The Iola register., 1890-05-09
THE BEEF COMBINE.

4
WASHINGTON, May 2.-The report OF
the special committee Of the Senate ap.
pointed in May, 1888, on the Transports
ton and sale of meat products, was pre-
sented to the Senate yesterday by the
chairman, Mr.. Vest. 1t is q long docu.
ment, accompanied by copy Of the tes-
timony taken by the committee in prose
cutting its inquiries at st. Louis, Chica-
go and New York, and is signed by all
the members Of the committee, Messrs.
Vest, Coke. Plumb, Manderson and Far
well. The several legislative measures
proposed by the committee 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 of the witnesses began in
st. Louis 1t was evident that conflicting
influences were at work and especially
in the International Cattle Range Asso-
citation, and that Industrious efforts were
being made to prevent the inquiries of
the committee affecting injuriously the
dressed beef interests of Chicago.
There was nodiversity of opinion among
the witnesses as to the fact that the
methods of selling beef cattle had been
entirely revolutionized in the past ten
years. The revolution took the form OF
a concentration of the market for cattle
at few points, with the controlling
market at Chicago. This change, the
committee says, is due principally to
the fact that a few enterprising
| mon at Chicauo ora ,bla fbrourb fba;r
enormous capital to centralize and con-
troll the business at that point. The
dressed beef and canning business is
practically in the hands of four estab-
lishments in Chicago-Armour & Co.,
Swift & Co., Nelson, Morris & Co. and
| Hammond & Co. Whatever difference
of opinion was expressed as to the exist
| ence of a combination between these
firms not to bid against each other in
the purchase of cattle there was no hes
| itation on the part of witnesses, even
when obviously prejudiced 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 reluct-
ance on the part of cattle raisers and
commission men to testify to facts or
opinions which might prejudice them in
future transactions.
The principal inquiry which the COM
mittee was directed to make was as to
the existence of combination "by
reason of which the prices of beef and
beef cattle have been so controlled and
affected as to diminish the prices paid
the producer without lessening the cost
of meat to the consumer" The facts
developed, some of which are detailed
in the report, the committee thinks,
prove overwhelmingly combination
such as is described in the clause of the
resolution quoted above. -----.--s-
The committee quotes statement
from Mr.. Armour's testimony that beef
cattle had increased more rapidly than
population during the last five years,
from which he argued that the low
prices of beef cattle were partly due to
overproduction. This argument, the
committee states, is not warranted by
the facts and the committee has no hes
itation in stating that combination
exists at Chicago which controls the
market and fixes the prices of beef
cattle in it's own interest. 20 F- 6 Il
The railroad trunk lines, says the
committee, control the meat traffic of
the country in the interest of the rail-
road companies. Comparing the rail-
road charges on car of wheat and
car of dressed beef, the committee |
shows a discrimination in favor of |
dressed beef of about 60 per cent I
AS to the remedies to relieve the situa-
tion the committee, says that Congress,
in the bill recently passed by the SEN !
ate on the subject of trusts, has gone so
far as its power extends. State legisla-
ton must supplement that by Congress |
to punish combines operating within
State lines, and active, intelligent of
ficials must be found to enforce the laws
enacted. IF the Federal and State |
author ties" it continues, ''shal1 thus
act in concert and the other legislation
as to unjust discrimination by railroads
in transporting cattle, the removal of
quarantine restrictions as to American
cattle shipped to Great Britain, and the
breaking up of the monopoly in the
steamship carrying trade of cattle to
foreign ports be enacted, we have great
confidence in obtaining relief from ex-
listing evils"
In conclusion the committee says: "If
the cattle raisers of the United States
are only true to themselves the imme-
date future promises deliverance from
present influences. There is no excuse
for panic. The worst feature of the cat
tie trade is the fact that so many cows
and yeals are being thrown upon the
market, the indication being that pro-
ducers are panic-stricken and anxious to
realize now without regard to the
future. There were marketed at
Chicago during the past year $685.
PSI cattle, of which from 25 to so
per cent. were cows and 4 per cent.
were calves The cattle raisers of the
United States should be and are the
most competent judges as to their own
still if they will accept sug-
gestion from those whose duty it has
been for months to examine the cattle
question in all its aspects, they will
cease marketing their breeding and I'm
mature stock and diligently prepare for I
a larger supply and brighter future.
1t is only a 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"
Emin Claims Misrepresentation.
LONDON, May "A private letter from
Emin Pashs has been received at Cairo
giving his reasons for joining the Ger
man expedition with which he is now
to the interior of Africa
Though he gives variety of eYplaua-