New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-02
BEEF INQUIRY AT ONCE
House Judiciary Committee Plan.
Immediate Action.
FOLLOWS ARCHIBALD CASE
Investigation Will Be Indepen.
dent of Any Action by the
Department Of Justice
lFrom The Tribune Bureau

washington, June IAN immedia,. ,..
Festigation OF the Beef Trust will be ,n,,,-
tuted by the House Committee on Jud,eisry
according TO an announcement made ,o.aav
by Chairman Clayton The announcen,sr,
fcliows the Introduction OF resolution by
Representative Edwards, OF Georgia, direct.
ing the Department Of Justice to proceed
forthwith to ascertain whether there exist.
a beef trust which is responsible for m.
present high prices in meat. The Edwards
resolutions also directs the ATTORNEY Gen.
eral to begin suit to dissolve the trus:. q.
Mr.. clayton said to-day the Jpdlc,arv
Committee would take up the Edvards
resolution Immediately following tho con.
, clusion OF the Archibald investigate,
which is expected to end on Monday =,
tuesday The judiciary Committee IN.
'estigation viii be independent NJ anu
acuon on the part Of the Department, .,
justice Following the introduction =,
Mr.. Edwsrds's resolution. Chairman us,,v
or the Rules Committee TODAY made /.
tentative plan TO bring about an inyestlaa.
ton OF the Beef Trust. but this plan nroh.
ably viii be abandoned I'm the even, the
judiciary Committee determines on A gen.
eral probe.
Mr. Clayton asserts that und.r th4 ,.,-
| eral authority vested In the Judiciary Com.
| mittee 10 investigate the trust question ana
antitrust legislation, his committee does
not need additional authority and Is In 20.
sition 10 begin the inquiry next week.
There is no doubt in my mind that An
| investigation Of the Beef Trust is hnpers.
tive" said Mr.. Clayton. we propose 10
| institute one next week. and our inquiry
will BIZ OF aid to any proceedings which
may he begun by the Department Of Jus.
tice under the Edwards resolution or ann
| other resolution. We have all the juris.
diction necessary and probably will begia
| taking testimony immediately. II sn
amendment TO the Sherman law is neces.
sary. In order that the department may
dissolve the beef trust, the committee will
report such an amendment
Representative Edwards issued state
ment. In which he declared that the Beef
Trust had cornered the market that 1t
raised prices at will and that meat has be-
come a luxury instead Of commonplace
article of food.
The attention of the House has been d.
rected toward the Beef Trust because OF
the assertion that the recent increase IN
prices was due to shortage Of the supply
of livestock The bureau OF statistics is
sued bulletin yesterday asserting that the
livestock receipts for April were In excess
of those OF any year since 1901, and the
figures of the government refute entirely
those Of the packers.
The House judiciary Committee has An
appropriation Of $4,000 TO investigate all
phases of the trust question. in detern,in-
ing what amendments, II any. are neede1
10 the Sherman law and nothing stands IN
the way OF its probe OF the beef combine
Already some indirect intimations have
reached the government that the packers
might take some voluntary action 20 as
solve the National Packing Company or
bring II into harmony with the law. what
ever NAV be done in this regard. II was
Thought certain to-day that Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham would direct connpre-
hensiye investigation TO ind II the soaring
prices Of meat are due to any violations OF
tho antitrust law.
Reports that Congress might investigate
the high cost Of beef were welcomed at the
Department OF Justice. Attorney Genersl
Wickersham Is willing that CONGRESS should
undertake the task as an aid TO the gov
eminent In ascertaining the causes OF the
growing advances
.,,,,oAu,c AEW Work rat8UkE