South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-12-29
PACKERS RULE
ENTIRE FIELD
IN MEAT CAME
Squeeze Out Small Dealers by
Shooting Up Prices, Give
Bonus to Break Con-
tracts and AgitationS.

rendering, soap and fertilizer indus
tries of the country was depicted
by the witnesses Friday before the
federal trade commission, which
has transferred hearings into the
meat industry and its relation 20
the high cost OF living temporarily
TO this city.
Francis J. Heney, special counsel
for the commission, said the pack
ers controlled the rendering bust
ness from its collection of butchers
waste 20 the manufacture of valu-
able by-products. BY their methods
Of gaining control Of meat scraps,
fat and bones. he added, the COM
mission sought 20 show that the
man who bought a steak or a roast
paid an unnecessarily high price for
his dinner.
Employ Various Methods.
Witnesses engaged in the render
ing business asserted that the pack
ers stified competition for the col
lection of waste products by bidding
up prices beyond the reach of the
Independent dealer. by resorting 10
the scheme Of giving short weight
for refuse, by giving bonuses to re
tailers 10 break contracts with com
peting rendering firms, by foment-
ing agitatiOns against the erection
CT new competing rendering plants
and by dividing territory amOne
themselves by gentlemen's agree
ments in which the trade of a man
opening q new butcher shop was
sold 70 the highest bidder transac-
tons i'm which the butcher had
nothing - say. In New England
IL was testified. rendering compa-
MES which were trust-controlled
maintained a fund TO pay bonuses
for the trade Of retailers at points
where independent rendering COM
panies tried 10 compete.
Not only the rendering business
but even the corner store trade i'm
meats was sought by the packers
witnesses declared.
Control Whole Meat Field.
Thus, Mr.. Heney pointed out the
packers controlled the entire field
of the country's meat business. At
the Washington hearing il was
brought out, he said. that they con
trolled the stock yards and the ex-
tensive terminal facilities in Chi
cago. Now it was shown. he con
tinued. that they also controlled the
valuable by-products from butcher
waste and were making business
nearly unbeara bic Tor the smau
butcher.
John Glennie of North AndoVer.
man OF the rugged type. stated
that he had refused an offer of
S250.OOO for his plant. which ac-
cording 10 his own estimate was
worth not more than S35. 600. This
offer was made, he said when the
"trust" tried 10 put him out of bust
ness. They resorted first to the
usual methods. he said, of bidding
up prices for war materials by hir-
ing away his men and by leasing"
away his customers by the bonus
system.
Finally" ne said. "a represen-
tatiVe of the combine came 10 me
and said very sympatheticauy he
was sorry. but if I persisted i'm be-
Ing stubborn il would he necessary
10 put me out of business. much
a. the members of the combine hat
I'd TO DO it,
And YOU persisted D" asked MIR.
Herey
Went Into Their own Field.
went mo '''eH Own 1el 'I'''E
",l', '''e'' business 'ie''''''
p"u
Eve" az ."' prices '"H oooS'eu
az. va ~
va" ''"' " w ''' ''
,'eN ''@ my -'5
u'u -,
no
9''',C s'''-'
"es9
bu- "' YOU 80
yer PoSeu
NJ IIuo,N' va" ny. - ea-u
-. so-oooo -. H. ..1., ,e
NV ...u
o. -,
wa ou' :" eal!' q - ---7. 80
lllT Satu anu ~, - -. -.
i..,.t,,... M, mel, nv o,,,, hands and
oUsIl'e .. - -. So
.,.t. - a..
,Ie o' any NV, -.
" i'1'
1--WE oIl easy i1i''-O'.