The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-05-08

Hensy arrived In Seattle 10 take a
deposition tn connection with a suit
10 tss. the validity of patents held
by Swift a Co. on a peach pr~llnE de.
vice which would reduc~ the cost OF
canning peaches by from ~ 60 81 a
ton. u is claimed. and max. all the
small Gamers OF the country pay
tribute in royalties. lie represents
the ANAL Gamers OF California In
the suit. Washington canneru ar.
Interested in the outcome OF the test
case.
illustrating the -rasping OF the
packers for food control. Heney cited
the investment OF 81 1000. 900 las, Jan.
uary in Puget sound fishing By VII.
son a Co. one Of thc''Big Five" In
packing circles.
Says He Can't Talk
Concerning the probable ultimate
result OF the probe Of the packing In.
dustry. which he guided. and the
manner in which the Investigation
was met by the packers. Heney said
he was not free to express an opln
ion IL facial expressions can be
taken as any indication. however, I,
was apparent that everything In tn.
investigation has not gone az he
could wish.
The investigation has shown two
things. said Mr.. Heney. ''FirSt
that five big packing companies ar.
In control of all the yards at the big
shipping centers second. that these
five concerns are in agreement as to
the percentage OF all cattle and hog
receipts Of the entire country that
each shall buy The percentax.
varies at tho different yards. but II
works out in the same proportions
as the Armour. Swif, and Morris
packing companies had in 1909. when
they acknowledged they were in q
pooling agreement
Made Shippers Lose
For instance. at Fort Worth our
investigat ton showed that Swift and
Armour we're but four head OF cattle
apart in their purchases for 1915. out
OF more than SOC. 900 head received.
At Denver they we're working on a
$3.50 basis. too. but were about 200
head apart. Phil Armour explaining.
In a letter ye read, written 10 ogden
Armour. that the equipment Of their
plant was 30 inefficient that IL was
difficult to keep up with their share.
AT Kansas city. from records We
took from Swift a. Co. we showed
that where shipper sent car 10
each OF several different points TO
test out the market. the packers
knew Of the shipments and sent tele
grams 70 their represe n ntatives at the
various centers, telling them TO
watch out for the shipments. They
made the shippers lose on all the
shipments but that 20 the point they
wanted him to ship 10.
Are Stili independent
The packers admitted a pool for
a tenyear period, from 1892 10 1902
Then the National Packing Co. was
formed, with directors from each Of
the big packing concerns. who met
in Chicago, ostensibly az rivals Of
their own concerns And the n,,r.
chases OF the packers, we find are
the same today az when the National
Packing Co. was dissolved. In 1912.
Seattle packers. We found, have
maintained their Independence 40
far but II would be but n matter OF
time before they were absorbed or
put out of business. Wilson 4 Co
bought out Spokane competition in
1902"
Heney's report 20 the federal trade |
commission Is now being written by !
Basil Manly. who wrote the famous
Walsh commission report on the Col
orado coal mine Investigation, and !
will be edited by him soon.
Basil Manly has been one Of The !
Stars Washington correspondents /
for the Inst two years)
fIeney confirmed the report that
he will be a candidate for governor ,
of California az the next election He !
left Seattle for Camp Lewis Wednes. |
day afternoon, where he will visit
California men In the national army. !