The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-23
CLEO men AT WAR

Why They Are Not Fighting Bills
Before Congress.
ARE UNABLE TO GET TOGETHER
Anti-Trust Leagues Tilt with
Attorney General
From. The Journal Bureau. Room z5, Post
B"t1diag, Washington.
Washington, Jan. 23.--It has been
known from the beginning of this session
OF congress that the oleomargarine manu-
facturers have no representatives here to
combat the bills which are pending in
the house to put ten cent tax per pound
on their product The reason for this lack
OF representation is just now becoming
known Up to last May the large cleo
manufacturers had an agreement under
which they divided territory, kept out Of
each others way as much as possible,
and maintained prices. That agreement
expired last May, and it has been impos-
sible to renew it. The manufacturers
ever since May have been fighting among
themselves, and it is said on good au-
thority that their business has fallen off
heavily as a result. During the fall and
winter figures which are available for
three of the largest concerns in Chicago
show an average loss of about $4,000 per
month each. They are not represented
before congress because they cannot get
hn WAY w
a reasonable time some of the firms must
go to the wall
1t is not true that the big packers of
Chicago and Kansas City are also the
biggest makers of oleo. They make oleo,
it is true, but it is very small part of
their business. One oleo firm in Chicago
makes a third Of all that is made in the
country, and another makes a fifth. Fig
ures show that the packers, all told, make
less than a sixth They sell their products,
such as leaf lard ta1low ETC., to the oleo
manufacturers and it is at this point that
their interest comes in. But they are not
sufficiently interested to make it worth
while to maintain an expensive LOBBY De-
fore congress-; nor do they care espec-
cially what becomes Of the bills which
are now pending in the house committee
on agriculture. If their by-produots are
not sold to oleo makers they will be dis
posed Of in some other way. .....-
This lack of interest on the part of the
big cleo concerns argues favorably for the
final passage during this session of one
of the oleo bills now in congress.
There are professional lobbyists IN
Washington and some Of them claim to
represent the oleo manufacturers; but 1t
is said on good authority that there Is no
direct connection between them.
Antitrust Leagues Work.
1t remains to be seen whether the anti
trust league, actively represented in
Washington by H. B. Martin, once a
Minneapolis labor leader, can succeed in
bringing the attorney general OF the
United States to time by compelling him
publicly to announce his policy with re-
gard to the trusts. Since last september
the league has been after Mr.. Knox. 1t
has written him letters, and its omcers
have had personal interviews with him,
but all to no effect He refused to accede
to the demand that he go after the st eel
trust red handed, and when the league,
in his opinion, had overstepped the proper
limits of courtesy, he CURLY declined to
have anything further to do with it. Here
the matter stood when his name came be-
fore the senate for confirmation. Certain
democratic senator's, who were in the con-
fidence of the league, in executive session,
when the nomination was up for consid-
erat ion, threatened to oppose it, but were
brought into line by statements from the
republican side of the<ho in effect
promising that the attorney general would
give careful attention to trusts, and meet
the demands of the antitrust league so
far as the law would permit.
Now comes the letter to the att orney
general, written by the league this week
Monday, reminding him that two months
have passed since his statement that he
would have no objection to announcing to
the public what his trust policy would be.
The letter requested that the announce
ment be made at once. Should the at
torney general comply with it, that will
close the incident for the present-per-
haps; should he refuse, the democratic
senator's already referred to propose to
call on the republican senators who stood
as guarant ors for Mr.. Knox at the time of
his confirmation for an explanation.
Merely for Campaign Issue.
AS pointed out in these dispatches on
Monday, this program looks like shrewd
attempt to emphasize the trust as an is
sue in the succeeding political campaigns.
If the attorney general complies with the
request Of the antitrust league and
writes it a letter defining his policy re-
garding trusts, every democrat in the
United States will shout for joy. state
ment in that letter that he does not at
present see his way clear to proceed
perhaps the only statement that could
possibly be made, under the circumstances
will put the Roosevelt administration
inauspiciously on record at the beginning
Of the off year campaign; a statement
that he intends to proceed would be mis-
the making of all sorts of demands upon
him by men who are aiming at political
effect. 1t is simply another case of "be
id if you do, and be ID If you
DON'T
1t is very difficult for those who take an
unprejudiced view of the situation to ac
cept the statement that the antitrust
people are acting in entire good faith 1t
looks as if they are more anxious to put
the Roosevelt administ ration into a hole
than anything else. ... .o
The attempt to bring the Northern Sc
curities organization into prominence has
probably added nothing to the strength
of the antitrust position, for Mr.. Knox,
in long conference with the attorney
general Of Minnesota and associat coun-
sci recently, said that he would gladly
lend them any aid in his power If the
suit now sought to be brought in the SUI
preme court should fail Mr.. Knox spoke
very freely, and his whole demeanor was
that Of man who is anxious to cooper
ate to the fullest possible extent in any
logical and practical policy for trust regu-
lation. In fact, he said in so many words
that in his opinion the remedy of govern
ment supervision must sooner or later be
resorted to, and 1t was very clear to the
Minnesota gentlemen that this super
Vision was his solution Of the problem.
He may not feel called upon, however. to
deal as frankly with the antitrust people
as he did with the officials from Minneso-
ia, and so there is possibility that the
letter written him on Monday may fail
of its purpose, as did those which pre-