Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-03-01
HENEY ASKS
LEGAL CLUB
FOR BIG 5
Foe of Packers, Blocked By
Court Decisions, Demands
That Congress Enact New
Law to Permit Barring of
Records.
DECLARES FELONIESs
ARE BEING HIDDEN

AttL DLx1NU 111ODLAN
Washington, D. c. Feb. 2s.-Special
and speedy legislation to lay bare the
packers and disclose what government
investigators believe will show plans
to take complete control of the meat
industry, was asked Of congress today
by the federal trade commission.
On recommendation of Francis ].
Heney, special counsel conducting the
commissions investigation, who has
been restrained by court orders from
taking further papers and also from
using those already seized by his
agents, the commission laid the facts
before congress and asked for action.
MANY FELoNIEs ALLEGED
Charging that Henry Veeder, coun-
sci for the packers, "is still custodian
of many papers which have been used
as instrumentalities in the commits
sion of felonies," Mr.. Heney asked for
supplement to the espionage law to
facilitate the governments inquiry
into the industry.
After Federal Judge Lands Of Chi
cago had issued a search warrant
authorizing the seizure Of important
documents in the possession Of Mr..
Veeder, the federal circuit court OF ap
peals restrained a marshal from re-
moving or examining any of the pa
pers in Veeder's vault and further
from examining or in any way using
papers already seized by the govern
ment.
DEMANDS NEW LEGISLATION
The action Of the appellate court in
issuing the stay, said Mr.. Heney, pre-
vented the government from even e3-
amining papers already in its posses
sion and which a federal district court
had found had been used "as the
means of committing felonies by Swift
and company and other corporations.
In his letter to Vice President Mar
shall as president OF the senate Mr..
Heney described this question ito be
Of such vital importance to its work
and possibly the work Of other depart
ments Of the government to require It's
calling the matter to the attention of
congress-"
vEEDER is ACCUSED
Counsel Heney in his letter declar-
ed that Mr.. Veder at the beef trust
trial in 1912 after the statute OF limf-
tations had expired. had testified that
for many years his office was the
clearing house for the five big packers
in criminal conspiracy which they
maintained for the fixing OF prices
and the control of the meat industry.
"The evidence which we have
gathered in the present Investigation
continued Mr.. Heney, strongly tends
to prove that this conspiracy with
some slight modification to its scope
! and purpose has continued in exist
ence ever since and is still active and
that Veeder is the custodian of many
papers which have been used IN the
pursuance thereof as instrumentalities
in the commission Of felonies.'
The Swift, Armour, Morris, wilson
and Cudahy packing companies are
specifically mentioned in the alleged
commission of felonies."
POLITICIANS EXPLAIN ACTS
James B. Reynolds. secretary OF
] the republican national committee,
and John c. Eversman, formerly sec
retary of the republican COMPRESSION.
al campaign committee, both issued
statements today bearing on the ref
erences to them brought out at yes
terday's federal trade commission
hearing into the meat packing busi
ness at Chicago. At the hearing
Counsel Heney for the commission
introduced letters from the packers
files to show Eversman as represent
ing Wilson and company. quoted
Eyersman as having advised the
packers that he had arranged for
representative of press association
to- get information for them on the
floor of the house and referred to the
fact that Secretary Reynolds wa:
connected with the woolen manufac
turers under a similar arrangement.
Eyersman's statement declared hi
never had been retained by Wilson
and company but had advised thu
hackers to have representative ant
did suggest that newspaperman bt
secured to furnish information from
congress but later dropped the plal
as he then considered it improper
The suggestion. Eversman said, neve
was carried out.
) COURSE ENTIRELY OPEN
Mr.. Reynolds declared in his state
ment that he was connected with th'
wooden manufacturers not because o
his connection with the republican ma
tional committee. but in spite of it,
that all the operations Of the asso
citation have been conducted since
democratic administration came int
office and that his work was to Sc
that the domestic manufacturers re
ceiyed proper representation befor
the government departments in pei
fectIy open and legitimate way. MI
: REYNOLDS said he probably had bee,
, selected because as an assistant sec