The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-02-07
PACKERS SKIN FARM.
ERS AND CONSUMERS
Congressman Norton Says Investiga-
lions Disclose How the People Have
Been Worked BY Packers for
Years.
(By Congressman ?. D. Norton)

(By Congressman P. D. Norton)
Washington, d. c., Feb. 2, 1918.
Of the thirteen regular appropria-
tion bills for the maintenance Of the
different departments Of the Federal
Government to be passed at this ses-
sion Of Congress, only three of these
bills have yet been considered and
passed by the House. None of the
bills have so far been passed by the
Senate. The bills passed by the House
are the Post Office Appropriation
Bill, carrying appropriations amount
ing to 1882 ,0O0,0 100000; the Indian APP
preparation Bill, making appropria-
lions amounting to $4,000, 100000, and
the Agricultural Appropriation Bill
for appropriations totaling $27,OOO,-
100000.
The Investigations being made by
the Federal Trade Commission of the
meat packing industries Of the coun-
try have turned the light of publicity
on some of the wolfish practices Of
the big packing concerns. Francis j.
Heney, special counsel for the Federal
Trade Commission, has had his as
sistants examine and take over some
of the books and private confidential
correspondence of Swift & Company
and of Armour & Company, found in
their main offices at Chicago. The in
designations thus far made have dis
closed that the big packing companies
have been working hand in hand to
control the prices paid for live stock,
and have been in mutual agreement in
setting the prices of meat products
to suit their own greed and desire for
exhorbitant profits. Either directly
or Indirectly the big packing compan-
les have controlled the stock yard
companies at Chicago, South St. Paul,
Kansas City and at the other princi-
pal live stock markets Of the country.
The results of the examinations that
have already been made Of the books
and correspondence of the Swift and
Armour Companies, give evidence
that the appropriation of $3.50, 100000,
provided for by the last session of
Congress, for an investigation of the
meat packing industry Of the United
States, was a much needed appropria-
ton and is one that is being expended
by the Federal Trade Commission to
good effect for the public interest and
welfare. AS the investigation pro-
ceeds, it becomes more clear that for
a number of years the great meat
packing companies Of the country
have been looting both the producers
of live stock and the consumers of
meats and meat products, through the
unfair monopoly they exercise over
the live stock markets of the nation.
The disclosures that the Federal Trade
Commissions Investigations have
made would fully justify the President
in at once taking over the manage
ment and control of the packing plants
and the stock yards of the leading live
stock markets. Unless the rapacious-
ness Of the Swifts, Armours and other
big packing companies can be success
fully controlled through federal legis-
lation and federal supervision, public
ownership will necessarily have to
succeed the present private ownership
Of the meat packing and meat distrib-
uting industries.
While there has been much COM
ment in the press the past ten days
to the effect that the war is likely to
be soon terminated through a grow
ing revolutionary movement among
the laboring classes in Germany, lit
tie credence is given to this view
about the Capitol. It is considered
here that any labor troubles now ex-
listing in Germany are of but passing
moment. The war, it is believed here,
can only be won by defeating the
Prussian military organization by
superior force Of arms. The military
autocracy which controls Germany
has much unorganized and latent OPP
position within the Empire. The full
force of this opposition will, however,
be able to be kept down by the mill
tarists until the force of Democracy
from without break through and
breaks down the powerful military
web which so completely enmeshes the
people of Germany. When this break
is accomplished, the forces of true
Democracy among the German people
will take care of free Germany's fu-
ture. Then the German people will
no longer be awed, mystified and mis-
led by a cabal of militarists with Wis
ions Of worldwide domination as the
goal of their ambitions.
Westinghouse have been trudging
around in three feet Of snow the past
week. On January 80 there was IL
inches Of snowfall in the city. On
January 26 there was snowfall of 6
inches, and snow fall of like am
cunt on January "a. These heavy
snowfalls, accompanied by tempera-
ture registering near the zero mark,
have demoralized railroad and street
car traffic in this city and through this
section of the country. 1t has been
cold and stormy in Washington al
most every day since the 18th Of De-
cember. This has been the longest
period of continuously cold and stormy
weather experienced in the District Of
Columbia for more man a quarter Of
a century. Unprepared as most Of
the poorer classes of the people here
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