The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-26
They Branch Out Into Tin and
Canning Industries.
Charge Made by Francis J.
Heney, Federal Investigator.
TRIED TO CALL OFF PROBE
Find Packers Money Strong
Control in Kansas City.
Designed Telegram Propaganda
To Flood congressman.

Washington Jan. 26.-Sensational
disclosures in the federal trade COM
missions investigation of the packing
industry today ranged from efforts to
head of the inquiry, to evidence of
packing houses interests in Kansas
City street railways in the tin indus
try, and finally to documentary evil
dence of an agreement of the five
great packers to divide the country
into five districts for buying live stock
for the purpose of limiting competition
between them.
An old and creased bit of paper
was put into the record to show that
the agreement between the packers
made in 1903 under the name of the
National Packing company had been
continued and extended after the Ma
tional Packing company had been dis
solved by the federal courts in 1912.
1t was a memorandum addressed to
III. A. Co. said to be H. A. Chatham,
private bookkeeper for Edward f.
Swift, who had asked:
Can you give me Nat. P. Co. per-
centages?" Underneath this was
written:
"A. & Co. 4O11, c. & Co. 4e.70, M.
& Co. 1919" which were said to be
representa- tive of the holdings of Ar
mour, Swift and Morris in the Ma
L
Two Others Join in big s."
+ Attorney Heney for the commission
declared it had been found that when
the National Packing company was
dissolved the properties were divided
so that each of these three packers
could retain the same percentages of
business in each city which they had
enjoyed before the dissolution.
Furthermore, he added, in 1918 the
Sulzberger corporation, which later
became Wilson & Co., and Cudahy &
Co were brought in on new basis, |
which he declared was still in force. |
This basis, he said, covered the pur-
chase of cattle, sheep and hogs thru !
out the United States. even the country |
buying. He called attention to a sec |
ond notation. which read follows: |
"a, 1926; s., 35.75: M, 1893; s. |
& s., 1000; c.. LOO"
Divided Up Purchasing Territory. |
Mr. Heney told the commission that |
in addition to sh, wing that purchases !
of live stock were made in the exact |
proportions set forth in the memoir |
that all joint expenses of the |
packers, such as the opposition to the |
Borland resolution in congress for an !
investigation of the live stock indus !
try were met in the same proportion. |
I'VE have letters to show that this I
1913 and is still IN effect" Mr.. Heney
said.
Washington, Jan. 26.-The big |
packing interests were charged today |
by Francis J. Heney, special counsel
in the federal trade commissions in
vestigation into the meat packing in
dustry, with having attempted to bring
influence to bear on President Wilson
to have the present investigation
sMr. Henev told the commission that
he would show that joint kilograms
recently sent to the president by
number of Detroit bankers protesting
that Nthe investigation was disturbing
conditions had been inspired
by the packers. I
Evidence of the packers influence
in the tin industry also has been dis
covered, Mr.. Heney told Commissioner
who asked about that phase
of the inquiry, after remarking that
the packers were broadening their ac-
tivities inN the production of canned
food.
Control by the packers over finan-
cial institutions has reached such an
extent, Mr.. Heney said, that recently
when an independent packer asked
for a loan from one of the big New
Y ork banks, the bank wrote to Thomas
E Wilson, of Wilson & Co, asking if
the credit should be extended.
Divide Up Territory
Division of livestock buying thruout
the United States by the five big pack Il
ers which would have the effect of
limiting competition between them,
was charged by Mr.. Heney on the
basis of memorandum taken from
the confidential files of Edward F.
Swift. /
Control Il. c. Street Car Company.
Statements 'by Francis j. Heney
that Armour & Co. had been found to
control the street railways of Kansas
City was the first indication that the
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