The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-01
$4,000 Year for President and
Chairman, Morris Co.
They Recently "GOt a Raise"
From $50, 1000, Walsh Asserts.
HENEY READS MORE LETTERS
Packer Boosted Own Game as
Assistant to Hoover.
Advocated Cut Meat Price by
Eliminating Retail Dealers.

Chicago, March 1.-When the
stock yards wage arbitration was re-
sumed today Frank p. Walsh, at
torney for the employees, read tele-
gram announcing that the men en-
pIoyed in the logging camps and lum-
Der mills of Oregon and Washington
had been granted the eight-hour day.
Judge Alschuler. arbitrator, asked for
details of the changed conditions in
the northwest and Mr. Walsh agreed
to obtain the information.
Cross-examination of William Far
ris, general superintendent for Morris,
was continued by Attorney Walsh
The witness detailed a recent change
in government specifications Tor
bacon which permitted the packers TO
use eighty instead of thirty pounds
of meat from each hog.
The witness declined to state ms
salary, and said he had no informa-
ton regarding the salaries of other
officers.
is it not true that a great amount
of the profits of Morris & Co. are paid
out in large salaries which the execu-
tives vote themselves? p asked AT
torney Walsh
4 do not know was the reply.
Mr.. Walsh read list of what pur-
ported to be the salaries of principal
officials as follows:
Edward Morris. president, $4,000 a
year.
Nelson Morris, chairman of the
board If directors, $75,000 a year.
l. E. Heyman, vice president, $780,
900 a year.
c. NJ. McFarlane, vice president
$55.000 year
He said the salaries IF Edward and
Nelson Morris were increa=ed in 1916
from $4,000 to the present figures.
The attorney read extracts from
speeches alleged to have been made
by Ebert H. Gary and Levy Mayer.
discussing the possible importation of
oriental labor to this country to rem
edy labor shortages during the war
Would you be in favor of bring
ing Chinese labor here to work in the
packing business?" he asked.
Meat Canned With Care.
Not Unless the government passed
the necessary laws authorizing it, re-
piled th= witness. The witness told of
the great care used by the packers in
m'-king canned hash for the army and
ndVy. He said the government regu-
lation requiring the weighing of each
ingredient was strictly followed and
that the product is inspected by exper-
iel'ced soldiers and sailors assigned to
special Guty at the packing houses.
Assail Retail Butchers.
Chicago, March 1.-Retail sale of
IHGdl WIS again taken up at today )
session of the federal trade cornmlss-
sion investigation of the packing, in
ddstry. AT the outset Francis J.
Honey said he would revert to the
published attack of Everett c. Brown
president of the Chicago livestock ex-
change, on retail meat dealers and a
similar attack which, he said had been
made on retailers by the big packers
In this connection he read into the
record a letter from Thomas E Will
son of Wilson & Co. to NJ. E Reuue
August 81. 1917, then actine as first
assistant to Food Administrator Hoov-
err
Mr.. Wilson was acting on authority
delegated to him by the big pack
ers," said Mr.. Heney.
Let Packers Do 1t All.
The letter discussed reduction of the
cost Of meat to the consumer and re-
ferred to a suggestion of saving ex-
penses on each pound by putting the
retail beef sales into the hands of the
packers. The Wilson letter said in
part:
Il think that by more intelligent
handling by retailers the price of meat
could be reduced to the consumer )
cents a pound.
TIE same result might be effected
by elimination of a large proportion
of retailers not now necessary in
handling the product to the con-
sumer.'' r
The letter also suggested that IL
censing retailers might be effective in
reducing the consumers cost.