Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-29
Further Testimony Taken by the Sen
ate Investigating Committee.
The Methods of the Knights of Dis
bursting Funds Reported Very Loose.
The Secretary Treasurer Given Power
to Veto Excessive Items.
Witnesses from County Kerry Exam
ined by the Parnell Commission.
THE CATTLE TRADE.
Resume Of the Evidence Taken by TIE SEN
ate Committee.

Resume OF The evidence taken py Tie Sen
ate Committee.
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 22.-The senate cattle
trade inyestig ton committee NIT again
this morning. The first witness was L.
j. Leonard, Of Saline county, Mo-, one
of the largest importers of black cattle
in Missouri. He said the cattle markets
were paralyzed by the control dressed
beef importers had secured. There was
no competition in the market between
buyers. He said the system of local in
spection would make innumerable mar
kets, instead of two, as at present. In
answer to the question IS to what would
be the effect of a law that no meat should
be sold for consumption unless it was in
spected, the witness said that such law
would prevent Texas men from sending
to markets COWS that are as lean as
hounds. The witness also said that the
prices dealers got for live beef do not
Justify the price which the consumer
pays.
Levi Samules, wholesale butcher of
New York, formerly an exporter, testified
that the cattle market is now depressed.
He was familiar with the dressed beef
bushes. With the exception Of one or
two towns in the east, all, the beef
sold there is dressed beef. The local
butchers have quit Strengthening or buy
ing from Wholesale slanghterers. The
reason for this was that the western
dressed beef men have gone in there,
Offering their beef lower than
the local butchers could buy
the cattle and slaughter them. In
other ways the slaughterers were forced
to quit killing and buy beef from the
west. When the western men had Sc
cured control they put up tAe price high
enough to Justify their losses previous to
obtaining control. Their prices in New
York are the same as those of the local
butchers. They are content to keep us
from making money in the hope that we
will be forced out of business altogether,
or be compelled to handle western dress
ed beef.
A. w. Hillyard, of Midland, Texas.
stated about year ago he was negotiat-
ing with the proprietOrs of beef refrig
orator in Ell Paso 20 supply them with
cattle, but the negotiations fell through
because the Ell Paso people were closed
out. The Southern Pacific railroad re-
fused to supply cars for the transporta-
ton of dressed beef to Los Angeles hav-
ing contract with Chicago people which
compelled them to exclude the Ell Paso
people.
Richard Gray, general freight agent of
the Pacific system of the Southern
Pacific railway company with the office
at San Francisco, was examined at his
own request. He wished to get on record
denial of the statement made by Hillyard
and another witness with reference to
the company's refusal to furnish refrig
orator cars at Ell Paso. This statement
could not be true as the company never
had any refrigerator cars in its equip
ment. The company had never refused
to furnish box cars to any one when it
had them.
Senator Collom thought he had Gray
cornered when the latter admitted that
his com pany had refused to accept cars
from other companies and compelled
shippers to transfer their goods from
the original cars to the Southern Pacific
cars. Gray, however, qualified this state
ment by saying that the Southern Pa
cific had only done this when the car
offered was unfit to go over the steep
grades and around the sharp curves of
their road.
George Peck, of Detroit, butcher and
cattle dealer for the last thirty Years,
testified that the dressed beef organic
atoms had been the means of crushing
out all the butchers throughout the east
and concentrating the cattle business at
Chicago. few years ago at least fifteen
men in his city came west and bought
cattle to sell in the east. Now they could
not do that because eastern mark
cts were closed I'D. His idea
was that the butchers of the east
dare not cut up the cattle they got hold
for fear the combine would close down
on them and drive them and drive them
out of business. About year ago the
witness and others organized an associa-
ton in Detroit and put up signs "No
Chicago beef for sale here" They were
occupying premises owned by one of the
s'big four" Mr.. Hammond, who ordered
them to remove Objectionable placards,
promising to keep Swift and Armour out
of Detroit, but saying he could not keep
Nels Morris out because he was already
established there. That was what indi-
Gated to witness the existence of COM
bine. Adjourned.