The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-08-09
WOULD SEIZE
PACKING PLANTS
Trade Commission Urges Presl-
dent to Take Them Over.
AIM BLOW At FOOD TRUST
The Five Big Meat Packing Concerns
Are Declared to Be Menace to the
Nation.

Washington, Aug. 9.-Government
acquisition and control of all the prin-
cipal stockyards, cold storage plants
and warehouses. with both refriger-
ator and cattle cars has been recon-
mended to the president by the feder-
al trade commission.
1t desires to destroy a monopoly
which it declares is exercised, not only
over the meat industry of the c9un-
try, but other necessary food supplies.
Those controlling the monopoly, 1t
says, are Swift & Co., Armour & CO.,
Morris & Co., Wilson & Go. Inc, a.
the Cudahy Packing company.
Basing its statement upon a great
volume of evidence examined, much Of
1t taken from the confidential files Of
the packing companies, the commits
sion said the power Of the five pack
ing companies "has been and Is being
unfairly and Illegally used" to:
Manipulate livestock markets.
Restricted interstate and interna-
tional supplies Of food.
Control the prices Of dressed meats
and other foods.
Defraud both the producers of food
and consumers
- Crush effective competition.
Secure special privileges from rail-
roads, stockyard companies and mu-
inequalities and
Profiteer.
The report continues:
while we have found and will dig
close to you an intricate fabric Of
'monopolies, controls, combinations,
conspiracies and restraints which
would seem to indicate a similarly
complex and minute system Of legfsla-
tive or administrative remedies, we
believe an adequate remedy may be
more simply arrived at
"We believe that if the fundamental
and underlying evils are routed out
the whole structure of conspiracy,
control. monopoly and restraint must
fall
"If these five great concerns owned
no packing plants and killed no cattle
and still retained control of the In
struments Of transportation, of mar
keting and of storage, their position
would be no less strong than 1t Is.
The commission recommended:
"0)-That the government acquire,
through the railroad administration,
all rolling stock used for the trans
portation of meat animals and that
such owenrship be declared a govern
ment monopoly.
''(2)-That the government acquire
through the railroad administration
the principal and necessary stock
yards of the country, to be treated as
freight depots and TO be operated un-
der such condsions as will insure
open competitive markets, with uni
form scale of charges for all services
performed, and the acquisition or es
tablishment of such additional yard
from time to time as the future d.
velopment of livestock production III
the United States may acquire. This
to include customary ad1uncts Of
stockyards.
"(3)-That the government acquire
through the railroad administration
all privately owned refrigerator cars
and all necessary equipment for theii
proper operation, and that such OWL
ership be declared a government mo-
ncpoly.
"(4)-That the federal government
acquire such of the branch houses
cold storage plants and warehouses a.
are necessary TO provide facilities for
the competitive marketing and stor
age of food products in the principal
centers of distribution and consump
ton. The same to be operated by the
government as public markets and
storage places under such conditions
as will afford an outlet for all manu-
facturers and handlers of food pro
ducts ON equal terms
"Supplementing the marketing and
storage facilities thus acquired, the
federal government should establish.
through the railroad administration at
the terminals Of all principal points
of Obstruction and consumption, central
wholesale markets and storage plants
with facilities open to all upon the
payment of just and fair charges"