The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-02-13
MERCHANTS BLAME
ICED NEAT CARS
Travelling RefrigeratoTs Held
Responsible for High
Prices.
BEEF TRUST SAID
TO CONTROL THEM
Retail Dealers Willing to Show
Committee Their
Books.

That the ownership Of - per cent of
the refrigerator cars Of ghc United
States bv the so-caT.yJ Neat trust and
COLLISION between TIE packers and the
railroads are responsible for the high
prices Of meat and food products. and
not the retailers, T. the assertion of
the retailers Of WasL aSUou, who are
Indignant al the attempt made 10 throw
the blame upon them
There Is a strong possibility tHat tho
Moore food inquiry committee viii not
have 10 request Congress to compel the
retail merchants 10 place their books
before il for examination but that the
merchants Of their own accord VIII be
glad 10 introduce their books DO evi-
dence IN order 10 prove that they are
not responsible for tle conditions back
of the food price agitation
These disclosures. il is predicted. viii
eLoneratC the retailer. and at The same
time viii prove that the packers are
responsible for The situation which IS
being made the subject Of a Consres-
sioual inquiry
Geld Storage Cars.
Not so much Is the muuopoIisllc CON
troI and operation Of cold storage houses
to be set forth IN the disclosures but "a
feature heretofore but little touched
upon-that OF the ownership and opera
ton of cold storage cars-Is 10 be- eX-
planned 10 the committee by the retail
dealers If they are given chance @"
go before that body
in brief Eb- Contention is -rat prog-
tiCaiIv all the rGfrfsera-c=- cars Of The
country are owned uE packing FIRMS
u--nr-T draw q Cd. r|-af-r q
cent a mile per car from the railroad
com panieS- In addition they nave the
tCinE OF the cars, and charge cNornILau'
rates Tor the service The railroad COM
paEIes- To come o.l E.tH urnTr- are
forced To charge excessive FFriEHt rates
and c7e shippers are TcU IlTeu 20 add J-t
cost Of icing 10 The value OF their prod
UCts before they can establish market
price on them All of tins expense IS
PAID by the consumer ultimately claim
The retailers
Ownership Transferred
The Interstate Commerce Commission
investigated the Refrigerator car sftfa-
ton cNhauStiveIv. and showed that
through ownership Of the cars and the
power Of charging individual shippers
any rate for ici1-- the biz packing firms
CT Armour & Co and Swffs t- co were
tcTraliinE the produce ana tTuiL bus mess
OF the country. and d-etonluEv a greater
monopoly tlau any that had over been
alleged against them as the so-calsed
Seer trust
Later ]. ogden Armour snn-uueed
E.rff rf= uTT1 vas ul=uC~iEc nt It's ears
anu --.u- ont of the produce and fruit
Inc assertion of the rctaiir-- Of
Washington however Is tEa- the pack
CTS S-iT own the ears through TCfTI--
orator express companies formed and
owned hy them
30 CHer Proof
Their, sites on file al u NUM-
5cr OF .ls establishments. It is
said, wins. ..a. pretty well establish
the fact tEat such "a combine exists
The tremendous profits realized from
tine mileage rebate and .He f='H-
charges leaves the producer ard the re-
tail buyers with TE-r.e opportunity tu
look artcr their own interests DC IS
claimed.
- proof Of the ra-. .aat the cold
storage car may enter largely IUsu The
situation Swift x Company IS said rH
oNn Luz Ssiz ana i' ~. % ~ .l '7-i5
considerably more lH5T lH.,'H"t cars
Not only are tie companies given
tnTer-fpuTJIS OF a. cent a. mile Er. Ger
on loaded cars bound for certain points.
out they get the sam. rebate on empty
cars FeluFlll-2- At me -li.e n- -Ie
AVERAGE refrigerator car o. has been
computed That It PAYS ior itself within
year
The feature or icing ears Is almost as
futeT--tFn-- l~HuI tE- -fararHiGf rt Ef-
heavy revenue PRODUCING DOW or ETac-
the packers. VINO charge an average or
s. EoI car for SLING. 10 with the
amount of ice necessary tr insure the
products ~ carries being Kept in good
condition
Cars Iced Frequently.
II IS claimed that cars ON rip from
FLORIDA to New York frequently are
charged for fnree f.ru-s. when. in real
lJy they may Not nave been iced more
Than once or twice al the most The
expense OF S-f uor carrot course, is ADO
Cd To- the cost of rne products transport
Cd IN IL
As iu the case uI the frei-ht rates. I
the CONSUMER ultimately pays FOR the
excessive cost OF ITVIu-- Tt the contention
Of the retailers VINO claim rg have T-sr
hand Information on the subject, may
Ge relied upon
This week, j. Is expected, VIII wind
I'D the tCSTIWlUE before .rc Moore COM ]
miJrCe OF witnesses u[ Tire Federal and I
District E0-crUuCUt=- ANA it Is probable /
that the next witnesses 10 he called by {
Chairman Moore win Ire reta5. De--
chants
tn Wow of The testimony. 81 is expected
LHCE VIII give tsr weeks Eess rings ma I
produce EorC tangible results than have
been obtained uraElO-lSlE- which largely I
VIII determine the scope or the inquiry :
IS trying yo reach H its effort "a suggest 4
remedial legislation for enactment into (
Law
PROGRAM FOR BLIND /