Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-28
MEAT INQUIRY N|D[NS
National Packing Company to
Be Attacked in Federal
Investigation
STILL SEEKING PRICE MAKER
Reported That Dozens of subpoenas
Have Been Issued summonins Wit
nesses From Many Cities - Govern
ment Reaches Conclusion That Ma
tionaI Company Controls.

| Chicago, Dec. 2S.-The Nationa
Packing company, which is suspected
by the government of being the hold
ing company for number of smaller
concerns and the "mouthpiece' thru
which the packers trust makes known
its prices, will be one OF the main
points of ATTACK in the present inves-
tigation into the methods of the alleged
beef trust by the department of JUS
tice This much was learned yesterday
altho thus far only one man connected
with the company, Thomas Cross. q
live stock buyer, has been subpoenaed
by United States District Attorney
Sims.
1t is reported that Cross will be one
of the first witnesses before the grand
Jury when it reconvenes today to re-
new the investigation, which probably
will occupy it for a month, according
to intimations from Mr.. Sims.
The district attorney refuses to dis
cuss the governments attitude toward
the National Packing company. Ed
ward Tilden, president of the concern
formerly connected with Libby, Nc
Neil & Libby, said he had received no
summons to appear before the grand
jury and knew of no one connected with
his company, except Cross, who has
been subpoenaed. He said further that
,tt 1,o f,a,.
Of the books or records of the COM
pany and that he is as much in the
dark concerning the investigation as
other packers declare themselves to
be.
Think National Controls.
The National Packing company is
suspected of controlling the Hammond,
Libby, and Cudahy companies, beside
a number of smaller concerns scattered
thruout the country. These companies
are said to have come under the DOM
ination Of the holding company several
years ago when the big packers found
it convenient to transfer their hold
ings in smaller concerns. But that this
move was merely a subterfuge to merge
the small companies into the National
Packing company and then in turn to
control the holding company is the the
DRY on which government agents are
working.
In consequence, the Chicago stock
yards is a mine of suspicion, plotting
and contemplating and secret agents
of the big packing companies are striv-
ing as hard to find out just who the
government is after as the agents OF
the department of justice are trying
to obtain results without showing the
governments hand.
That the packing combine is not in
the nature of a trust hich pools bus
mess and divides profits, but is q def
mite understanding" that the daily
quotations which are said to e1nanate
from the National Packing company
are to be maintained i'm buying live
stock, is the theory which is accepted
by the government. It is said that the
policy of the packing industry is de-
termined by one man, that it is made
known every day to officers of the Ma
tional company, and that the bids and
prices offered by the latter company
are maintained by the buyers of the
| main companies. 1t is in effect q
trailing in by all members of the
combine after the precedent has beer
established.
Another Government Theory.
| Another government theory is thai
some of the commission houses are
told days in advance just what live
stock quotations will be ON a giver
day If large foreign orders are re-
| ceived for a certain grade of livestock
the favored commission houses, ac.
cording to this theory, are notified thai
on a certain day there will be an adj
vance in price. They, in turn. are saio
to send out word to their agents thai
on certain day a higher price will be
offered for the grade of stock desired
and instruct them to rush their sup
plies to market When the immediate
demand is filled under such a method
| the price would be lowered, and if ar
oversupply has been sent in sellers
would be forced to take what is Of
fered or pay charges for feeding in the
| hone of another rise.
The method of selling packing house
products is said to be fixed along the
same lines. If sales by wholesalers and
retailers fall off during a given Week
a slightly lower quotation on packing
house products is sent out for the fol-
| lowing week If dealers who have