Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-26
New Probe by Federal Author
tiles Aims to Place Re
sponsibility
RsBATlNG WILL BE SHOWN
Government Holds to Theory That
Packing Industry is Controlled by
One-Man Trust-Weeky Meetings
Held in Morris company's Office
Ono Man Makes the Prices.

Chicago Dec 26.---With indictments
for one series Of ofTenses committed by
the big packers of Chicago almost
within it's grasp--the procuring of re-
bates thru various devicesthe I'm
tied States government today will re-
new it's CROPPING in the dark toward
the great secret of Packingtown-1the
method employed in tho actual work.
ing of the beef trust"
Ono thing in particular is being
sought by all the forces OF the gov
eminent at the disposal Of the Chicago
office. and that is to get the goods"
on the one man who is In himself
the practical trust. SO far nothing tan
aible has shown in the mass of infor-
nation gathered by the government
agents which leads the authorities even
to hold strong hope that this man
will be run to earth and a great con-
American people. The only thing sure
81 10 lIlt lHulleCl ICpdLS CiIQ VI Viz
investigation. In this the packers -
probably all Of them, and certainly one
iirm--will be hit. The railroads will
not be prosecuted.
This information, which came from
an authoritative source yesterday aft
ernoon, put the railroad men. who
have been worrying for days over the
situation and seeking thru various
published guesses to get a rise" out
of the government a little more al:
ease.
Many subpoenas have been issued for
employees of other packing firms than
Morris & Co., but none has been served
as yet.
Relating Evidence Sought.
That the government is seeking to
learn as much as possible of the rela
lions between thd railroads and the
packers in all branches OF the indus
try received support when 1t was
learned that a subpoena has been is
sued for J. B. butcher, general live
stock agent of the New York Central
and Hudson River railroad This move.
in conjunction with the governments
request of Paul P. Rainier, chief in
spector of the joint rate inspection
bureau maintained by the eastern
roads, that he furnish the federal dis
trict attorney with all claim records
which might go to showthat the pack
ers in times past have been allowed to
bill shipments falsely. thereby obtain
ing the lower rate, is taken to mean
that the first move will be in the ma
I'm Of ~ Hon nf on nd
rcbating system.
Mr.. Rainier explained that before
1906 the railroads had trouble with
the packers in the matter Of billing
certain classes of fresh meats as salt
meat, and thus obtaining lower tar
iff. Action to remedy this system
was taken by the railroads in April,
1906, when a new classification was
made to provide for the doubtful pro-
ducts. The summoning of Mr.. butcher
was said to carry the intimation that
the government also will Investigate
the payment Of packers claims for
bedding stock cars, which is part of
the duty of live stock transportation,
and whose cost is included in the
rate.
How the Trust Operates.
Whether this "one man trust" - the
main thing the government is after
is operated by Edward Morris or by
one of the heads of the Armour or
Swift companies. is not known. 1t is
not thought to be Mr.. Morris. Investi-
gators assert that this man is holding
a position of less Importance and is
not much before the public eye. 1t is
oh 10
er by the agreement of the COM
panies, and that each morning he
sends out buying and selling orders
and changes in wage scales or the
number of employees for certain de-
partments.
He works in a mysterious way and
his orders are performed without queS-
ton For instance. this mans conf
DENTAL agents report to him that Nor
rs & Co. with five men in certain
department are taking care of more
work of a certain class than Swift g.
Co with ten men engaged in the same
work. Orders go out that the wages
of this class of labor be cut SO many
cents day or that so many men be
laid off.
Every morning in a barroom near
the Transit house, the cattle buyers ga
Their Their horses are tied to the rail
outside These men represent every
packing house in the combine, which
is said to include all but the Cudahy
people There is general CONVERSE
ton about the weather or persons, but
nothing is said about prices of cattle.
A few drinks are taken.
Prices Made by Stranger"
Then man enters whom no one
appears to know. He looks around and
mods towards one of the buyers. The
two confer in corner for a moment.
A few minutes later drinks are swal-
lowed hastily and the buyers jump on
their horses and head for the pens.
The price named for cattle at the first
pen is the same in each instance and
forms the quotation of the day. The
smaller firms buyers watch and fol-
low this lead.
This is the powder mine which the
government hopes to ignite with the
torch it is burning thru the tunnels
of PackingtoWn.
Despite the lesson of three years ago,
when Charles B. Morrisons then I'm
tied States district attorney for this
district, procured indictments and
much evidence against the so-called
trust which never was heard, the meth
DDS of the packers in controlling trade
are said by government officials to be
as open as ever.
Mr.. Morrison during his recent con-
ference with District Attorney Edwin
w. Sims laid out the methods of the