The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-06
|IS 1T A MONOPOLY
sInvisibIe Hand. of Packers
Weighs Heavily on Producer.
National Association Fighting
for Federal Inquiry.

Chicago, Dec. 6-The fight of the
cattlemen for an investigation of the
live stock industry by the federal
I trade commission was described to the
| conference on marketing and farm
| credits today by E. L. Burge, ranch
man of Omaha, Neb., and a member
| of the market committee of the Amer
lean Live Stock association. He made
a plea for the conference to support
| the Borland resolution requiring the
! federal trade commission to make
thoro investigation of costs in the pro-
| duction and handling of cattle and its
| by-products. He said in part:
| you know of the rapid concentra-
| ton, in the past twenty years. of buy
| ing power into the hands of a few
large units and the tendency toward
smaller and weaker units among pro-
ducers. You also know of the unsat-
tisfactory conditions that prevailed for
years at market centers and that con-
! ditions had steadily been growing
worse until a crisis was reached in
| 1914 and 1915.
Thousands of Producers Quit Business
"A year after the opening of the war
conditions were unsatisfactory
among the breeders of the country
| that thousands were going out of bust
ness. the large packing concerns were
making the greatest profits in their
history"
| Mr.. Burke told of the attempt to
secure an investigation of conditions
and how the cattlemen had been
| blocked at every turn by an invisible
| hand. He said the cattlemen want the
| federal trade commission to probe as
! deeply into the producing end as
might be necessary and thought that
an authoritative statement from the
commission after a thoro investigation,
would afford every branch of the in
| dustry a basis for upbuilding, would
l Il ~
clear up the situation in the mind of
| the consumer, increase production and
| cause a great demand for meat.
| IF conditions are found unsound
the proper remedies must be applied"
| said Mr.. Burke. THE big question Is
whether there is being maintained a
practical monopoly of the meat business
| in the country"
Ex-Governor Stubs a Speaker
Speakers asserted that great
changes are under way in the industry
and that the producers and feeders of
| cattle have failed to organize them
selves effectively to meet the changed
conditions at purchasing centers and
an economic waste has resulted. Much
| of the discussion centered on possible
solutions of the problem offered by
| the decline in the nations meat sup
ply. Dwight B. Heard of Phoenix,
Ariz,- president of the American Ma
! tional Livestock association, assured
| the delegates of the co-operati ton in
their investigations of the organiza-
ftion.
On the program were Ed c. Lasater,
1 F'alfurrias, Tex. said to be the owner
| of the largest dairy herd in the world;
NJ. L. Mcclure, president of the Amer
lIcan National Livestock exchanges.
| Kansas City; w. r. Stubbs, Lawrence,
Kan, former governor of Kansas; T
| w. Tomlinson, secretary of the Amer
lean Livestock association, Denver
Colo; George K. Andrews. ST Louis:
H. c. Poe, Temple, Tex; F. Abiding
ham, Rockford, Ill, and S. s. Leach,
| Hutchinson, MINI.
/ Milk Producers Organize
Milo D. Campbell, Coldwater, Mich.
president of the National Fedora ton
of Milk Producers of America organ
lied last night, said today that state
and local organizations would be
started at once and a national head
! quarters will be established for han
ding the work of the new organiza-
ton which plans cooperative market
ing of milk thru the United States
milk has ceased to be a by-product
of the livestock industry" said Profess
sor Fred Rasmussen, of Pennsylva mia
State college. because the advanced
prices of cattle and land adding to the
cost of milk production The result is
this organization, a body for self de-
Tense and self protection