The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-05-12

Very general interest has been
nantfested In the government luvestI-
gatHtr now In progress Into tho mode
Of 0nducting business by the largo
pacKers located In Chicago and else.
whese. Much has been written upon
the nleged Illegal and improper modes
Of hysIness procedure connected with
the backing Industry: but Il seems
thaesso far no definite charge Of any
KING has been sustained and no proof
Of Illegal or ineQuitable methods has
been disclosed 10 the public. While q
wav9 OF severe criticism Of this gress
Industrial interest 10 now passlLG over
the country. II might be well to re-
member that the packers have had AZ
yet NJ opportunity to mako specific de.
Mali the many indefinite charges OF
wroHg.doing having never been formu-
lated no that . categorical answer
coufd be made.
The recent report Of Commissioner
Oar0eld, which embodied the results
Of = ofncial investigation undertaken
by tho department Of commerce and
labor Of the United States, was q vim.
dicasjon OF the western packers. but
this result having been unexpected, at.
tempis In many quarters to discredit II
we're made.
Ins view Of the situation a. II now
starHds. however. attention may roper.
ly b. called to n few facts that owing
TO Popular clamor arc now being ap.
par<hIly overlooked. Fair treatment
In I'm country has heretofore been &C.
cordhf Ia nil citizens whose affairs "a.
sunni prominence In the public eye and
somv OF the facts that bear upon the
relaD on Of the packers to the CON-
mcrS OF the country may at this time
be 9yleny alluded to. II would be
dlmeilt to estimate the benefits gained
by tc farmers Of the country result
Ing krpm the energetic enterprise OF
the Hackers. for whatever Ia OF benefit
10 ~ farmer Is a gain to the entire
comepercc Of the country. And con.
nocted with their continuous aggrts.
ycskork no feature perhaps has been
mort important than their Efforts In
sections outlets all over tho world for
the 6airplus products Of the farmer.
Our P,al exports Of agricultural prod.
ucts0 ave gained but little In the past
tws0y years, and leaving out corn. the
to,alfof all other farm products was
Tar lss In 1909 than In 1891. But In
pacH0sx house products there was con-
sidcoeblc gain during this period. be-
cau96 nm organized and powerful force
has ypcen behind them seeking new
and Broader markets.
D/idcs tho benefits rcapcd By farm
- account OF the enterprise and
exercised by the packers In at.
commercial results by foreign
trado. tho great development In the
man yacture Of packing house by-prod.
added enormously TO tho
valdy OF all live stock raised In the
States. The vast material Of
ycars ago. then an expense to
The 8Aekcr. Is now converted Into mr..
licley .of great value. and, as an sco-
noutp fact. this must correspondlngiy
lncr pc the value to tho farmer Of
rveIy head Of cattle marketed at the
nuns rous stock yards Of the country.
Lot thcsc facts be remembered while
now " y 70 popular to regard tho
great packing industry M deserving OF
,or1fJYRai!on. Al least II must be ad-
that. so far. there Is no ade-
luatc reason for the almost unanl-
nous howl that may be heard every
where In the face OF the Garfield re-
port abovs alluded TO. which practical
y cxonerstss the packers from the OBJ
and Indefinite charges tina, have
for some time past made the sub
Get Of popular comment.