St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-02
RULED BY A CLIQUE.
Four Firms Control the Cat
tie Markets Of This Great
Country.
Prices Fixed by Dressed Beef
Barons to Suit Their In
r tereStS.
With One Negative Vote the
Antitrust Bill Passes
the House.
Uncle Sam Reduces His Bond
? ed Indebtedness by Over
Seven Millions.


portaton and sale of meat products was
presented to the senate to-day by the
chairman, Mr.. Vest. 1t is long dOcu-
ment accompanied by copy of the tes-
timony taken by the committee in pros
ecuting its inquiries at st. Louis, Chi
cago and New York, and IS signed by
all the members of the. committee
Messrs. Vest. Coke, Plumb. Henderson
and Farwell. The several legislative
measures proposed by the commit
tee to remedy the evils of the
traffic are SET forth in Mr..
Vests statement in the report of the
senate proceedings. The committee
says that when the examination ofaWit-
nesses began in st. Louis it was evident
that conflicting influences we're at work,
especially in the international Cattle
Range association. and that industrious
efforts were being made to prevent the
inquiries of the committee affecting in
juriously the dressed beef interest of
Chicago. There was no diversity of
opinion among the witnesses as to the
prices and as to the fact that the methods
of selling beef cattle had been entirely
reyalutionized in the past ten years.
The revolution took thekform of concen-
tration of the market for cattle at few
Chicago. This change, the committee
says, is due principally to the fact that
few enterprising men at Chicago a re
able, through their enormous capital, to
Centralize and Control
the business at that point. The dressed
beef and canning business is practically
in the hands of four establishments in
Chicago-Armour 81 Co., Swift & Co.,
Felson Morris d Co. and Hammond 81
Co. Whatever difference of opinion is
expressed as to the existence OF a COM
binati0n between these firms not to bid
against each other in the purchase of
cattle, there was no hesitation on the
part of witnesses, even when obviously
prejndiced in favor of the packers. in
stating that the control of the market
was absolutely in the grasp Of these
four houses, if they chose to exercise it.
AS result of the influence Of these
houses, the committee noticed re-
luctance on the part of cattle
raSerS and commission men to
testify to facts or opinions which
might prejudice them in future transac-
tons. The principal inquiry which
the committee was directed to make
was as to the existence of combination
'.by which the prices of beef and beef
cattle have been so controlled and eff
fected as to diminish the prices paid TO
the producer without leSSening the cost
of meat to the consumers" The facts
developed. some of which are detail ed
in the report, the committee thinks,
prove overwhelmingly a combination
such as is described i'll the clause of the
resolution quoted above. The commit
tee quotes statement from Mir.
Arlnours testimony that beef cattle
had increased more rapidly than,
population during the last five years,
from which he argned that the low
prices of beef cattle are partly due to
Oyer-produetion. This argument, the
committee states. is not warranted by
the facts. aud the committee has no
hesitation in stating that combination
exists at Chicago which controls the
market and fixes the price of beef cattle
in its own interest. The railroad trunk
line, says the committee, controls the
entire meat traffic of the country in the
interests of the railroad companies.
Comparing the railroad charges on a car
of wheat and a car of dressed beef the
committee shows Discrimination i'll
favor of dressed beef or about 60 per
cent. As to the remedies to
Relieve the Situation
the committee says that congress, in the
bill recently passed by the senate on the
subjects of trusts, has gone so far as its
power extends State legislation must
supplement that by congress to punish
combines operating within state lines,
and active, intelligent officials must be
found to enforce the laws enacted. IF
the federal and state authorities shall
fbuu ot in IF 10
lation as to unjust discrimination by
railroads in transporting cattle. the re-
moval of quarantine restrictions as to
American cattle shipped to Great Brit
ain, and the breaking up the monopoly
in the steamship carrying trade OF
cattle to foreign ports, be en-
acted, we have great confidence
in obtaining relief from existing
evils" In conclusion the committee
says: ''1f the cattle raisers OF the
United States are only true to them |
selves the immediate future promises
deliverance from the present evils. |
There is no excuse for panic. The !
worst feature of the cattle trade is the |
fact that SO many COWS and calves are |
being thrown upon the market, the in |
dlcation being that producer are panic |
stricken, and anxious to realize now, |
without regard to the future. There |
were marketed at Chicago during the
past year :, 023, 2Sl cattle, of which from
25 to 80 per cent were COWS. and |
per cent were calves. The cattle |
raisers of the United States should be
and are, the most competent judges as
to their own interest. but if they will |
accept suggestion from those whose |
duty it has been for months to examine |
the cattle question in all its aspect, they |
will cease marketing their breeding and |
immature stock and diligently prepare
for a larger supply and a brighter |
future. 1t is only question OF time, |
and very brief time, when the problem |
will be that of supplying our own people
with beef without regard to foreign |
markets"