The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-02
IN ROOSEVELT'S HANDS
Commissioner Garfield Files Report on
the Beef Trust

Washington, March flames r.
Garfield, commissioner of corpora
tons, has completed the report of his
inyes tigation of the operations of beef
trust and the report has been submit
ted to President Roosevelt. The re-
port will be sent to congress on Fri
day. The report is voluminous and
will make some interesting reading for
the people who raise cattle and get
too little for their stock and for the
vastly larger number of househoIders
who are compelled to yield up a good
~ share of their incomes for steaks
and roaSts.
The contents of the report are
still carefully guarded. but it is under
stood that. Commissioner Garfield pre-
sents the facts which demonstrate be-
yond peradVenture that the packers,
or some of them, are still engaged in
bearing the cost of live stock and in
bulling the prices of dressed meat.
The report shows in great detail the
meth DDS pursued by the packers in
sitting competition at both ends of
the line-flrst in the purchase of stock
and next in the selling of meat. So
far as can be learned, no specific VIC
lations of the sherman law, subse-
quent to the issuance of the Injunction
of the federal court, are pointed out
by name and place. 1t is supposed all
evidence of a criminal character has
been taken out of the. report and
turned over to the departm emit of JUS
tice for use before the grand jury at
Chicago.
Commissioner Garfield shows that
rebates were paid to packers by many
railroads, but all these payments were
made prior to the injunction.
1t is said by officials of the depart
ment of justice that some of the big
deavored to obey the law and the or
ders of the court since Judge Gross |
cups injunction appeared. J. Ogden
Armour, for instance, is said to be one
raf 4 fr7a RI nofl
the law and the injunction. Accord !
ing to these reports. Mr.. Armour at
once called in all the heads of depart |
ments in his business and told them |
they must respect the law. He de- |
ciared he would punish any man |
found guilty of violation of the statute |
Mr. Armour impressed upon his en- |
ployes that he was in earnest, and |
that even if the firm lost money /
through failure to meet the practices
of their competitors, he would have no /
continuation of the old methods He
told his men that as an individual, he |
hoped he was a law abiding citizen,
and that, as a business man and the
head of a great firm, he did not pro-
pose to be a law breaker Omcers OF
the government believe Mr.. Armour
has scrupulously endeavored to live up
to his good resolution, and they do not
expect to catch him or his firm in
their grand jury net.
1t is, of course, possible that some
one or two of Armour's employees
have violated the law in some minor
degree The Armour firm employs
more than 10000 men, and it is not
easy even with vigilance. to control
the action of all of them. But the
officials who have been
working on the beef case do not De-
lieve Mr.. Armour has knowingly per-
mitted any violation of law by his
people since the injunction was issued.
Others of the large packing firms are
said to be in the same situation as the
On the other hand, some
of the smaller houses are said to have
been caught red handed in violation of
the Sherman law +
Will Ignore Order.
Chicago, March Executive Of
6cials of the western railroads have
decided to ignore the order of the in
terstate commerce commission requir-
ing them to charge no higher rates for
live stock than are charged for the
transportation of live stock products
BY the advice of the attorneys for the
different roads the matter will be
tested in the courts. as the railroads
are agreed that it will be impossible to
either lower live stock rates or to in
crease the rates on live stock prod
ucts. reduction on the live stock
rates in compliance with the decision
Of the commission would mean re-
duction of 8 z cents and maximum /
Of about cents per hundred pounds. I
and would affect fully 40 per cent of
all the live stock traffic west OF Chl-
eago. The railroads estimate that s
with the order of the COM !
mission would mean an annual ag-
zregate loss to the railroads of about
100000. {