The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-01-20
BY NATIONAL LIVE STOCK AS
ISOLATION.
HOLT HOLDS HIGH OFFICE
Last Day Of Session Devoted to Pass
ing Observation-Disclosures Next
Meeting Place.

Kansas City, Jan. 16.-The sixth an
nual convention of the National Live
stock association finished it's labors
here today. The work of the last ses-
sion consisted in passing upon reso-
lutions favorably recommended by
the executive committee, in the de-
livery and discussion of several ad-
dresses of interest, in the naming of
a convention city and confirming the
old officers for the ensuing year, all
of whom had been recommended for
reelection.
The officers Endorsed are: John w.
Springer Of Denver, president; John
M. Holt of Miles City, Mont, first
vice president; F. ]. Hazenbarth Of
Salt Lake City, second vice president;
George L. Goulding Denver, treasur-
er; Charles E. Marten, Denver, secre-
tary; Fred p. Johnson, Denver, as
sistant secretary.
The counsel, who last year we're
Judge William M. Springer of Wash
ington, D. c., and Hon. Ralph Talbot
of Denver, will also be named by the
convention. The fight for the 1904
convention was taken up the last
thing in the afternoon. Although
there were half a dozen cities in the
race for the. honor, Portland, Ore,
seemed to be far in the lead, and
the delegation from that state were
confident of winning out. The dele
gates of the American Foal Breeders
association held a caucus and unani-
mously Endorsed Portland and other
agencies were actively at work for
the coast city.
Address by Springer.
The addresse@o on the morning pro
gram included n by Hon. William
M. Springer on 1.-The Proposed Merg-
ing of the Packing Plants of This
Country; the Effects and Remedy"
one by Captain Britton Davis, Chi
hauahua, Mexica, on "The Livestock
Industry in the Republic of Mexico
and It's Relations to the United
States;" and a third by Professor G.
F. Curtiss of Iowa, On THE Bene-
fits Derived from Experimental Sta
tons"
Judge Springer's address which
was we'll received, led to considerable
discussion.
Mr.. Springer detailed at length the
proceedings in equity begun by At
torney General Knox in Chicago last
May against the so-called 'beef
trust" and declared that if members
had information that the defendants
had violated the temporary injunc'
ton granted by the federal court, such
information should be furnished at
once to the attorney general of the
United States.
Mr.. Springer analysed the plead
ings made by the defendants in sup.
port of their demurrer to the attort
ney generals bill and declared the
defendants contention, that no re.
straint of interstate commerce had
been shown, and that the arrangement
complained of, which only touched
the live stock at the point of pur
chase and meats at the point of sale
was unsound.
Prevented Monster Merger.
Mr.. Springer continued: THE pend
ing suit in Chicago has had the eff
feet so far to prevent the organiza
ton by the defendants of a great
merger corporation, capitalized al
several hundred millions of dollars
for the purpose of uniting all the
packing plants in this country into
one organization, to be managed and
controlled by M board of trustees
The raisers of livestock in this coun.
try would, if such a merger corpora
ton were formed, be compelled to
sell all their products to n pur-
chaser and that purchaser would fix
the prices to be paid, and the places
at which they would purchase and
pay for the same. Gentlemen of this
convention, are you ready and will
ing to- subject all your interests to
such a condition? If not, you owe it
to yourselves to aid the government
Of the United States in all it's efforts
to prevent the formation of such q
merger corporation"
Mr.. Springer quoted approvingly
President Roosevelt's speech in In
dian last September in which the
president said: I'VE do not wish to