Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-02
ON ARMOUR.
The Dressed Beef Combine Receives a
Roast in the Senate.
RAILROADS LARGELY TO BLAME.
Rank Discrimination in Favor of the Re-
frigerator Cars.
THREE REMEDIES ARE NOW PROPOSED

WASHINGTON, May LIN the Senate
to-day Mr.. Vest, from the Select Committee
on Meat Products, made a report and ac-
companied it with an explanation.
He said that the committee had investi-
gated the subject very fully, and had now
reported four measures for the consideration
of the Senate. The first was concurrent
resolution asking the President of the
United States to inaugurate diplomatic cor
respondence with the authorities of Great
Britain, to bring about repeal or modifca-
tion of the existing quarantine regulations
of the United Kingdom.
The next measure was one providing for
national inspection law and requiring that
all live cattle shall be inspected when eI-
ported, and also cattle intended for exporta-
tion, or the meat ofwhich is intended for ex-
portation, shall be subject to inspection at
the places where killed. The next measure
was intended TO prohibit the monopoly now
prgeticed as to the storage capacity of steam-
ships carrying cattle to foreign countries.
The evidence had showed very conclusiyely
that, in the port of New York, the practice
had obtained among the steamship compa-
ing no American lines) of leasing or con-
tracing sometimes a single vessel, sometimes
all the vessels of a line for number OF
months in advance to one person.
NO SHOW FOR OUTSIDERS.
The result was that the shipper who was
not the favored contractor had no oppor-
tunity of putting his cattle in the foreign
market at all. The agents of the steamship
lines had appeared before the committee,
had frankly avowed that they did not pur-
pose to divide the stowage capacity OF any
vessel between two or more shippers and had |
given as a reason for it Ga reason not salts |
factory TO the committee) that when they |
had divided up their stock capacity between |
two or more persons it resulted in difficult |
ties and sguabbles between the employees of |
the cattle owners and the annoyance and in
convenience of the officers of the vessel
Another of the bills reported was one in
tended to prevent the discrimination which /
now existed on all the railroads belonging |
TO the Trunk Lines Association (and that en-
braced all the roads running from Chicago |
East) under which no mileage is given TO
any of the improved cattle ears carrying |
live cattle from the West to the East. The |
evidence showed that on the lines West of
Chicago belonging to the Central Traffic
Association mileage o. l u cents mile was
=
unimproved, that belonged to private indi-
viduals Between railroad companies a
custom had obtained and was generally OBJ
served by which a company using the cars
of another corporation paid a mileage of
three-quarters of cent each way for the use
of the ears.
DRESSED BEEF FAVORED.
The evidence showed that on the lines
east OF Chicago the refrigerator cars in
which dressed beef (dead meat) was con-
Eeyed received a mileage of three-quarters
OF cent each way, although they were
hauled back empty, but cars in which the
live cattle were transported on the same
roads received no mileage at all since June,
1883, by resolution OF the TrunkL ines
Association. The judgment OF the committee
was that was an unjust discrimination
against live cattle, and the committee had
reported bill amending the Interstate act
so as to prohibit that abuse. Those bills,
he said, were submitted with the
report. He called the attention OF the
committees on each side of the chamber
which had control o: the order of business
OF the Senate to the importance of those
measures to the cattle interest of the United
States, which was now in a very depressed
condition. The select committee was power
less to bring about an early consideration of
those bills. The matter was entirely under
the control of these two committees and of
the Senate eventually, and he asked in the
name of the cattle raisers of the country that
the bills be taken up and considered at an
early day.
Mr.. Platt said that he regarded the SUBJ
Ject as one of great importance, and which
ought to be considered by the Senate at an
early day. He assured the Senator from
missouri that so far as he was concerned, |
q md L., L /
has side Of the chamber, he would do bis
best in that direction.
Mr.. Cullom, Chairman of the Committee
on Interstate Commerce, recognized the i'm
portance of the measures reported and de-
clared himself anxious to secure their early
A UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT.
The report OF the special committee of the {
Senate appointed in May, 1883, on the trans
portation and sale OF meat products was
TO the Senate to-day bv the Chair
man, Mr.. Vest 1t is a long document, ac-
by copy OF testimony taken by
the committee in prosecuting its inquiries al
ST. Lcuis, Chicago and New York, and is
signed by all the members OF the committee,
Messrs. Vest, Coke, Plumb, Manderson and
Farweli. The several legislative measures
proposed by the committee to remedy the
evils of the traffic are set forth in Mr.. Vests
above.
The committee says that when the ex-
animation of witnesses began in st. Louis it
vas evident that conflicting influences were
1t work. Especially industrious efforts
we're being made to prevent the inquiries of
he committee affecting injuriouSiy the
dressed beef interest of Chicago. There was
10 diversity of opinion among the witnesses
is to prices, and as to the fact that methods
II selling beef cattle had been entirely revo-
utionlzed in the past ten years. The revo-
ution took the form of the concentration of
markets for cattle at few points, with the
market at Chicago. The COM
nittee says this is due principally to the
act that a few enterprising men at Chicago |
ire able, through their enormous capital, to |
ontrol business at that point.
PRACTICAL MONOPOLY.
The dressed beef and canning business is I
practically in the hands of few persons, c
nd so affected as to diminish the pay of the
lroducer without lessening the cost of the !
neat to consumers. The committee quotes {
statement from Mr.. Armour's testimony {
hat beef cattle had increased mole rapidly
han population during the last five years, {
which, he argued, made the price OF beef
attic partly due to over production. The
ombination controls the market and fixes
be price of beef cattle in its own interest.
The railroad trunk lines saws the commit
ee, control the entire meat traffic of the
ountry Comparing railroad charges on a
ar of wheat and car of dressed beef, shows
discrimination in favor of dressed beef of G
bout go per cent. As to the remedies to re- |
eve the situation the committee says that I
congress, in bill recently passed by the /
enate on the subject of trusts, has gone as g
noUpr pytandS State eoiS finn | .