Arizona republican., 1919-01-18

LII lO tHe ptOplc OA lIlt ! United States and especially the resi- dents of our industrial towns and ci- ties of an abundant supply of whole some food at the lowest possible prices that will assure it's production is a matter of the greatest importance. It has an especial and immediate inter est to which we earnestly ask your at tention," declares the market commit tee of the American National Live Stock association in a statement to the | public and press. The statement con- 1 tlnueS:
 By express direction of the presi- | dent and under specific appropriation | by congress, the federal trade com | mission has made a searching investi- 1 gation into this subject, particularly | as it is affected by the operations of | the large Chicago packers. On De- cember 10, 1918, at the suggestion of the president, a bill was introduced in congress by Representative Sims, of the house committee on interstate and foreign commerce, for the purpose of carrying into effect the recommends tions of the federal trade commission with respect to the marketing of live stock and of meats and other products derived from the slaughtering of live stock. A preliminary hearing on this bill held on December 19, and further | hearings are now being held. An alert and informed public spin- ion is essential to the right determina- tion of the issues involved The imme- diate issue is the relation of the five big Chicago packers to the consumers of meat and animal products and to | the producers of the live stock from which these meats and other products are obtained Involevd in this issue is also the marketing of many other are obtained Involved in this issue l vital to he whole nation and to every interest concerned, and the rights and welfare of every interest should be thoroughly understood, impartially protected and wisely promoted.
 Depend Upon the Press
 i The interests of the big packers have now for many months been pre- sented through paid advertisements and special articles which together 1 constitute an unparalleled publicity i campaign conducted by experts in the | art of influencing public opinion and i costing enormous sums of money. 1 Neither the consumer nor the produe- l CT can compete effectively with these methods, although they ultimately pay i the bills. The consumers are wholly unorganized and the producers are 1 practically unorganiZed. Both must 1 depend upon the independence of the American press and upon it's intelligent l devotion to the public welfare. It is | in confident appeal to that independ- ence and public spirit that the Amer 1 ican National Live Stock association l addresses rhe press and especially re- | quests the publication of this letter i and of full and fair reports of the important congressional hearings and 1 debates.
 "The American National Live Stock | association is the national association | of producers of meat animals in the 1 United States. Directly and through it's affiliated organizations it speaks | for a great part of producing America and speaks in the interest not only of the producers, but of the consumers of meat products. It views with serious 1 concern the extraordinary campaign of | concentrated power and concentrated profits which the packers have been and still are conducting to influence American public opinion. It does not possess the financial resources with which to combat it on it's own ground, even if it desired to do so. All it does desire to do is to make certain that the evidence and arguments of all par ties in so vital a controversy shall be
 
 popular jury of the country.
 Desire Nothing Unfair
 Tt believes that neither the produc- CTS nor the consumers desire anything that is unfair to those who perform the necessary and useful functions ot slaughtering live stock and marketing it's meat and other products. It be- lieves, however, that they do desire to open and to keep open if possible the door to free and fair competition in every branch of the great business of supplying the consuming public with the products of the farm and of the ranch, and that while such competi- tion is being established and until it is established the practical monopoly which has confessedly existed in the past and which the federal trade com . mission has found exists today shall be effectively regulated and controlled for the protection of the interests of producer and consumer alike. They recognize the value and the need ot cooperation between all those who en- gage in the inter dependent processes of production, of manufacture and o1 distribution; but it must be the CO., operation of democracy and not the CO., operation of financial oligarchy witt democracy. It must be a cooperation not only between packer and producer but with the consumed: and it's objec must be 70 furnish food to the con. sumer at the lowest cost consisten with a far return to those producers manufacturers and distributors who dC perform essential services by efficien methods economically sound. Tn. president has well said: It is obviou! that there will be no sufficient in. centive to enlarge production if thert does not exist an unobstructed anc economical system of distribution. Un Justifiable fluctuations in prices arr not merely demoralizing; they inevit ably deter adequate production 1 effective competition does not exis 1 and if monopoly is not effectively con troEed, the injury 10 the producer di rectiy fcsutt1 te the injury of the con sumer. Indeed, the Sims biIi is chief! devoted to the establishment of pub lie control over the instruments ant agencies for the transportation, stora 2 and distribution of meats and othe food products to the consumer. Sucl control is essential also to the protec
 tion of the producers. The partia regulation which is being exercised a an emergency war measure is tempo
 rary in character and inadequate in it operation.
 Months vs. Days
 Upon the great body of farmers stock raisers and feeders rests the tas
 of producing beef, pork and mutton, |
 feed the consuming populations c American towns and industrial an
 commercial centers. The months an
 years which these producers mus spend in raising and fattening a mea animal fer market is to be contraste