of this Company "kr I91:67:yvere altiO..(d "five millions of
dollars" This inteapretatiOn 'of the official retort is not surprising
in view of eertain.statementS that the Corn.missi6ner 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 thesia, cases 'occurred since the passage of the cost of living
Order -in -Council, he would consider it his duty to reaommend that
,
Ate,.
the facts be laid before the Attorney -General for considerat'on as
to their criminality." . The situation created by such erroneous
and daanaOng statenients is serious as emanating from a Govern-
ment official, fro& whom one looks for not only accurate statements
bnt correct conclusions.
The William Davies Company, being a private concern, has fol-
lowed the practice of all private corporations, except wheu it made a
bond issue in 1911, in that it has not published reports of its assets and
liabilities or profit and loss. Tbe present circumstance, however, in
which a Government Official has led the public to false conclusions,
inelKes it advisable for this Company, for both the public interest and
its own interest, to publish particulars of its busin s as well as point
out the error of the statement of the Government 11, cial.
.For thelast fils al ar ending March With, 1917, The William Davies Com-
et)), .143•14g*,anci ki1ea 1,,044,000thead rifLive Stock (Cattle, Hogs and Sheep.)
's ,plus4 purchases :Outside Meats, produced 160,000,090 pounds 'of Meats.
The °lliVfltnY handle4 6,50,000 pounds of Butter and Cheese 5 6I,
50 GOO dozens
.
s, and minuf ued O,5O0,O00 tins of Canned. Goods. -
e net *pas pn..t.lhepe were ...68 cents (or two-thirds of a cent) per pound on
meas, 1,44 cents oaifulter and Cheese; 1.04 cehts per dozen on Eggs, and .47
cents (or iligtitly less than one-half a cent) per tin on Canned Goods. These -
profitsikiclud,e profits op:ial By-Pre4aets deriskki from -these accounts.
DWahk. thetYear thetConiPany served at ith retail stores 7,560,000 customers.
the averisge purchase of each customer was 30e., and the net profit upon each
sale was 54 of ). (vat.. .
The turnover of the Company from all its gperations for the last fiscal year
ending March ti7th, 1917, was $40,000,000. The net percentage of profit upon
this turnover, after deducting wale tat, was 1100Ter cent., or including war tax
•
3.45 per cent.
The William Davies Company has assets of $13,385,000 of which V3,80,000
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 rewonable statement of profit
and loss bassd upon the investments made in the business.
The William David, Company offered to the Imperial authorities, as well as
to the War Offite Service, (which represents the Imperial authorities in Canada)
-to place the output of its Factory with respect to Bacon supplies, Canned Beef
and Pork 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.
Respectit4 the Report of the Commissioner on the Cost of Livi
. Last Winter the Commissioner, Under authority of
Order -in -Council, required ,packers to submit statements
under oath for some yeas back and up to December lst,
191, of incoieing 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
Coltineissioner to send- an Officer to the Head Office of the
Cenipany to examine thebooks for any information desired,
and to secure a viewpoint as to the best way of collecting
data which would be of Use to the Government, This offer
was dechtted, and ,there was nothing to do but 611 in the in -
fornication required as literally aa we could determine it.
`POT example, there was ho recognition of the fact that .a
raw product inter afactrory uhder a specific clasfification.
- 414 leave the factory as a finished product under some other
daaetx
We Submitted a series of accurate figures based upon our
itidterpretation of the 404 requirements which made
no
prorstoa for charges•cilf any idescription 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 repprt which could be read so as to determine a profit
and loss statement. The very fact that with only a statement
based upownest of raw ,products and value of sales in Great,
Britain a Government Official has deduced "Large margitls."
"Prbfiteerilig" and "Ceitninality" if it had oecusredasince
the passage of a recent AO, shows too dangerous a..erifling
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 ttis incoming product, and from the series of
reports he has eitigled out two items—the Bacon and Egg
reports—and front them deduced, an erroneous "margin'
which the newspapers have interpreted as "profit." The
authrirof1 tlefirsquiry shows a strange lack of even arfattida-
mental. knowledge of simple bookkeeping and a daogirous
inability to -co-ordinate figures:... :The follovting are specific
and outstanding errors in the report:
Th § principal item that is causing excitement deals with
cold storage bacon. The term "cold-stOtage" is not defined,
and tb.e public is allowed to make its own- definitiohn . As all
Bacon in a packing , hoeseiie under refrigeration it is featly
all cold -storage, and thetore this Company's figures of
cold storage Bacon rep nt the complete gee tity of
BACOO handle:14n its, enti 'Plante whether in freers or in
process of cure for iwmediate shipment. That s com-
panies interpreted cold -storage preduct as "freezer" product
only is evidenced by the smallnees or entire lack of
figures on the Bacon list for some Plants, indicating that many
Firms did not submit statements of their tomplete stocks,
as did this Company. An Official of this Company pointed
out this cold -storage distinction to Mr. O'Contter 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 William Davies Company, in 1916, exported
.97,791,000 pounds of Bacon, but we do not knoWshow the
inargin of 5.05 cents per pound is arrived at by Mr., O'Connor,
as there were tie figurna to justify each a -conclusion. The
• probabilities are that the margin is arrived at by taking the
average cost per pound 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 whett dealing with figures the size
that Mr. O'Connor has to deal with, a very stnall fraction of
a cent per pound of error makes a very itnportant difference
in the total, and one must be careful to make sure that the
outgoing product is the same finished merchandise of the
incoming product reported on.
