Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-05
ADJOURNED IN DISGUST.
The Dressed Beef Inquiry
Results in q Farce.
THE STIFF -NECKED MoNoPOLISTS
They Refuse to Appear Before thu
Committee-All on Account OF
Senator Vest.

lAssocisted Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
CHICAGO, September 4.-The Senator
ial investigation of the dressed beef and
transportation industries arrived at .
position this morning when it became
necessary to resort to vigorous measures
or acknowledge the whole affair farce.
@. T. Swift, q millionaire dressed beef
dealer, had been subpoenaed for the
third time, and it was reported that he
had agreed to appear this morning. He
did not come. P. D. Armour, on whom
the summons was served, stated he could
not come at the hour named, but would
let the commission know when he would
be able to attend. Secretary George 7.
Williams, of the Union Stockyards
Company, who was ordered to appear
with q list of stockholders OF the COM
pany, and other information, was on
hand, but, on advice of counsel, refused
to give the names.
The first witness examined was Presi
dent Sherman, of the Stockyards COM
pany. His testimony gave an insight
into the extent of the business and the
business methods of the company. In
answer to question as 10 whether there
were any relations between the stock
yards at Omaha and Kansas City and
those at Chicago, he said there were
none.
THE SENATORS GIVE 1T UP.
At the afternoon meeting Chairman
Vest, in discussing the absence of Mr..
Armour. and other gentlemen, said he
was sorry these gentlemen had refused
to give their attendance, but although
they could compel attendance, they could
not compel unwilling witnesses to testify
to all they knew. 81 have here a tele-
which l have desired to personally ask
Mr.. Armour, but as he has refused to
appear 1 will read it anyway. 1t was
sent to me by a gentleman about whose
respectability there can be no question. I"
The message is as follows:
"FREELAND, Pa, December, 1885,
livestock. If he will not stop, make other
that we can get his trade.
(Signed) ARMOUR & Co."
The following was then unanimously
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
repeatedly refused to obey the same, it is
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.. Armour and asked for an
interview. Mr.. Armour made the follow
ing statement:
WHY THEY DID NOT APPEAR.
''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
notoriously on record as opposed to the
dressed beef business. He is the cham
pion and advocate of the st. <Louis
deserted cattle market and opposed to
Chicago. He has been friendly to all
hostile beef inspection bills that have
been introduced in the various State
Legislatures, and against Chicago
dressed beef. which, if passed, would
have destroyed this business. We are
perfectly willing to appear before an i'm
partial committee and give any informa.
ton pertaining to our business, which is
not of strictly private nature.
We have never exerted any influence to
depress the price Of cattle or increase the
price of dressed beef On the other hand.
it is we'll known fact that cattle are 81
per hundred higher than they would be
if it were not for the dressed beef indus
try; and we can get a great deal more
out of the bullock than the butcher or
man who kills in small quantities. We
have never had any association with
Swift, Hammond or Morris, directly or
indirectly, in the purchase OF cattle.
The telegram Mr.. Vest read this after
noon, for the sake of getting it on record,
was directed to our own agent, whom we
had perfect right toitell that he should
not kill cattle if he sold our dressed
beef, and it is entirely stripped of itl
force when the fact is understood thai
the man was our own representative"
A SUDDEN REslGNATION.