The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-21
THE CROOKED DEALS
OF THE BI0 PACKERS.
How They Tried to Mead of the Gov
ernmeat lnves tigstioa-Corrup-
tioa Shown
By RALPH L. HARMON.

BY RALPH l. HARMON.
For nearly two years the packers
prevented the investigation that is
now letting daylight into their dark
and crooked ways in many big cities
|'of the United States. If they had had
their way the Federal Trade commits
sion would never have got a chance at
them. They first tried to prevent any
investigation, then tried to name the
bodies who would make the investi-
cation, and then tried to name their
own friends and lawyers to help the
Investigators, when both the other
plans failed. They got up big slush
fund and the "big five" packers con-
tributed to it on fixed percentage
basis. The burden of the expense
was divided thus:
Armour, 1926 per cent, or s4,39s. 80;
Cudahy. 10 per cent, or S1,5OO; Nor
ris, 1893 per cent, or $2,247. As; Swift
37.75 per cent, or $685. .65; and Will
son, 10 per cent, or $500. This has
been brought out in hearings at
Washington in the last few days.
They got in touch with men out
side of congress and had them use
heir influence on senators and con-
gressmen to prevent or to change the
direction of the investigation. They
promised law work to firms with
which senator's and congressman
were connected. They contributed to
campaign funds of some who were
friendly. They got reports on the
attitude Of members of congress, and
devised a system of kilograms and
letters to come to them from many
parts Of the country. They called
the roll Is 1t were,i every once in
while, and the correspondence dis
closed last week by the investigation
is full Of names Of senators and con-
gressmen whom the packers had def
initely lined up for them. They
planned to use tho United States bu-
reau Of markets to inaugurate an
educational campaign" for their own
benefit.
One Of the friendly influential men
the packers consulted with was SEN
ator Wadsworth of New York, a
strong reactionary booster of Colonel
Roosevelt. Another man they count
ed on as friendly was Charles J.
Brand, chief Of the bureau Of mar
kets, the man who devised the feder-
al grain grades that have proven so
acceptable to the grain combine and
disastrous to the farmers. Still an
other was E. Dana Durand, formerly
chief of the census bureau and now
head of the department of economics
at the University Of Minnesota. Mr..
Durand made = report to Swift 4 Co..
in 1915. the testimony showed. indi
eating how certain members Of con-
gress would stand. Later he edited
booklet published bv Swift l. Co.
in defense Of the packers.
This Is just an outline of what the
packers did. Let them confess It in
their own words in the truth-telling
letters that they did not suppose
would ever fall into the hands of in
vestigatsrs and reach the public.
Here is the report of beef trust
lawyer to Swift & Co., showing how
guilty they knew themselves to be:
81 believe the situation to be seri-
Gus and recommend that everything
be done in every direction to head off
the present movement. We believe
that as it stands today, nothing could
stop criminal prosecutions"
Here is letter to Senator Wads-
worth. Senator Wadsworth, besides
being a reactionary politician, is one
of the stockholders of Swift & Co.,
Mr.. Heney said, according to lists the
commission has discovered:
"This will introduce Mr.. R. M.
McManus, general attorney of
Swift Co., who needs some ad-
vice and perhaps some help in
connection with matter which
is pending in congress. Assuring
you that I shall be grateful for
any favors you may grant him.,
am, yours sincerely,
az. F. SWIFT"
A letter written IN July. 1915, by
Arthur Meeker, vice president of Ar
mour & Co., to F. E. White, confiden-
tial man handling politics for the
beef trust, shows how slick the pack
ers were in their effort to stampede