The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-28
FLATLY DENIES IT
Packers Did Not Give $1,000 to
Kansas Senator's Campaign.
Thompson Appears as Volun-
tary Witness at Investigation.

Washington, Jan. 2S.-Additional
letters and documents from the con-
fidential files of the big packing plants
i'll Chicago were expected today by
Francis j. Heney, conducting the fed
eral trade commissions investigation
into the packing industry. He indi-
Gated sat the open hearings Saturday
that the commission agents had re-
ported the documents to be of prime
importance. In the event of the delay
in the the mails. Mr.. Heney was pre-
pared to continue reading from the
mass of originals and show certified
photographs already obtained which,
he said, would show that the combina-
ton of packers, ordered dissolved by
the federal courts in 1912, in reality
has been continued and extended until
live stock buying thruout the United
States is done without competition be-
tween them.
Senator Thompson. of Kansas. ap-
peared at the hearing today and asked
to make n statement in regard to let
ters found in the files of Swift & Com
pany which mentioned the senator as
good man to stay close to-" and
recommended that he be given some
of Swift's legal business in Kansas
City. The senator will be called as a
witness at his request.
Denies ST 900 to Campaign
Senator Thompson denied specif-
ically that he ever handled any busi-
ness of the packers or that w. Fl.
Gates contributed $1,000 to his cam
paign expenses He declared he was
strongly in favor of both the reSolu-
tions for congressional investigation
of the packing industry. He read a
telegram from Gates denying that
Gates ever had made such state
ment as was credited to him in the
packers files.
Mr. Heney told the commission that
from his inquiries he was confident
Senator Thompson was entirely inno-
cent of the imputations contained in
the packers memorandum.
Quotes General Wood.
Major General Wood, Mr.. Baker
said, recommended calling out large
army, altho the men could not be
provided at once with rifles and
clothing.
Every soldier who needs rifle has
one, Secretary Baker said,s and of a
better type than the British Enfield
rifle had been adopted.
! Stole DoolittIe Complaint
+! Washington. D. c.. jan 2s.-An
I Immediate house cleaning" by the
! federal trade commission to check
further leaks of important infor-
I nation is to be undertaken. One Of
ficial. at least is already slated to go
/ Letters just unearthed in private
: files of Chicago meat packers during
the progress of the commissions in
vestigation show packers in August
: 1915 obtained from secret files of the
commission copy of a complaint OF
Representative Doolittle, Kansas, urg-
ing a probe of the packing houses.
II have been in politics too long,
the senator said, ito pay attention to
such incidents except that my con-
stituents may draw o wrong inference
and they are entitled to know the
truth"
! The senator read a telegram from
w H Gates, whom the letters quoted
in preference 10 Thompson. saying he
never had contributed $1,000 to the
senator's campaign fund. Thompson
blamed Uncontrolled lobbyists for
the way he had become involved in
the investigation.