The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-29
COMMISSION URGES
US. CONTROL OF
4 REFRIGERATOR CARS
FEDERAL TRADE BOARD RECON-
MENDS PURCHASE By U. 5.
TO BREAK MONOPOLY

Washington, Aug. 2S. - Declaring
that the step is necessary to control
the business of the five packing COM
panies. the Federal Trade Commission
In a special report TO President Wilson
recommends that operation of refrig
orator cars and of cars used for trans
portation of meat animals be declared
u government monopoly.
1t recommends further that the prop
erty concerned, including icing stations
and other facilities as well as the cars,
be acquired by the government and
railroads thereafter be licensed to own
and operate them
The big packers, the report says,
now own 80 per cent of all the refrig'
orator equipment in the country suit
able for the transport of fresh meat.
The present countrywide system Of
distribution by the five big packers
has grown up from their control Of
refrigerator car lines in conjunction
with various pools" the report says
in part.
In turn, the volume of traffic OF
the five packers has enabled them to
secure from the railroads advantages
over competing shippers. Formerly in
lnt SHaDe u ultNGl itpdbNS, NilSsS sl
Vantages now are usually in expedited
service to the big packer cars; in taV-
orable mixing rules which include all
their diversified products and even
many articles not related to the pack
ing industry; by allowances paid TO
some of the big packers by carriers
for a part of the transportation ser
vice: by favorable arrangements ana
lease of stockyards by the railroads to
some of the big packers; and by the
sale to the railroads Of humping posts
manufactured by u subsidiary of one
of the big five.
The small independent packers cars
are misused and diverted. frequently
being out of his service for extended
periods, in several instances as long
as six months.
In six months the cars of the big
five and their subsidiary companies
maintained an average of sos miles
per car per day, while the average Tor
cars of their competitors, the inde-
pendent packing companies, was only
54.5 miles"
The commissions investigation of the
private car ownership has developed
the fact that while packers claim loss'
es, the report says "a proper revision
Of their car accounts" shows the car
operation has netted some profit This
amounted to 6.S per cent in 1912, "a
per cent in 1914, and 4.3 per cent in
1917"
Thomas t. Wilson, president of Will
son < Company. and chairman Of the
Institute of American Meat Packers,
la., tnIn
packers were willing to submit tho
justice of the commissions demands
in its report on private car lines to
the common sense OF the American
public.
After an investigation by men in
experienced in transportation ques-
tons" said Mr. Wilson, the trade COM
mission presented u report diametricai-
ly opposed to that handed down by the
Interstate Commerce Commission, com
posed Of men trained in railroad work
After a six-year study Of the question
the Interstate Commerce Commission
report said: An important part of the
interstate commerce of the county Is
transformed in privately owned cars.
II is to the interest Of the owners, car
riers and public that their operation
should be continued under such rules
and regulations , as will insure their
efficient handling without discrimina
ton against any shipper or particular
description Of traffic. The system or
the use and supply of private cars
that now exists cannot be at once
radically changed without serious CON
sequences to shippers, carriers and the
public
There are admittedly too few re-
frigerator cars. Spread the use of the
packer owned cars among the shippers
over the entire country and mileage
will be reduced, with a consequent IN
crease in the cost of meat foods or
necessary reduction in live animal
prices. 1t would seem that if real
solution is sought it might he found by
some agency building enough addition
al cars to meet the deficiency