The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-07-17
FEDERAL REPORT
HITS AT PACKERS
President Wilson Told big Five"
Are Building Great Food
Combine.
PLAN TO CORNER ALL TRADE
Charged With Attempt to Control All
Substitutes for Meat-lnterested
In Banks, Factories and
Other Institutions.

Other Institutions.
Washington, July 14.--An approach
Ing packer domination of all important
foods in the United States and an in
ternational control of meat products
with foreign companies seems GER
tainty unless fundamental action Is
| taken to prevent it, the federal trade
commission declared in part one of its
report to President Wilson on the Tex
tent and growth of power of the five
packers in meat and other Industries"
"a fair consideration of the course
the FIVE packers have followed and the
position they have already reached"
said the report, must lead to the con-
clusion that they threaten the freedom
of the market of the country's food
Industries and of the by-products of the
industries linked Herewith. The meat
packer control of other foods will not
require long in developing"
Declaring "the history of the pack
ers' growth is interviewer with Illegal
commissions, rebates and with undis-
closed control of corporations" the re-
port urged the importance of full pub
licity of corporate ownership for all
industries.
Alleging that the "big five" pack
ers-Swift & Co., Armour & Co, Will
son & Co, Morris & Co. and the Cud-
ahy comparatively or separately
WELD controlling interest in ga COM
I panies, minority interest in 80 others,
and undetermined interest in 93-a to-
tai of 762 companies-and that they
produce or deal in some 775 commodi-
ties, largely food products, the report
gives this picture Of growing packer
invasion into related and unrelated In
dustries.
I'm addition to meat foods they pro-
| duce or deal in such divers c0mmodi-
ties as fresh tomatoes and banjo
strings, leather and cottonseed oil, etc.
''They have interests large enough to
be a dominating influence in most of
the services connected with the pro-
duction and distribution of animal
foods and their by-products, and are
reaching out for control not only of
substitutes for animal foods but of
substitutes for other lines into which
the Indignation of the business has led
them. They are factors in cattle loan
companies, making the necessary loans
to growers and feeders of live stock;
are interested in railways and private
car lines transporting live stock and
manufactured animal products; in
most of the important stockyards com
panles-the public market for the bulk
of food animals, and in live stock
trade papers on which growers and
| feeders rely for market news.
"They are interested In banks from
which their competitors packing
houses borrow money; in companies
supplying machinery, ice, salt, materi-
ais. boxes, etc. to themselves and their
competitors; they are principal deal
ers on the provision exchanges, where
future prices in standard cured ami
NAL products are determined.
Their vast distributing system, with
the advantages arising from the con-
| troll of private cars, cold storage and a
network of branch houses has en-
abled them to extend their activities
on a large scale into poultry, eggs,
cheese butter, rice, breakfast foods,
canned vegetables, soda fountain sup
plies and other lines.
"Some OF Swift & Co.'S subsidiaries
nre growing tropical fruits in Hawaii;
subsidiary of Wilson & Co, Inc,
has reached into the salmon fisheries
Of Alaska, and a Morris concern cans
shrimp taken In the waters of the Gulf
| of Mexico.
"The big five, the report said, have
control of interest in public utility
corporations in Sioux City, Kansas
City, South st. Paul, Portland, Ore,
San Francisco, South st. Joseph, Mo-,
Hill City, Mimi, Fort Worth, Tex,
and Chicago.
AS to financial power, the report
sad in part:
"The packer has drawn to marked
| degree upon the banks of the country
for liquid funds. To assure himself
loans ample to his purpose, the big
lpacker has secured utilization through
stock ownership, representation on di-
rectorate and other ways, with nu-
numerous banks and trust companies.
Mr. Armour, Mr.. Swift, Mr.. Morris and
Mr.. Wilson are directors in banks
affiliated closely with those who are
strong at the source of credit In the
United States. Being thus allied with
the powerful interests at the sources
of credit, the packers power is great"
| President SIGNS important Bills.