The evening herald., 1917-03-20


Nestigatioi, and on the recommends
tion of our committee the convention
unanimously passed the following res
Olution.
Resolved by the American Ma
tional Live STOCK association. In con-
vention assembled at Cheyenne, wy
oming, January 1870. 1919. that the
congress OF the United States IN re-
spectfully but earnestly. requested
and urged 60 enact at one appropri-
ate legislation giving to the depart
meut of agriculture adequate means
! and authority To secure complete and
treliable information. under the safe
/ guards and sanction OF law and con
science. with respect To- the import
ant matters committed 90 its charge,
So that the department ut agriculture
mas have the same power as is now
/ possessed by the federal trade COM
mission with respect To the matters
under Iif Jurisdiction, ana all 90 the
end that these Two great agencies of
the federal government may. each iu
It's own ncld, and both together in
those fields In which they can 500 ef-
uicntS promote the rlghtiui interests
OF the producer. the manufacturer.
and ne consumer. and thus the wei
iare ~ the nation.
Complains AGAINST the Packers.
I The conditions complained of by
those who nave .mpdrtiallv studied
this situation seem Co bc about as fol-
lows
, FIRST. the vast and steadily morcas-
ing power uf ma" hig packcrs vested
in a small group of men.
Second. startling nuctuatious in
prices at certain seasons witch in
dictate speculative or manIpulatyc M
rucupcs iu the market. ana seem not
20 be- based ON the normal law Of sup
ply aud demand.
Third IN, irregular. uncertain ant
,uudcpendahlr uuauthortttisc mrtNo.
reports of the past
Fourth. large and increasing 'ot
ius Ia the packlug.hpus- business,
largely due. probably ty the grea;
ladyan,o 500 the value OF by-products
OF meat animals slaughtered, due to
war conditions. hut which Increased
profits DO not seem 20 have been rec
nrctcd .u the prices tu producers, ur
IN proper decrease in the cost "i
lmcat products To the consumer.
Firth, uuctuatiug and unstable sup
lply Of live stock At the marketing
lc.uters resulting IN what is some
times known as 'two-days' market
Another feature which has cdusct
Especial discomfort ls the control uf i
large number Of stock Yards ny pack
Ing interests who often control ter
lminal transportation facilities, this
condition often causing dissatisinc-
tlon to the shipper ana interfering
with the operations of the independ'
cnt buyer.
while these stock ,prds qrc ire
Ioucntly run along very efficient lines
,,S. catfl, produrer often naturally
obie.ts 10 having MS cattle handled
A., tho stn,k wards tr1 and weighed
Inv the roprc-putativrs tu those to
lvhoiu he .Hp,rts 20 sell. and even
luuhouph those functions are well and
uroperlv performed il leaves a feet
LING of dtroptcpt i'm the mind Of the
simmer and hrlIcy, tina, eventually
me oul, propcr method 20 'haudI,
pulI,, stnrk ,,rd, ana maintain IN,
confidence of the people iu their up.
,rat.ou Is tD make chem public util-
itie, and place them unGcr thorough
laoing control and regulation.
n can bp readily seen that denuit,
b remedies tor these conditions can un2
g ,hc iustly devised after a thorough .u
,,stlratluu made hy the department
of agriculture and IN, federal trade
commission working together tn m,
end that ,h" exact existing condition.