New-York tribune., 1918-01-27
Secret Files Show Attitude
of Congressman on
Inquiry
Some Opponents
Punished, Is Charge
Big Firms Unable to Agree,
Wage Demands Go
to Mediator

S'"A AoPVi 10 Oil CnC dttltuOc OL COH-
gressmen toward legislation for an in
quiry into the livestock and packing
industry, taken from the secret files Of
big packing concerns, were read to-day
INTO the records of the Federal Trade
commissions meat packing investiga-
tion.
In addition to the continued recital
of the efforts made by the packers to
forestall affirmative action by Con-
gress in 1916 on the Borland resolution
Tor an inquiry, the commission was
given further indication of the rami-
fication of the packers financial con-
troll, which was said by Francis j.
Heney, special counsel, to extend to
the street railway lines of Kansas
City, to banks throughout the country
and to the tin industry. Mr.. Heney
'sald further evidence along this line
would be offered next week.
Alleged political retributon visited
on congressman inimical to the pack
ers' interests also will be one of the
major subjects taken up next week,
according to Mr.. Heney, who an
i,"ui'Neu tidI Ne Woulu OIer evidence
designed to show that one Representa-
tive was defeated with the aid of the
packers after he had made fight for
investigation of their business. On
sldlous' methods of endeavoring to in
fuence Congressman through business
for their law firms and by appealing to
their political welfare will be devel-
oped, Mr.. Heney told the commission.
After it had been disclosed to-day
that in 1915 r. C. McManus, of counsel
Tor Swift Co., made report to the
company giving resume of a COM
plaint filed with the commission, and
which was confidential under the COM
missions rules, notices were posted in
the commission building that hereafter
passes from heads of departments will
be required for all persons, even en-
ployes, who enter the building outside
Of working hours. When the McManus
report was read Mr.. Heney protested
that the practice of leaving the Office
doors unlocked offered chance for
unfortunate" happenings, and said he
had several times found an attorney
for the packers alone in his office when
he returned there.
1t appeared from the evidence to-day
that the packers received advance in
formation of a postponement of action
OH CNG OOTldnO resolution Dy CNc mouse
Judiciary Sub Committee.
Close watch was kept on the views
of Congressman on the Borland resolu-
ton by agents of the packers in Wash
ington, their reports usually being
cautiously devised so that Identities
were indicated only by initial or state
Especial attention was given to Repre-
sentative Gard, of Ohio, and Represen-
tative Morgan, of Oklahoma, from
whom opposition was feared. Opposi-
tion to the Borland resolution, includ-
ing a food Of kilograms inspired by
the packers, was financed, according to
the evidence, by fund of $4,000
raised on a percentage basis among the
Armour, Swift, Morris, Cudahy and
Sulzberger or Wilson firms.
This percentage received the close
attention of the commission, which was
told by Mr.. Heney that it was a con-
tinuation and extension of the pool
known as the National Packing Com
pany, ordered dissolved by the Federal
courts in 1912.
"We will show that this understand
ing between the packers has continued
and is now in effect" he said, "and
that they apportion the livestock pur-
chases throughout the United States
on the basis Of their property holdings,
and that all joint expenses are met on
the same basis"
Buying agreements, tending to elimi-
nate competition and to permit the
packers to control the nations food
supply, long have been charged by the
livestock growers in their demands for
governmental inquiry into the business
f. c. Lasater. of Falfurrias, Tex, u.
leading figure in the American National
Livestock Association, took the stand
to tell of conferences requested by the
packers to promote better feeling be-
tween the producing and purchasing
ends of the business. He said little
was accomplished as the packers were
insistent, first of all. that the proposed
inquiry should be sidetracked entirely.
or confined only to economic questions
with all criminal aspects eliminated
81 told them that if conditions con-
tinued unchanged, my holdings could
go to any man who would pay the re-
manning Indebtedness" he asserted,
"for l did not want to leave my chill
dren heritage from which they could
obtain only what they were allowed By
five outsiders controlling the market"
Tho COh -cO m n,ittoo roprocopt;pcr