Bisbee daily review., 1904-02-21
FARMERS AND TRUSTS,
The Iowa Grange Demands Relief
 From the "Robber" Packers.

|
 That the prosecution of the meat
 trust by the president through his at. | torney general was all buncombe and
 has had no effect upon it's exto-tiors
 from the farmers or the consumers has
 long been evident. The price of meat
 is still far above what it should be,
 considering the price paid by the trust
 for live stock. While the butchers
 have reduced the price of meat some
 what from the highest point, the price
 of cattle and hogs has declined in vast | ly greater proportion. The Iowa grange | at its annual convention discussed the beef trust and its monopoly of both the wholesale and retail markets and the l collision between the trust and the
 railroads. President A. B. Judson of Hillsdale, addressing the meeting of the Iowa grangers. said:
 instead of supply and demand con trolling the market we have the meat combine and the packers trust. which have the credit of fixing the price of live stock every afternoon for the next day. thereby shutting off all competi. uon. decreasing the ability of the con- sumers to buy by keeping up the prices and crlppling the ability of the farmer to sell by forcing down the price of farm products.
 What will be the inevitable result Of this system of highway robbery i How long will the Iowa farmers sub init to this outrageous system of stand and deliver every time the demand comes from the packersT'
 The Iowa grangers and their brother farmers, those of them who are Re. publicans, have only themselves to thank Tor the exactions of the packers trust The bond between the Republic. an leaders and the trusts is patent to every one who cares to investigate. The legislation against the trusts by the Republican congress was not in- \ tended to suppress the trusts or stay their exactions.
 The demand by the people of the Unit. ed States that laws be passed to curb the trusts was too strong for even Republican congress to ignore. Some thing had to be done, and new but use less legislation was enacted. The Re publican leaders knew that the old an. thrust law was sufficient if enforced 10 bring the most powerful combine to time. It provides that menopolists can be fined and imprisoned One trust magnate in jail would soon bring the whole brood to their knees begging for pardon. President Roosevelt instead of enforcing the law begged the uues- ton by recommending congress to pass law compelling publicity of trust transactions as his panacea for trust ills.
 The Republican leaders in congress- a few leaders control all legislation-l jumped at the recommendation of the president and passed the law giving the new department of commerce and labor the same power to investigate trusts as the interstate commerce con- mission has to investigate railroads. There may be some merit in publicity, but so far no results have been ac- complished. and the doings of no trust have been exposed to the public gaze. The attorney general, under the stress of antitrust feeling. commenced pro- ceedings under the civil end of the old | law against the packers trust and pro 1 cured an injunction from the United i States court of Illinois ordering the | beef trust from combining to control | the market
 The worthlessness of this proceeding is apparent from the complaint of the Iowa grangers. The present attorney general was attorney for the Carnegie | Steel corporation and will without doubt be given trust employment when his term of office expires. That may account for his delicate manner of pro- :eeding against the illegal trusts and | combinations. But first and last the president is to blame in this matter. He appointed Mir. Knox and can re move him at pleasure. A hint from President Roosevelt would cause Mir. Knox to resign, and he could appoint in his place another attorney who real iy believes in preventing combinations from raising and lowering prices.