Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-22
GOLD STORAGE MEN
OPPOSE LEGISLATION
WILL RESIST VIGOROUSLY At.
TEMPT IN CONGRESS TO RE.
cuLATE BUSINESS.
CLAIM THEY ARE ABUSED
PUBLIC sENEFAcroRs
Hearings on Mcclellan Measure % De-
gin Immediately After Helidays-
Meat Packers, Poultrymsn, Farmers
and Others to Be Called Before Com.
rnittes and Given Chance.
rsns.;a, correspondence.l

Washington, Dec. %. Whenever
congress attempts to regulate any OF
the large special interests there Ia al
ways an outcry and all manner OF dit-
ficulties are encountered. This IL IL
Illustrated in the case Of the attempt
to regulate the cold storage business.
Cold storage interests are planning
for the fight Of their lives against the
Mcclellan cold storage bill 1t has been
determined that hearings on this bill
will be deferred until after the holt-
day recess Of congress. Meantime, the
cold storage interests are organizing
Ia combat the measure and compel its
modification.
Congressman Covington is chairman
of the Subcommittee Of the house
committee on interstate commerce,
which will hold the hearings. He has
announced hearings will be begun the
day after the holiday recess ends
When the hearings begin, 1t Is the pur-
pose to marshal before the sub-com-
mirtee packers Of beef and various
meats and meat products: fishermen.
poultry men. cold storage men and
many others interested In handling
foodsclffs. Even some farmers win be
arrayed before the committee. 1t will
be urged that the Mcclellan bill il too
drastic and would hurt more than it
would help.
Special Attention For E:Ss.
The facts respecting the egg viii be
given special attention That 10. the
cold storage people will endeavor to
impress the subcommittee with the
idea that they are not to blame for the
high prices Of eggs. Frank A. Horne.
of New York. president Of a large cold
storage company and chairman Of the
joint committee Of the Cold Storage
Warehousemen's Association and Az
fila ted Industries. will be one OF the
witnesses. Mr.. Horne will deny there
is a cold storage trust or combination
and will lay the high prices Of eggs to
the great floods in the Ohio valley and
the middle west. He win asseverate
that hosts Of fowls were drowned and
besides that. drouth in some Of the
agricultural states also diminished egg
production. He will insist there was a
shortage Nov. ! In the leading cold
storage warehouses Of 6S4,016 cases Of
eggs, each y case containing thirty
dozen.
Other testimony will be offered to try
to prove that it was the hard hand Of
nature. not Of any cold storage TRUST,
that is making folks go eggless for
breakfast
Business esnsfiesnt.
In a general way. the cold storage
interests will try to prove that the cold
storage business is beneficent: that the
cold storage men gather up food arti-
cles while the supply is REDUNDANT and
preserve them until the public needs
them. It will be especially insisted
that the provisions In the Mcclellan bill
limiting the time food articles can be
kept in storage are unwise and entire
ly too short
In a word, a battle royal Is going to
be waged The cold storage interests
are powerful and their ramihcations
wide. Attempts have been made here
tofore to bring about strict regulation.
But they have been blocked. DR.. Har-
vey w. Wiley. while head Of the bu-
reau Of chemistry, fought for regula-
ton but was beaten It remains to be
seen what the outcome OF the forth
coming fight will be. It Ia q tact, how
ever. that public sentiment today Is
Of food combines than ever before and
the outcome may be piece OF law
making with teeth In II.