The leader., 1905-05-13


Very general interest has been
manifested in the government inyesti-
cation now in progress into the mode
of conducting business by the large
packers located in Chicago and else
where. Much has been written upon
the alleged illegal and improper modes
of business procedure connected with
the packing industry; but 1t seems
that SO far no definite charge Of any
kind has been sustained and no proof
of illegal or inequitable methods has
been disclosed to the public. While a
wave Of severe criticism of this great
industrial interest Is now passing over
the country, 1t might be well to re-
member that the packers have had as
yet no opportunity to make specific de-
NAL, the many indefinite charges of
wrong doing having never been formus
lated SO that a categorical answer
could be made.
The recent report of Commissioner
Garfield, which embodied the results
of an oficial investigation undertaken
by the department of commerce and
labor of the United States, was vim
dication of the western packers, but
this result having been unexpected, at
tempts in many quarters to discredit it
were made.
In view of the situation as it now
stands, however, attention may proper
ly be called to a few-facts that owing
to popular clamor are now being ap-
parently overlooked. Fair treatment
in this country has heretofore been ac-
cord I'd to all citizens whose affairs as
sumo prominence in the public eye and
some of the facts that bear upon the
relation of the packers to the COM
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 and
energy exercised by the packers in at
tanning commercial results by foreign
trade, the great development in the
manufacture of packing house by-prod.
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 oi
condemnation. At least it must be ad-
mitted that, SO far, there is no ade-
uuate 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
1y exonerates the packers from the OBJ
scure and. indefinite charges that have
been for some time past made the sub
ject of popular comment.