Allowing it to pass, however, as a rough estimate, we
wish to point out—(first)—the inquiry of the Commissioner
allowed only for incomine freight and unloading charges,
and made 110 Pravisicin 'whatsoever for operating charges of
any kind, such as labor, curing materials, refrigeration, et
cetera. Such actual ' charges oti the 97,791,000 pounds
exported were $1,162 000—or 1.2 cegtts per pound. This
amount covered'all charges eip to the point ofi placing the
Bacon on cars f.o.b. packing -house. In additiotato this was
the actual cost to land and sell this.97,791,000 pouhds in Eng-
land after leaving the packing house. which involved charges
of 2.9 cents per pound—or $2,836,000. Thus 2.9 cents per
pound included inland and ocean freight, landing charges, war
and marine insurance, cables, and Selling commission to agent.s,
The ocean freight and war risk alone' would make up 2.4
cents 9f the charge of 2.9 cents per pond. This 1.2 cents,
plus 2.9. cents—a total of 4.1 cents—must be deducted from
Mr. O'Connor's margin of 5,05 cents per pound, leaving a
margin of .95 cents, or slightly less titan a cent per pound,
which still has to be reduced because of the error of pretnises
and because of further factors which have to be cotasidered
" to determine net profits.
It is quite evident some of the other packers did not
show selling values in the country in which the goods "were
The Company does niot challenge either the legal or moral right of the Govern-
ment to investigate IshAtness 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 ordy the data it would be required to supply under Order -in -Council
directing that inquiry be made, but will place the experience of its officers
at 'the disposal of the investigating committee, if it is considered they can
render any service which will be of value. The Company has not now—nor
at any time during the fif ty, years of its operation—anything to conceal in method
or practice of carrying on its business. It does, however, claim the right to con-
duct its export business without abusive comment from Government civil
servants --especially when the conclusions drawn from the data asked for are
improper and faLse.
One of Canada's chief export industries is the packing business. It is essential
to the live stoels industry, and, along with other export industries, it maintains
,the financial stability of this country, and should, providing it is on a sound basis,
receive enctairagement and not slanderous abuse..In view of the publicity
given to the report of the Commissioner on thecostof living: the seomara,ny
demands the same publicity in having an official Government uivestigation of
this report to determine the truthfulness or untruthfulness of its conclusions.
We do not seek public consideratitm as a company, but we do say that untruth-
ful official statements, or statements the effect of which is to create an untruth,
sold— Ei proceeding tmite 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
infornaation required. It is thus possible that of all the
figures submitted by the different packers that no two sets .
, f costs and sales prices are deteriniaed at the same common
point. It is this difference of interpretation of what ems
required that accounts for the differeuce of the alleged
"margid" 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 asan
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 Departptent
entirely overlooked the fact that product may eonie m as
pork and, through the process of manufacture, go out astncon
or, in another instance, enter the factory as beef and go oat in
the form of canned meats; for example: much of the product
which came itt as pork, and which was entered on the pork
sheet submitted to the Commissioner—about which he makes
110 mention—was cured and left the factory in the form of
Bacon, and was, therefore, entered on the outgoing side of the
Bac= 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 ammett
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 same, and failure to dew
looks as if the author of the report was exercising more
enthusiasm tban sound judgment in his investigations.
(Third)—It is queried in the report, that "if the neaten Ot
3.47 cents," alleged to have been made in 1915, "was satis-
factory, why was it necessary to show increased inargiet
In
1916?" Assuming again for the moment the soundness of
e the premises in asking sech a question based on an erroneous
"margin ", itwill be found that the increased margin is ellelly
absorbed in increased 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 country, which_ is so valua,ble and
essential a wealth -producing power and, in the long run., are harmful to the very
people that the statement seeks to benefit. •
If the passing out of existente of a corporation such as The William Davies
Company, or if nationalization of packing houses would materially and per-
manently reduce food prices, then in view of the present world tragedy it ought
to be censii mmated 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 remedy 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 that 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 ail
kinds of commodities declines also. What can be done can only be done by a
Food Controller. We wish to point out that nothing at all can be accomplished
unless the data secured are accurately and clearly inade and the deductiosa
therefrom sound. Only public harm arises from dangerous incompetener
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 sp.ecullar
and haphazard statements -made either by newspapers or cieni servants. The only further statement that will be made will be at an officia invest'
E. C. FOX, Geimral maikager
DAVIES COMP Y LIMITED
Torgnto, July 17th, 1917
THE WILLI