Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1904-10-27

| Oely tHn law ana DulluOZe OF OlHeF-
wise control those whose duty it is to
| enforce the law against them. 1t is
| not my purpose to analyZe and set
out the acts and transactions of all
| the yarlo BUS trusts that now exist, but
select one that more directly inter
! tion OF oar country. namely, the beef
trust. will. however. suggest that
\ all who desire to investigate for
themselves will find essentially the
same conditions that now prevail in
this one. 1t is fact generally
i known that four concerns control the
entire meat product of the United
| slaughtered in all the great market
centers OF the country and by form
| ing combination to destroy compe-
l tition place the shipper at their mer-
! cy the moment he enters the market
|! place. 1t is frequently alleged, and
\ generally believed by shippers Of live
stock, that the price is arbitrarily
| fixed by the buyers on the market
and that they have an arrangement
| whereby they refuse to bid against
each other, thus destroying competi-
| ticn. 1t is also known that with the
\ price OF the live stock remaining the
same. or declining. the packers have
again and again advanced the price OF
| dressed meats while their cold stor
age plants were filled to overfowing.
| thus inflicting upon the great mass
| of meat consumers wrong and injury.
In the month of February. 1904, while
| there was no perceptible change in
| the price of live stock, those in con-
| troll of the dressed meat market adj
vanccd the price of their meats about
2 per cent, thereby increasing their
profits about 100000 per day, and
| while the consumers have this in
creased price to pay the meat pro-
ducer received not one penny of bcne-
fit. In the year 1903 there were
| shipped to- the Chicago market about
three and one-half million of cattle
ard by reason of the pooling of the
| transportation lines and the meat
| packers and the general poor service
| OF the railroads there was caused
| loss to the producer and shipper OF
at least $500 per head on all these
cattle. aggregating the colossal sum
| OF from fifteen to twenty million dol
lars. aud all other kinds of stock suf-
value All other markets are left
out of this conservative estimate. At
| this rate how long will it take to an
initiate this industry? Is it not time
| that something should be done to Sc
cure to tho meat producers and ship
| pcrs their rights and a fair share Of
| the profits? Prior to the year 1903
stock trains west of Chicago were run
from points on their lines in from
twenty to twenty-four hours. During
the year 1903 there was consumed
from tlirtysix to forty-four hours to
run trains to Chicago from the same
I points on the same general average
This delay caused great shrinkage in
| the animals, thereby resulting in Il
heavy loss to the shipper. This item
of loss alone became so burdensomc
that an effort was made in our last
state legislature to remedy this evil
| by the measure known as the De-
lano bill. Immediately upon the in
PRODUCTION of this bill there appeared
before the legislature the most pow
erful lobby ever known in the history
| of our state, sent there by the trans
portaton lines to defeat the measure.
| Farmers. stock raisers and shippers
from all over the state went there in
| such numbers as was never known be-
fore to rescue the bill from defeat.
The battle royal was on, arms were
measured. The lobby prevailed. The
bill went down IN spite of their efforts
and the answering support of its au
| thor, who is as able a champion OF
the rights of the people as has ever
entered our legislative halls. The
writer of this letter was there and we
were met with the argument. vehem-
emily made by the railroad lobbyists.
that the measure If passed would lie
unconstitutional and in violation of
the interstate commerce law. III this
is true where shall we look for re-
lief for the people ii not to our Ma
tional congress? Not only are the
facts as stated about this meat pack
ing industry true, but they virtually
control all transportation lines lead
ing to the market centers. They own
and control Is per cent of all the re-
frigerator cars and large part of the
common stock cars and receive from
the transportation companies from 3-4
| to / cent mile for eyery mile these
cars are hauled, either loaded or
empty, as rental, which is an indirect
rebate in violation of law. Within
the last fourteen years they have re-
ceived more than twenty million dol.
lars from this source. Many other
unjust determinations are made
against the ordinary shipper, such as
giving the right of way to trains OF
refrigerator cars loaded with the
dressed meats OF the packers. Pref
erence is given to their trains loaded
with live stock and all their trains
are run on much faster time. BY
reason of these rebates, delays and
determinations the ordinary shippers
are shut out of all the markets east
of Chicago and left to the mercy Of
the combinations against them. These
facts, being but few OF like kind.
are taken from the last annual re-
port of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and in each of these annual
reports for the past fourteen years
the Commission has been calling the