Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-03-01
Requests Congress to Pass
Laws to Require Packers TO
Open Their Confidential Files
for Inspection,
SCENTS A PLOT TO
CORNER INDUSTRY
Investigators Believe the Big
Five Planned to Take Full
Control Of the Business in
This Country,
10y MORNING IouHn.l SPECIAL lG.srO ~,,s

/
Chicago. Feb. 2s-Government
contracts for millions of pounds of
meats, labor troubles and employers
| methods to oppose them; the difficult
ties of retail meat dealers in Chicago
and obstacles placed in the way of
butter makers in rural Indiana were
some of the subjects touched on today
| in the federal trade commissions in
vestlgation into the packing house
! industry.
Under the questioning Of Francis
| j. Heney counsel for the commission,
witnesses told of the difficulty in
making a reasonable profit in the re-
tail meat business in Chicago, in direct
conflict with statements that retail
butchers We're responsible in some de-
gree for high meat prices,
Mr.. Heney brought out that the
question of changing government
specifications so as to permit cheaper
meats being included in army con-
tracts had been considered by the five
big packing houses and the quarter
masters department.
At the same time there came from
Washington announcement that con-
gress had been asked by the federal
trade commission, at the instance of
Mr.. Heney. to enact speedy legisla-
ton to open the private and conf
| dental files of the packers to dis
close what government investigators
believe will show plans to take con-
troll of the meat industry.
| The appeal to congress was based
on the present conflict between the
trade commission and Henry Veeder
of Chicago, counsel for Swift G. CO..
over possession of files and papers in
the Veeder private vaults which Mr..
! Heney charges tend to prove the in
tent to commit felony through coll
lusive bidding by the packers on gov.
ernment meat contracts. Pending an
appeal by the packers from the Unit
ed States district court. Mr.. Veeder
fhas control of the papers.
At one point today the hearing re-
verted to congressional action in 1916
on a proposed federal investigation
of the packing house industry. One
letter read into the record from
Thomas Creigh OF Chicago, relative
| to Congressman Doolittle of the
Fourth Kansas district, said:
would appreciate any information
regarding prospects Of Congressman
Doolittle's reelection. Notwithstand-
| ing high price livestock he is trying
to capitalize by activity against pack
ers."
Mr.. Heney explained that Mr..
| Creigh is general counsel for Cudahy
! & Co.
Doolittle Sought Probe.
| Mr.. Doolittle, according to the tenor
of the letter, had been active in the
proposed inquiry.
Mr.. Henry read into the record n
copy of letter relative to the present
status of f. o. Heyl, formerly employ.
ed by Libby. Mcneil & Libby at SAL
ary of $4,000 a year, and now in charge
of the division OF coordination OF
purchase in the federal food admin
istration. The letter dated February
| f6, 1918, contained the information
that the writer, f. o.. Heyl has been
made head of the division OF co-ordi-
nation of purchases, which necessi-
tates divorcing myself from all con-
nection with the firm and cessation
of salary from the firm, effective Feb
ruary Is. 1919
Retailers Deny the Charge.
| Edward Levy among other Chicago
butchers, denied emphatically the
published statement Of Everett c,
Brown of the Chicago livestock ex-
change, who attributed profiteering to
the retail butchers, Levy with muck
show of feeling declared
II am not afraid to say that Mr..
Brown knows so little about the retail
meat business that he could not tell
the difference between q loin of pork
and a shoulder If | laid them on tho
counter before him.
All of the butchers testified that
their profits were less In both volume
and per cent of profit in 1917 than in.
1915.