The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-10
Turns Down Upton Sinclair's
Request to Testify
CATTLE VALUES DECLINE
Committee VIII Take Up Beverage
Amendment Monday and 1t Is
Hoped an Early Report
Can Be Made

to Representative Garner of Texas, who
made a plea for speedy action.
Since this matter came up" he said,
1.-The people who had contracted to take
our Texas steers have become alarmed
and say they don't know whether or not
they are going to take our cattle and
the result is we are in a state of uncer-
tainty. want to suggest that the com
mlttee get through with the matter as
soon as possible. Every day this thing
is continued the stock men are losing
money"
rs not the packer entirely responsible
for this condition. asked Representative
Haughen of Iowa and continuing he
said: II believe he Is. Last week in my
office saw number of kilograms from
stock yards men to all banks In my sec
ton of the country asking them to tele-
graph Immediately all their members Of
Congress I believe they are responsible
for the agitation"
Representative Davis of Minnesota, read
telegram from the South St. Paul Live
Stock exchange and 1--we stock board
voicing unalterable opposition to having
the expense placed on packers because
1t would inevitably come out of the stock
raisers.
Mr.. Wilson. representing the packers,
corroborated this conclusion.
Talks for Cattle Raisers.
s.. H. Cowan of Fort Worth Tex, at
torney for the Cattle Raisers association
was next heard. He detailed the extent
of the Texas cattle industry. Mr.. Cowan
said while the raisers had their differ
ences with the packers and had not got
the best OF them yet in this question the
interest of the raisers and packers was
identical. If there was an additional ex-
pense some one would have to pay it,
and the man who can name the price of
the thing he sells, can put the additional
expense where he pleases. The stock men
believe the packers could put this ex-
pense on the stock raisers He read a
telegram from John T. Lyle, president
of the Cattle Raisers' association of
Texas, which read:
present agitation has seriously de-
pressed the cattle business Universal i'm
preston that cattle values will suffer from
"a to S. per head decline"
Another from M. o. Mckenzie, manager
of the second largest cattle ranch in
America, in Colorado, estimated that by
fall the price would be 81 per 100 pounds
less.
Asked by Representative Adams of Wis
consin II the packers did not fix the price
paid for cattle, MT. Cowan said this was
an impossibility under ordinary condi-
tons. Neither could the cattle raisers by
combination fix the price. The reason
was that when cattle got into condition,
they must be sold.
Representative Haughen of Iowa asked
Mr. Cowan If he had read the President
message which estimated the cost of in
specton at cents head.
He had he said, "but we do not want to
pay it-that is our reason" replied Mr.
Cowan. but rather than do without the
law we would be glad to levy the cost on
the CATTLE he continued
At Government Expense.
Mr. Haughen said every member of the
committee so far as he knew was In favor
of the government paying the cost. This
cost has been estimated from 100000 to
$40, 600 900 annually and Congress, he said,
at most would probably not appropriate
more than 50, 1000 In view of this he be-
lieved it might be best to assess the cost
on the packers,
| Mr. Cowan took issue with the position
! of Representative Crunpacker that the
! federal government had no right to inter-
| fere with the police powers of the state
| by making sanitary regulations. Mr..
no meat shall be allowed to enter into in
terstate commerce unless II bears the
| label of inspection and this label shall
not be given unless the product Is put
up in accordance with sanitary regulation
prescribed by the secretary of agriculture.
/ Several committeeman at once assented
that such a provision would be good law.
| Mr. Cowan made the suggestion as to
| fees that ain appropriation be made. say
of 100000. with the further provision If
the amount should be proved insufficient
the secretary of agriculture should pre-
scribe a fee for inspection to make up the
difference. This would each year bring
pressure on Congress for the appropria-
| ton.
Mrs Isabel worrell Ball. formerly of
Kansas. gave the committee her expert
ence with canned goods to develop the
fact that canned goods did not deteriorate
with age.
! F. P. johnson, secretary of the Col
orado Horse and Stock Raisers associa-
ton, urged the committee to expedite
! the legislation for inspection. He wanted
| something to stop this interminable
racket" The beef men, he said, were
bearing all the cost. The public did not
seem able to apply any jungle stories
to mutton.
"Only the other day in dinner res
| taurant he continued, "a waiter sug-
gested to a customer beefsteak. No.
| said the customer, I have been reading
about this beef inqury-bring me mutton
chops"
He said the raisers wanted the govern
ment to pay the cost. but II there was
4 to be trouble about it, 1--WE will pay any
cost"
He said for several years the industry
had been working hard to build up the ex-
| port demand.
This matter has set US right back
where we we're at the beginning.
Price Has Dropped.
| The price of beef to the producer,
he said. had dropped from Toe to 81 a
! hundred pounds during the past few
weeks. Any bill he said, that did not
suit the President would not relieve the
public mind.