Helena weekly herald., 1889-09-12
DRESSED BEEF COMBINE.
Armour & Co. Refuse to Comply With
the Request of the Congress
siOnal Committee.

CHICAGO, September AT the after
noon meeting Chairman Vest, in discussing
the absence of Mr.. Armour and other gen.
tlemen, said he was sorry these gentlemen
had refused to compel their attendance; but
although they could compel their attend
ance they could not compel an unwilling
witness to tell all he knew. l have here
telegram, continued Mr.. Vest. about which
l have desired to personally ask MI.
Armour, but as he has refused to appear
here will read it anyway. 1t was sent
me by a gentleman about whose respecta-
bility there can be no question. The mes
sage is as follows:
FREEMAN, Pa, December 18, 1888.
Can't allow Schwab to continue killing
live stock. If he will not stop make other
arrangements and make the price so we can
get his trade. Signed
ARMOUR & COMPANY.
The following was then unanimously
passed, after which the committee ad-
journed.
WHEREAS, Philip Armour, Nelson Nor
ris, Louis F. Swift, Frank E. VOgel, j. S.
Newman and Jacob Meyer, having been
duly and lawfully summoned to appear as
witnesses before this committee and having
ordered that the facts be reported to the
chairman of the Senate OF the United
| States at its next session.
A reporter for the Associated Press called
| on Mr.. Armonr and asked for an interview.
Mr.. Armour made the following statement:
The reason we did not appear before the
Senatorial committee was that we
knew we could not expect fair
treatment from the hands of Senator Vest,
who is the most notorious on record Op-
posed to the dressed beef business. He is
champion and advocate of the st. Louis
deserted cattle market and opposed to Chi
cago interests. He has been friendly to
ali hostile beef inspection bills that have
been introduced in the various State Legls-
latures against Chicago dressed beef,
which if passed would have destroyed this
business. We are perfectly willing to ap-
pear before an impartial committee and
give any information pertaining to ouI
business which is not strictly private
We have never exerted any influence tG
depress the price Of cattle CT increased the
price of dressed beef On the her hand
it is q we'll known fact that cattle are 81
per 100 pounds higher than they would bs
If it was not for the dressed beef industry
and we can get great deal more out OF 6
bullock than butcher or man who kills
in small quantities. We have never hat
any association with Swift, Hammond o.
Morris, directly or indirectly, in the pur
chase of cattle. The telegram Mr.. Yes
read this afternoon was directed to our OWL
agent, who had perfect right to xii
cattle if he sold our dressed beef, and j
is entirely stripped of its force when tn
fact is understood that the man was ou
own representative.
Senator Vest was shown Mr.. Armour
statement tonight. He said: "Mr. Ar
mour must know that, as chairman of thi
committee, am no more than any otbe
member. Again, if 1 have any sympath!
at all with the Missouri cattle trade
would not be with that of st. Louis.
have been a resident of Kansas City seve
years, and believe it is generally concede
that the cattle trade of that city is il
sympathy with that of Chicago. As t
Mr.. Armour's telegram, it was directed t.
his agent, who was instructedtO comps
Schwab. who was not his agent, to qui
} killing cattle.