Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-05-12
lnye..lsa.icn q he P.sAerA

Very general interest haS Seeh IAS'
Tested In the government tnyssiisa'
ton now in progress Intro the mSss ,:
conducting business ny the large pack.
s-s located in chics I'd and elsewhere
! Much has been written upon the az
legged Illegal and Improper modes OF
business procedure connected with the
packiag industry: but il seems that 50
far no definite charge Of aay kind has
been sustained and no prof of Illegal
or iuequitah3e methods has been dis
closed 10 the public While wave OF
severe criticism eff this great indus
trial interest is TOW passing over the
country il might be well 10 remember
that the packers have had as yet no
opportunity 10 make specific denial
the many indefinite charges OF wrong
doing having never been formulated
so that a categorical answer could be
made .. ........
The recent report Of Commissioner
Garfield. which embodied the results
Of an Official investigation undertaken
hy the Department of Commerce and
Labor Of the United States, was 8 vim
6iea1ion o. the Western packers, but
this result having been unexpected at
.empts in many quarters to discredI It
were made.
In view OF the situation as II now
stands, however, attention may proper
IL be called 10 few facts that owing
TO popular clamor are now being ap-
pareutly overlooked. Fair treatment
in this country has heretofore been &C
corded 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 10 the COM
uerce OF the country may at this time
be briefly alluded to. Ii 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 benef:
to the farmer is gain to the entire
commerce OF the country. And con.
nectei with their continuous aggTes-
siye 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 pas.
twenty years. and leaving out corn,
the total of all other farm products
was far less in 1903 than in 1891. But
III lGjh4lS LOISS pI OGAtAS lASLS ~ a.
considerable gain during this period.
because 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 ths
manufacture Of packing house by-prod
ucts has added enormously TO the
value of all live stock raised III the
United States. The waste material o,
twenty years ago. then an expense &c
the packer. is now converted into ar
ticles Of great value, and. as an eco
lomic fact, this must correspOndingly
increase the value to the farmer OF
every head of cattle marketed at the
numerous stockyards Of the country
Let these facts be remembered while
now it is so popular to regard the
great packing industry as deserving OF
condemnation. 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
IL eXonerates the packers from the OBJ.
scure and indefinite charges that have
been for some time past made the sub.
ject of popular comment. - american
Homestead.