The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-26
Promises to Show Joint
Telegram From Detroit
Bankers Was Inspired
COMMITTEE FLOODED
WITH TELEGRAMS
Every Effort Made to Have
the Investigation Call
ed Off
fRv Assoclated Press.l


washington. Jan. 26.-The bis
packing interests were charged to-
day by Francis J. Heney, specia
counsel in the federal trade commits
sion's investigation into the meat
packing industry, with having at
tempted to bring influence to bear or
President Wilson to have the pres
ent investigation stopped.
Mr.. Heney told the commission
that he would show later that a joint
telegram recently sent to the Presi-
dent by a. number Of Detroit bank
ers protesting that the investigation
was disturbing economic conditions
had been inspired by the packers:
Mr., Heney's statement was made
in connection with the reading ol
further confidential documents taken
from the files of the Chicago pack
ers, which showed that the packers
planned an elaborate campaign IN
1915 to influence congressman
against ordering an investigation In
to the livestock and meat packing IN
dustry. as was proposed in the Bor-
land resolution.
The recommendation was made by
counsel for the packers that they
should undertake to have the Judici-
ary committee flooded with tele-
grams from all over the country, es-
pecially the congressional districts
where the members came from, pro-
testing against passage or the Bor-
land resolution, on the grounds that
livestock was selling at very satis-
factory prices and any investigation
would only disturb such satisfactory
Wanted To HRsaeh" Gard.
'It is quite important TO reach
Gard. OF Hamilton, Ohio the mem
orandum OF couna-l reads
Perhaps Proctor, OF Cincinnati,
knows him" l.
Questioned by Commissioner Muir
dock. Mr.. Heney said the Proctor re-
ferred to was the soap manufacturer.
Mr. Murdock found considerable in
terest in a sentence OF. the memoran-
dunn which recommended that all
the messages should be varied. He
said IL was the pyscholoby OF con-
gressmen that when they received q
large number of kilograms identical
in form, they suspected somsbody
was trying to ''put something over
which undoubtedly was recognized by
the packers also. Indication that the
packers had advance information of
what was being done in connection
with the Borland resolution was con-
tanned in a memorandum taken from
the files of Wilson q CO., but which
carried q notation IhowinG that 1t
was sent &c all of the big I'VE pack
ing companies. The memorandum
saidl
"Mr. Faulkner Counsel for Arm
our) has received word from Wash
ington that the Borland hearings
have been definitely set for June 2S.
Do not mention the fact that we
have this advance information as the
official word probably will be out
within a day or two. It Is not be-
lieved that Mr.. Fisher knows it as
yet"
The Mr.. Fisher referred to was
Walter Fisher, counsel for the live
stock men who were urging tine In
Control Traction Company.
Statements by Francis ]. Heney
that Armour & Co, had been found
to control the street railways Of
Kansas City was the first indication
that the financial ramifications OF
the packers touched many street
railway systems.
The influence Of the packers in
Kansas City is more widespread than
In any other city Of the United States,
excepting Chicago" Mr.. Heney said.
Evidence of the packers influence
in the tin industry also has been
Mr.. Heney told Commits
sioner Murdock who asked about that
phase of the inquiry. after remarking
that the packers were broadening
their activities in the production of
canned food.
Control by the packers over fin-
ancial institutions has reached such
an extent, Mr.. Heney said, that re-
Gently when an independent pack
or asked for a loan from one OF the big
New York banks the bank wrote to
r. Wilson, of Wilson & Co,
asking If the credit should be ex-
tended.