South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-26
BARE PACKER
TO
THWART PROBE.
Confidential Files of 1916
Show Meat MagnateS Used
Every Device to Defeat
Federal Inquiries.
Associated Press Service :

Associated Press Service:
WASHINGTON. Jan. 25.-Activi-
| ties behind the scenes in Washington
! during agitation in 1916 for an in
! vestigation into the livestock and
| packing industry were revealed Fri
| day in correspondence taken from
the confidential files Of swift Il Co.
of Chicago. showing the efforts Of
the big packing firms to defeat any
/ inquiry into their business.
The correspondence was introduce
ed at the resumption OF the federal
trade commissions investigation,
which was transferred abruptly from
! the middle west when Walter
| Twombley. an agent of the commits
| sion, unearthed from the Swift files
documents regarded as Of such SEN
sationaI import, that Francis j.
| Heney special counsel and his as
sistants hurried here from Chicago
To put the discoveries into the offi-
| cial record.
During the period covered by the
| correspondence there were pending
! in congress resolutions introduced
/ by Rep. BOrland Of Missouri and
Doolittle of Kansas, proposing in
! quiry into conditions OF livestock
marketing which cattlemen hal
charged permitted the packers to
manipulate the market as they
choose. A report on the situation
made by counsel 70 G. f. Swift, jr.,
and other officers of the firm, said:
, We believe the situation to be
| serious and recommend that every
| thing be done i'm every direction TO
head off the present movement We
| believe that as it stands today, moth
/ ing could stop criminal prosecu-
| tions"
How Probe Was Fought.
/ In addition TO working i'm WASH
ington, the packers went to the
| source Of the agitation for an in
| quiry. Their records showed they
| were kept informed of the plans of
the American National Livestock as
sociation by T. W. Tomlinson, secre-
| tary. and made their preparations
TO nullify the associations work. In
! addition "educationaT' work was
undertaken at the associations con-
ventions and counsel recommended
| that the packers assist conservative
elements in the varioIs associations
to gain control and hush the opposl-
/ ton.
| Immediately after the BOrland
resolution was introduced in con-
: gress. according 10 the records. Ar
mour, Swift and Morris arranged
to oppose il. Later Cudahy was
| asked 10 join them because it was
suggested counsel for that firm hal
powerful acquaintances' in Wash
! ingtOn.
Il. c. McManus. counsel for Swift,
proceeded TO Washington TO keep
in touch with developments. If the
resolution could not be made to die
\ in committee. the packers proposed
! TO draw a herring across the in
vestigation trail" as Commissioner
] Murdock phrased II. by having the
bureau of markets commence publ
! cation of livestock and beef price
| data. which they hoped would
make an investigation unnecessary.
! Failing in that it was proposed to
{ have any investigation touch mere
! ~ the economic phases of the in
! dustry and be conducted by the bu-
| reau Of markets rather than the
federal trade commission, though
the commission was preferred 10 =
congressional committee. as likely to
be less Influenced by political con-
siderations.
Honey Promises Something Good.
In connection with references to
an effort 10 obtain governmental
price figures furnished by them
selves. through an amendment 70
the agricultural appropriation BILL
MT. Heney announced that this mat
ter would be the subject of very
int eresting documents" TO be intro
duced Saturday
According 10 the evidence. as
TIME for hearings on the Borland
resolution drew near. the Doolittle
| resolution having been dropped.
\ many emissaries We're sent 10 Wash
n ington. sen. WadswOrth of New
\ York. VIII, Heney said. was a stock
! holder in Swift x Co. was appealed
I 20 for aid w. II. Gates. at that
\ time chairman Of the democratic
N state committee of Colorado. accord
n ing 20 the documents, reported on
II the attitude Of various senators and
II congress- men. especially his friend.
n Sen. THOMPSON Of Kansas. whom he
II characterized as "A good man 70 stay
close 10 ard recommended tina,
II swift x Co. give his firm some OF
N their Kansas City business.
Claim Wilson Was Opposed.
Gates also reported that advisers
of the president declared he opposed
the Borland resolution as disturb
ing 70 business. Attention was call
ed Friday i'm this connection 20 the
fact that the present investigation
/ ICCoNrINUED on PAGE THREE)