The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-01-28
government EXPECTS
To END BEEF TRUST
Methods Of Combine Indicted
by Commissioner Garfield
Of Corporations.
Trust Faces Crisis That May
Mean Its Destruction Dr.
spite Secret Plans.

washington, ID. c., Jan. Z6.-Ihe ad-
ministration inquiry into the opera
tons Of the beef trust. inaugurated
several weeks ago by James r. Gar
field. commissioner Of corporations, has
come to an end. Unless the present
program Is changed the report Of Com
missioner Garfield will soon be submit
ted to President Roosevelt 1t is stat
ed on excellent authority that the COM
plant made in the Martin resolution,
that the packers have operated in re-
straint of trade. has been fully veri-
fed, but doubt is expressed as to
of evidence. Commissioner Garfield
has concluded the work Of inquiry, and
will file his report with the President,
who will, in turn, communicate it to
the House. The information it con-
tains will also be handed over to At
torney General Moody, who will have
charge Of any further proceedings that
may be undertaken by the administra-
ton In this connection. 1t is up to the
Attorney General to determine wheth-
er or not it is possible to secure evil
dence such as is necessary to prosecute
the combine of beef packers.
Two Actions Pending.
The action now pending in the Unit
ed States Supreme Court should not be
confused with the Garfield beef inqui-
ry. 1t is the result of the appeal Of the
packers to dissolve the injunction re-
turned against them by Judge Grosscup
sitting in the Federal Court at Chicago.
Commissioner Garfield has discovered,
according to all that can be learned,
that the beef trust is the most elusive
combine in existence.
1t operates without written agree
ments, but that it does control the
price Of dressed beef and control the
price of beef on the hoof through a.
not be located, is the information col
lected by the agents Of the department.
Ranchmen Mt'de 6ankrupts.
The Martin resolution, under which
Commissioner Garfield operated, states
that since July 1, 1908, there has been a
wide margin between the price of live
beef and the price Of dressed beef, the
former declining to such a figure that
many cattlemen had been driven to
disparity was caused, in whole or in
part. by any combination in restraint
of trade; whether margins could be
accounted for by natural causes, or
whether it resulted from artificial influ-
ences in restraint of trade. All these
charges, furthermore. have been an
swered in the affirmative. according to
VIC AAlAOl "dIAOu kIaL lids 1Sdhcu OuI u
the bureau Of corporations Commits
sioner Garfield has done his work well,
1t is said, but why he delays making
his report to the President is known
only by himself and the executive.
GarfieId's Determined Course.
It is understood that the commission
er was asked to withhold his report
until the case in the Supreme Court
was argued and g. decision reached,
but this cannot be verified. There is
another report that the commissioner
has made every effort to get infornaa-
ton that can be used as evidence in
the courts. While satisfied that
charges against the combine are true,
1t is another question to make them
stand the test Of judicial process, and
present indications are that the COM
missioner of corporations may be
called to close his report without in
Guiding in it positive evidence Of a
violation Of the federal injunction, such
as was alleged in the Martin resolu-
ton, and in this event General Moody
may be compelled to take up the work
where Commissioner Garfield left oft.