La Junta tribune., 1905-05-13
Investigation Of the Paekers.

| Very general interest has been man.
/ ifested in the government inyestigAr
/ ton now In progress into the mode OF
conducting business by the large pack
srs 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 il seems that 50
I far no definite charge Of any kind has
I been sustained and no proof OF Illegal
/ or inequltable methods has been dis
closed to the public. While a wave OF
severe criticism OF this great indus
/ trial interest is now passing over the
/ country it might he well 10 remember
that the packers have had as yet no
/ opportunity to make specific denial.
the many Indefinite charges OF wrong
doing having never been formulated
SO that q 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 In many quarters TO discredit 1t
we're made.
stands. however. attention may prop
erly be called TO few facts
that owing to popular clamor are now
being apparently overlooked. Fair
treatment in this country has hereto
fore been accorded to all citizens
whose affairs assume prominence in
the public eye and some of the facts
that bear upon the relation OF the pack
eys to the commerce OF Ihe country
may at this time be briefly alluded TO.
IL would be difficult to estimate the
benefits gained by the farmers of the
country resulting 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 connected with their continuous
aggressive 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 agricul-
tural products have gained but little
in the past twenty years. and leaving
out corn, the total OF all other farm
products was far less in 1908 than in
1891. But In packing house products
there was considerable gain during this
period. because an organized and pow
erful force has been behind them seek
ing new and broader markets.
Besides the benefits reaped by farm
ers on account OF the enterprise and
energy exercised by the packers in at
tanning commercial results by foreign
trade. the great deyel pment in the
manufacture OF packing house by
products has added enormously to the
value OF all live stock raised in the
United States. The waste material OF
twenty years ago. thsn 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
how IL is so popular to regard the
great packing industry as deserving
of condemnation. At least II must be
admitted 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 practically
eNonerates the packers from the OBJ
scure and indefinite charges that have
been for some time past made the sub
tect of popular comment-American
Homestead.