The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-08
TO BREAK POWER
OF PACKERS
CONTINUED from page IL

up to congress to pass the necessary
; Legislation which will enable the rail-
road administration to take over the
packers facilities.
The commission charges in Its re
port that the five great packing con
Germs of the country-Swift, Armour
Morris, Cudahy and Wilson-"haye al
tanned such dominant position tnat
they control at will the market ID
(which they buy their supplies, tne
market in which they sell their pro
ducts, and hold the fortunes OF their
competitors in their hands.
To break this power the commission
chose what it regarded as simple
and non-spectacular remedy. 1t holds
that since cattle cars are necessary
mart of the equipment OF railroad, such
cars should be under federal owner
lship and operation and available TO all
like.
1t holds that stock yard is moth
ing more than depot for cattle the
same as passenger or freight depot
for people and therefore should be a
part Of the railroad facilities subject
to the use of all alike.
! Declaring that the ownership by the
five great packing interests of refrig-
orator cars furnishes one Of the most
/ powerful means for control, manipu-
lations and restraint" the commission
irecomm ends that tuese cars be taken
J over by the railroad administration.
Branch houses, cold storage houses
and warehouses are provided by COM
mon carriers for various sorts of
freight except meat and perishables-
therefore the packers warehouses
should logically come under railroad
operation, the commission says.
Having acquired these facilities the
railroad administration could then es-
tablish at the terminals of all princi-
pal points of distribution and con-
sumption, central wholesale markets
and storage plants with facilities open
to all
The commission believes that its
suggested remedies strike so deeply
at the root of the tree of monopoly
that they constitute an adequate and
simple solution" Of the problem.
In answer to the presidents inquiry
the commission says its Investigation
of the packers shows unquesuonabiy
that there exist "monopolies, control.
trusts, combinations, conspiracies and
restraint of trade out of harmony with
the law and public interest"
While its findings disclose an Sin
and conspiracies, according to the
commission, the legislative and ad-
ministrative remedies, it believes, can
be easily arrived at through the rail-
road administration.
In vigorous attack upon the trust"
the commission says mot only Is the
business Of gathering, preparing and
selling meat products in their control,
but an almost countless number Of by
products Industries are similarly domi-
mated; and not content with reaching
out for mastery as to commodities
which constitute meat and its by-pro-
ducts, they have invaded allied indus
tries and even unrelated ones.
THE combination" the commits
sion's report continued, has not stop
ped at the most minute Indignation
but has gone on into a state Of con-
glomeration so that unrelated heterog-
eneous enterprises are brought under
their control
I'VE have found that 1t is not so
much the means of production and
preparation or the sheer momentum
of great wealth, but the advantage
which is obtained through monopolis-
tic control of the market places and
means Of transportation and distribu-
ton.
'Tf these FIVE great concerns owned
no packing plants and killed no cattle
and still retained control of the IN
struments of transportation, of mar
keting and Of storage their position
would not be less strong than it is.
The producer of livestock is at the
mercy of the five companies because
they control the market and the mar
keting facilities and to some extent
the rolling stock which transports
the produce to the markets.
"The competitors of these five con-
Germs are at their mercy because of
the control, of the marketing places,
storage facilities and refrigerator
cars for distribution.
"The consumer Of meat products is
at the mercy of these five because
both producer and competitor are help
less to bring relief.
"Out of the mass of information in
our hands one fact stands out with all
possible emphasis. The small domi-
nant group of American meat pack
ers are now international in their &C
tivities while remaining SArperican in
identity. Blame which now attaches
to them for their practices abroad as
well as at home inevitably will attach
tinue.
"This urgently argues for solution
which will increase and not diminish
the high regard in which this people
is held in international comfy.
Some show of compel tion is stag
ed by the five great packing compa
MES. 1t is superficial. There is the
natural rivalry Of officials and depart /
ments and this is made much Of as
indicating the existence Of real COM
petition. 1t is not real
Some Independent packers exist by
sufferance of the five and few hardy |
ones have survived in real competi- |
ton. Around such few of these as !
remain, the lines are drawn in"
While the commissions report to /
the president is not the so-called .
"Heney report" but on the contratry,
written by members of the commission,