Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-05-15
Investigation of the Packers.


Very general interest has been mani
tested in the government investigation
now in progress into the mode of con-
Quoting business by the large packers
located in Chicago and elsewhere.
Much has been written upon the al
legged illegal and improper modes OF
business procedure connected with the
packing industry; but it seems that so
far no definite charge Of any kind has
been sustained and no proof of illegal
or inequitabIe methods has been dis
closed to the public. While wave of
severe criticism of this great industrial
interest is now passing over the coun-
try it might be well to remember that
the packers have had as yet no oppor-
tunfty to make specific denial, the
many indefinite charges Of wrong-do-
ing having never been formulated SO
that categorical answer could be
made.
The recent report of Commissioner
Garfield, which embodied the results
of an official investigation undertaken
by the Department of Commerce and
Labor OF the United States, was a vim
dication of the Western packers, but
this result having been unexpected at
tempts i'll many quarters to discredit it
were made.
In view of the situation as it now
stands, however, attention may proper
~ be called to few facts that owing
to popular clamor are now being ap-
parently overlooked. Fair treatment
in this country has heretofore been &C.
corded to all citizens whose affairs as
Nd
some Of the facts that bear upon the.
relation of the packers to the conn.,
merce of the country may at this time
be briefly alluded to. 1t would be
difficult to estimate the benefits gained
by the farmers of the country result
ing from the energetic enterprise of
the packers, for whatever is of benefit
to the farmer is a gain to the entire
commerce of the country. And con-
nected with their continuous aggres-
Sive work no feature perhaps has been
more important than their efforts in
seeking outlets all over the world for
the surplus products of the farmer.
Our total exports of agricultural prod
ucts have gained but little in the past
twenty years, and leaving out corn, the
total of all other farm products was
far less in 1903 than in 1891. But in
packing house products there was con-
siderable gain during this period, be-
cause an organized and powerful force
has been behind them seeking new
and broader markets.
Besides the benefits reaped by farm
ers on account of the enterprise ana
energy exercised by the packers in at
tanning commercial results by foreign
trade, the great development in the
manufacture of packing house by-pfod-
ucts has added enormously to the
value of all live stock raised in the
United States. The waste material Of
twenty years ago, then an expense to
the packer, is now converted into ar
ticles of great value and, as an eco
nomic fact, this must correspondingly
increase the value to the farmer of
every head of cattle marketed at the
numerous stock yards Of the country.
Let these facts be remembered while
now it is so popular to regard the
great packing industry as deserving Of
condemnat ton. At least it must be ad-
mitted that, so far, there is no ade-
quate reason for the almost unani-
nous howl that may be heard every
where in the face of the Garfield re-
port above alluded to which practical
~ exonerates the packers from the OBJ
scure and indefinite charges that have
been for some time past made the sub.
ject of popular comment.