Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-04
ASKS AID OF GROWERS
Cattlemen Called On for
Evidence.
BEEF TRUST QUERIES
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS IN CHI
cAao TALKED OF.
President May Be Called Upon by EN-
ployes to Mediate, but VIII
Hardly Do So.

''Have you any personal knowledge OF
any facts or circumstances which lead you
to believe that there Is an agreement or
arrangement between the large beef pack
ers to force down cattle prices or to re-
frain from competition?"
DO you know of any person who has
definite knowledge Of such facts; If so,
please give me his name and address?"
In pursuance Of his investigation Of the
alleged combination of the beef packers,
Commissioner of Corporations Garfield, who
had charge of the matter for the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor, has worked
hard to gather such data IS possible to
be used in the first place in the prosecution
Of the beef packers If a combination Is
found and in the second place to be used
for furnishing report to Congress on the
subject.
Mr.. Garfield returned to his desk this
morning after an absence of several weeks.
He has caused to be written and sent to
various cattle, hog and sheep growers
throughout the west and south personal
letter in which the questions outlined are
the significant ones. He asks that re-
ply be furnished him at as early date
as possible and he also asks numerous
questions about the cost of cattle to the
growers. What they cost originally. what
it costs to keep them, feed them and pre-
pare them for the market. what the freight
rates and handling amounts TO and what
the average profit, If any, amounts to on
the transaction, are among others Of the
questions asked.
1t is believed that Mr. Garfield is anxious
to get this information during the progress
of tn strike, that the prevalence of the
strike has urged the necessity for a more
rapid investigation of the conditions In
order that evidence can be obtained that
would tend to show whether or not the in
junction issued by Judge Grosscup of the
circuit court of the Chicago district Is being
violated.
In Touch With Situation.
While Mr.. Garfield has been absent from
Washington for several weeks this does not
mean that he has not been in close touch
with the investigation that has been con-
Quoted under his direction for some little
time. He has constantly received reports
from his inspectors in the field, but de-
clines to make public their findings until
the entire investigation is completed.
To reporter for The Star today Mr.. Car
field said he bad consistently declined to to
of the inquiries being made by him, and
that all published reports Of the results
of the investigation are mere matters OF
speculation, as his Office would not give
out the slightest bit of information until
the end of the investigation, and even then
the report would have to be passed upon
by the Department of Justice and SINH
|
with the resolution passed in the House
of Representatives at the last session.
However, the investigation goes merrily
on, and Commissioner Garfield is now
awaiting replies to his inquiries from the
cattle growers.
Information comes from Chicago today
that peace negotiations are under way be-
tween the strikers and their former en-
ployers with some little hope of success.
According to this same information it was
learned that should the negotiations fall
1t Is certainty that President Roosevelt
will be asked by the striking employees to
mediate between them and the packers
looking to the settlement Of the struggle.
This, it is said, the strikers will do in con-
sideratton Of what they claim to have been
the precedent set by the striking anthracite
coal miners who, through their representa-
tives, succeeded in getting the President to
take a hand in the settlement of the great
coal strike
Will Hardly Interfere.
1t is not believed by those In touch with
the President, however. that he will look
upon the position he took in the settlement
of the coal strike as a precedent, and 1t Is
hardly probable that he would consent to
act in his personal capacity an inter
mediary unless great pressure should be
| brought to bear and he should be convinced
| that his views in the matter are not in ac-
] cord with the actual conditions.
The outcome of the conciliatory negOtia-
tions now being conducted IN Chicago will
determine. however, whether or not the
President will be requested to lend hand
| OF course such help as he could give would
| be only in his personal capacity, as was
| the case in the coal strike. He could re-
| quest several gentlemen to act ar an arbi-
| tration board provided, of course, that both
| the strikers and the packers would unite
| in asking him to take such action and
should present a basis on which the ar
| bitratiOn should be conducted. This is as
| far as he could would go In the matter
| The strikers, stated. believe that the
| best thing to do is to ask the mediation OF
the President should the present negotta-
tions fail, but what about the packers? II
| Is hardly believed that urder the existing
| circumstances the President even in his
! personal capacity could approach the pack
| erS In the matter They are said to fee
sore under the influence of the injunction
| issued against the alleged combination by
| Judge Croscup.
Then. again, it is not denied that an in
| vestigation of all the acts of the alleged
combination Of meat men has been going
| on for some little time at the insti-
| cation of the President, the Attorney Gen
| eral the Department of Commerce and
Labor, and of Congress. Inspectors of the
| government are known to be making Sc
| cret Investigations of the works and deal
| ings of the packers. and the packers know
| that an effort is being made to learn Sc.
| crets that may mean their very existence
| in the business world. Under these condi-
tions 1t Is barely possible that the packers
| would have naught to do with any effort al
| settlement arranged by the President. Or
| the other hand, 1t Is realized by those close
| to the chief executive that the situation Ii
| a little too delicate for the President to
| enter into without much consideration OF
| the matter in all its phases.
| 1t Is believed that the settlement of the
but at the same time 1t is realized that the
President should take no chance of Rettfne