Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-02
A ROAST OF BEEF
Served Hot in the Senate by
Chef d'Cuisine Vest.
CHICAGO PACKERS DONE ToA TURN

A Report Which Has Been a-COmins for
Two Years Is at Hand-7he House
Amends and Passes the Antitrust Bill,
and \ Committee Agrees to Report .
Comprehensive Eight-HoGr Law-Ap-
pointments of Postnasters-
WASHINGTON CITY, May 2-Vest, chair
man Of the select committee appointed
May H. 1855, to investigate the Transports
ton Of beef products. presented 10 the sen
ate yesterday his long delayed report II
Is extremely voluminous, and complains
that there was decided Discrimination OF
witnesses to say anything that would in
iure the dressed beef interests of Chicago,
for fear, the committee thinks, Of boycot
ting. a few enterprising men at Chicago,
with unlimited capital, now control the
whole dressed beef business @. che coun-
try.
Beginning of the Combinatien-
The Chicago combine began with the
-evensr7 combination in 1873, which was
made between the three trunk lines between
Chicago and New York-the Pennsylvania
Central, New York Central. and Erie-who,
by agreement, charged Sis for each car
load Of cattle shipped from Chicago to New
York, and allowed certain shippers in Chi
cagO, known a. -eveners- sl5 OF this amount
on each carload The result of this, says
the committee, was TO destroy the st. Louis
cattle market aud 10 concentrate the trade
at Chicago, where il has since remained In
ISIS the dressed beef business first assumed
an important character, and, through its
antagonism. the -evenerT combination
ceased 10 exist
Practically Trust.
The committee say that whatever the EVIL
ienoe may show as TO the existence of q
close combination between the four ressed
beef firms at Chicago. called popularity
The Big Four there i practically COM
bination not 10 bid against each other.
either for purchase or sale, II was impos
sible 70 get witnesses at Chicago to testify
openly as TO the facts, but in private. EN-
ployes Of the packing houses told members
of the committee that there was no doubt
a continuation existed between rhe Big
Four no; to compete against each other
When put on the stand a. witnesses they
shuffied and prevaTicsted TO such degree
a., in many case, TO excite commisera-
ton.
Modified Contradiction of Armour.
In investigating the branch Of the sub
ject a. to whether beef cattle had been de-
creased IN price while BEEF had not been
made cheaper. the committee examined
Phil Armour. He testified that no such
agreement existed. and while the commit
tee does not wish to contradict his state
ment, fl Il convinced that even without
agreement among the principals, their
agents have brought about all the possible
q
whelming weight Of testimony Of witnesses
Of the highest CHARACTERS 10 the effect
that cattle-owners going with their cattle
10 the Chicago and Kansas City markets
find no com petition among buyers IL Is
also human nature tina, it should be so,
and besides men who are known 70 have
combined in one thing for their own ben
eft will combine in another They ars
known TO have combined in bidding for
sale Of beef 10 the government, in forcing
butchers IN western cities 10 buy their
beef, and in refusing 10 testify before thu
committee
Been No over Production.
Armour i quoted a. saying that over
production was the cause Of the low price
Of beef cattle, bat the committee
quot - the agricultural department,
to prove there has instead, 50 far as
comparison with population goes been an
under production Moreover, il Is known
that the prices Of choice parts OF the beef
have remained almost constant for man Y
year, which would not have been the case
had overproduction existed The fact. the
committee SAYS, i that the railways, by
discriminating against the shipment Of
cattle TO any other place than Chicago. bv
establishing stock yards there. at which
the charge, for feeding. etc. are eNorbitant
on cattle IN transit, and by the general use
OF their tremendous power. have brought
about, to a large extent, the state OF az
fairs complained Of
Conclusions and Recon- m ? nd atioRs
In conclusion the committee saws that
il Is impossible that Chicago should con-
tinue TO control the market The rapid
development OF the country. the movement
west Of the center q population. and other
influences are working surely TO relief in
this direction They recommend the
prompt passage 81 measures they hsve re-
ported 70 the senate, for negotiations with
England for the removal Of the strict quar-
antine regulations Of that country. a IA
tional inspection law. law prohibiting
the monopoly il advance OF shipment Of
the storage capacity Of the steamships car
rying cattle to Europe, and the prohibi-
ton Of the practice OF railways by which
they refuse to pay mileage to improved
cattle cars carrying live cattle from Chi
cago to the east,