Evening journal., 1918-01-11
SWEARING AN INDUSTRY
lFrom The Chicago Herald.)

In few days readers Of newspapers
doubtless will find under Boston. New
York, Chicago and other date lines fur
Their details of Heneys bombardmeni
Of the meat packing industry Of the ma
tion. The preliminary barrage fired I'm
Washington attracted a lot of attention
a loud noise always does.
What is the specific target at which
Heney is shooting? Ex0rbitant prices
for The goods these men sell? II so the
attorney for The Federal trade commits
sion should train his guns on the gov
ernment, for the powers that be in
Washington have fixed the profits Of the
packers at 2ia per cent And vet we
arc told that among the possible re-
suits Of the inyestlg8t on is action by
the meat division of the food admins
irahon to force the packers 10 re-
duce prices or face revocation Of Ii
censes."
To the men who know the facts such
pinle is nauseating, but to the great
mass OF uniformed it has the effect OF
a salvo OF poison gas shells.
is the Federal trade commission aim
ing at the charges Of the Chicago june
tion Railway If so Mr. Wilson at
noon today yanks this target off the
range, for in taking over the roads Of
the nation the government Is pledged.
In SO far as the personal word Of the
President carries weight, TO pay this
particular road the same average in
come that 10 has earned in the last
three years. If any wrong. as Mr..
Henry suggests, has been committed. 10
Is to be perpetuated by the government.
A personal transaction Of Mr.. Ogden
Armour seems to be the hair shirt that
Mr. Henry is wearing at this particular
time. IL Mr. Armour has violated the
law The law Is big enough TO get Mr..
Armour Mr. Armour denies he is guilty
or any crime and he has not hesitated
TO fire a few shots Of his own with the
muzzle Of his gun trained a little south
of east.
10 matters not for the moment what
Mr.. Armour and other persons did h
acquiring ownership in the stock yards
company. As the government is in con-
tr0l Of the meat selling business the
transaction cap have no effect on the
price Of porlerhouse steak. liver or
pigs feet. What does matter is the
general attack on lhe packing business.
which, whether intended so TO do or
not, can only inname public opinion
against a vital industry Were the at
tack capable OF justification, even re-
motely, what material benefits can ac-
crue TO the public at this moment?
few years ago we heard a great
hulabaloo about the steel trust and
its iniquities. The Government was
hot on its trail. The Cyclopean ham
mer of The Department of Justice hung
in the air above its composite bulk,
ready TO smash II into its original
parts. War came The hammer hangs
suspended. Why? Because we are at
war Because we must be a united
nation TO win the war. Because we
are lighting another fellow. and to fight
among ourselves is suicide. n we
have any dirty linen to wash. let's do
20 when a clothes line will not divert
our attention from the battle line.
The present and immediate future is
our concern today The teeth of the
beef trust7-admitting for tho sake of
argument that they have i'm the past
been fastened i'm the throat of the pub
lic-haye been pulled by the Govern
ment.
No class Of manufacturers I'm Amer
lea has less TO say today about its