The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-22
Congressman DOOlittle Is After
the Big Meat Packers.
Charges Combine to Control
Prices of Live Stock.
AFFECTS KANSAS GROWERS
They Have Lost Heavily
Thru Market Manipulation.
Victims of Trust Will Be Called
Upon to Testify.

Prison sentences for men who en-
Eineered the alleged beef trust will be
the demand of Congressman Dudley
DoolittIe of the Fourth district in
event the congressional investigation
results in indictments. Under a reso-
luton by Doolittle and another by
Representative Borland, a congress
sional committee will this summer
take testimony and turn it's findings
over to the federal department of JUS
tice. Fred Robertson, United States
district attorney for Kansas, will
doubtless conduct the prosecution of
the hackers in event indictments are
returned.
The probe of the beef trust was
started BY Doolittle last winter, fol-
lowing revelations of tremendous
slumps in the live stock market. The
Kansas congressman has commended
that the packers entered into a COM
bination in violation of the antitrust
laws and controlled prices in a man
ner that meant hundreds of thousands
of. dollars in losses to Kansas feeders.
Under the Doolittle resolution con-
gressfonal committee of seven mem
bers will this summer take testimony
he called as witnesses. The commit
tee will also call representative and
heads of the large packing plants and
has mower to enforce the giving of Ies-
timony.
Affects Kansas Stockmen.
when Congressman Doolittle start
ed his fight on the packers, ne com
municated 10 District Attorney Rob-
ertson such testimony as was in ms
he int
ff1e- poolittle resolution members of
the committee have publicly gone on
record in favor of a full and thorough
investigation concerning the live stock
situation The action of the commit
tee will directly affect hundreds of
Kansas stockmen. Live stock feeders
have been the heavy losers, however,
and. their affairs were more directly
affected by the alleged illegal opera
tion of the Kansas City, st. Louis and
Chicago packers Doollttle1s nome
district is in the live stock producing
belt eff the state and it is stated that
he has received hundreds of letters
from Stockmen of his district who will
be affected by the acts of the con-
eressional committee and the depart
ment of justice.
In a letter to a Kansas friend this
week. Congressman Doolittle outlined
briefly his plans in the fight for the
criminal prosecution of the packers.
Doolittlc'S Plan.
zone plan that entered my mind in
urging the resolution was to get fur
ther evidence to help out the attorney
general in his investigation now pend
ing and which Fred Robertson and his
Investigators have in charge" Con-
gresham Doolittle stated. This is
the investigation by the department of
Justice commenced at my request dur
ing the early winter or late fall.
While / think the whole economic
matter should be gone into thorough
". still 1 am of the opinion that a sue
cessful prosecution of the packers I'M
der the antitrust law would help
wonderfully. By such a prosecution,
mean one which carries with it peni-
Tertiary sentences-not a fine which
could be passed on to the consumer
or taken from the producer. That is
the real way to punish the offenders
in this case. And it will teach them a
lesson they Will be slow to forget"
Evidence was taken before the COM
mittee several weeks ago Further
hearings are to be held at an early
date. II is stated, and it is probable
that at that time n number of Kansas
-stoelOmen may be called. 1t is also
probable that the subcommittee
which will conduct the investigation
viii come to Kansas to study condi-
tons and hear the stories of the
feeders.