New-York tribune., 1918-02-27
ackers Accused Of Sitting
Competition and Labor Laws
F1eney Alleges Unfair Tactics Were Used to Control
Poultry, Butter and Egg Trade-Swift Emp]ove on
Hoover Board-Letters Disclose Lobby
Work in Western States

CHICAGO, Feb. 26.-Tcstimony in
tended to substantiate charges that
n'g chicago packers eliminated small
dealers in poultry and eggs by unfair
tactics; that their agents lobbied
against certain labor legislation in
state capitals, and that they sought
TO increase negro help in their plants
was introduced to-day at the inquiry
OF the packing industry before Sam
nei W. Tator, examiner for the Fed
eral Trade Commission.
Az the eXamlnatiOn before Judge AL
schuier, arbitrator in the stockyards
wages and hours dispute. which is also
being held here. John f. O'Hcrn. gen
eral superintendent for Armour & Co.
admitted that a basic cight-hour day
would not reduce the output or inter
1erc with the adequate supply of food
S'uHS TO the American military forces
or the Allies. He said that the basic
sigh'-hour day would simply cost more
TO operate through the extra compen-
saNon TOR overtime. O'Hcrn de-
ciared that if the basic eight-hour
DAY were ordered by the arbitrator the
inference would be that the ten-hour
Gay was too long for the workers.
Alleges tnderselling
=, Francis ]. Heney. of the Federal
rade commission, attempted to show
mat the packers, by setting up
"dummy' firms and by underselling the
small concerns, had crowded many from
the field ''-'
lie named W. T. Priebe, whom he
charged with drawing a salary from
Swift Co. while serving on the Fed
eral food administration Tor 81 q vear
with being especially active in the cam
palgn against small concerns. He de-
clared that W. F. Priebe g. Co.. Chicago.
reputed to be the largest "independent"
butter and egg dealers in the country,
ana which. he alleged, is owned bv
Swift Co.. controlled a score Of
oreameres and poultry and butter and
egg plants in Missouri, Illinois and
Iowa, operating them under dummy
names, TO make them appear as "inde-
pendent" firms
This was done to fool the farmers
and public" Attorney Heney said ON
reality all the concerns are owned b~
Swift & Co." ~
y, lie then introduced a statement of
" f. Priebe G. Co., giving a list of their
plants and buying stations in Iowa,
"nlch, ne SAID, was seized by agents of
1he FEDERAL Trade Commission from tho
llles OF the company after the manage
ment had denied any connection with
the concerns previously mentioned in
testimony, except that the Priebe com
pahY merely acted as selling agent.
Small Dealers Absorbed
l; A. Buchanan, a poultry and egg
S,.aI dealer, of Hardin, Mo, and Rudolph
MllIer' a creamery dealer. of Macon.
NO, TWO OF the principa witnesses to-
day, testified that the packers had "gob-
pied up the little dealers in their ter
rltory by underselling and by price Jug
Buchanan testified that when he re-
1used to sell to agents of the big pack
|rs they began a spirited fight in his
territory, outbidding him on produce
and paying higher prices in Hardin
tAan IN adjacent territory. He testi-
ned that as soon as independent buyers
were driven from a field there was an
immediate drop in prices paid produc-
ers. He said that packers agents posed
as independent buyers in fields where