The sun., 1919-07-07
GROCERS FIGHTING
PACKERS INVASION
Wholesalers See Attempt of
Meat Dealers to Control
Other Food Supplies.
SIC RAILROADS ACCUSED
Interstate Commerce Board
Gets Charges of Alleged
Preferential Rates.
l316 RAILROADS ACCUSED


What promises to be a vigorous ac-
ton designed to prevent the big beef
packing concerns from obtaining control
Of the distribution OF groceries and
other foodstufrs will be started to-day
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission by the National Wholesale Gro
GERS Association, with headquarters In
this city.
The complaint, which will be filed by
Clifford Thorne, attorney for the as
ISOLATION. is directed against Walker ID.
Hines, Director-General of Railroads,
and ais defendant railroad corporations
as common carriers. subject to Federal
control The compliments allege there
10 discrimination in favor Of the pack
ers as railroad shippers and they ask
Tor q modification of rules and tarins
which will give the wholesale grocers
an equal chance with the packers. In
other words, they say, they want
square deal and no special farors for
anybody.
The kernel in the nut which the
wholesale grocers are asking the Inter
state Commerce Commission to crack Is
the fact that the packers have secured
changes in railroad tariffs, which per-
init them to put into their pedler and
refrigerator cars, with shipments OF
meat, all kinds of groceries and food
stuffs Having a special expedited SER
vice for the cars they are able, the COM
plainants say, to guarantee delivery OF
groceries in day or two from the time
the order Is received, while shipments
from wholesale grocers are delayed from
two to ten times as long In transit.
The fear has long been expressed In
the wholesale grocery trade that If this
kind of railroad service Is permitted to
be kept up, II will not be long before the
big packers will have absolute control
of the wholesale grocery business as
well as the wholesale meat business
The wholesale grocers insist in their
complaint that these other food products
should not be shipped with fresh meats
and vegetables, as the regulations per-
hitting the packers to enjoy these ad-
yantages result in unjust discrimination.
Has Members in Every State.
The National Wholesale Grocers AS
ISOLATION has a roster OF several thou
sand wholesalers. with members in every
State In the Union. Counsel in the case
for the grocers are Breed, Abbott Il
Morgan OF this city. r. c. Fulbright of
houston, lex, anu ttAipn MerTlaH VI
Chicago.
After setting forth that various per-
sons. partnerships and corporations
the packers--are engaged in slaughter
ing animals and In the sale, shipment
aud distribution of said slaughtered ami
mails and the products thereof in inter-
state commerce. the complaint says:
THAT because the said packers can
offer for shipment in pedler cars and
other equipment fresh meats and pack
ing house products. defendants. by mix
lures and other devices in their tariffs,
accord said packers special privileges
and services on shipments Of groceries.
grocery staples and other merchandise
when loaded with said fresh meats and
packing house products.
THAT without proper Justification, de-
PENDANTS grant 10 said packers more fire.
quent trains. speedier schedules. more
frequent and extensive refrigeration ser
vice, more liberal routes, and transporta-
tion between more numerous and differ
ent points of origin and destination, on
groceries. grocery staples and other mer-
chandise. when loaded with fresh meats
and packing house products, than they
at the same time accord to members of
complainant on the same quantity OF
said commodities not so mixed or loaded,
or when handled from, to and through
carriers freight houses.
"That with respect to speedier trans
portation, the groceries, grocery staples
and other merchandise shipped by the
members of complainant are usually car
ried on ordinary freight schedules con-
Stunning several days, and in many In
stances from five to twenty days en-
route: whereas, to the same quantity of
groceries, grocery staples and other mer-
- Ia. h,v hA anlya n
mixed with fresh meats and packing
house products as aforesaid. defendants
accord expedited service. often equiva-
lent to that OF passenger trains. consum-
ing only from one to two days en- route"
Facilities Denied TO Grocers.
The complaint cites that to 1.24S out
of 2.974 stations Cor AZ per cent?, be-
ing all the destinations In limited ter
ritory adjacent 70 Chicago, there is no
refrigerator service available from Chi
cago to the members OF the COM
plainant association on perishable gro
ceries. such as cheese.
The complaint also says: THAT the
maintenance of these unjust and dis
criminatory provisions in the tariffs OF
the defendant carriers has enabled the
packers rapidly 10 extend their power
ftll influence outside OF the sale Of the
products of slaughtered animals. That
n these tariff provisions he permitted to
continue In effect. the packers will grad
ually acquire dominating control ovei
the purchase sale and distribution OF
many of the principal food products oil
the American nation.
The wholesale grocers ask the Inter
state Commerce Commission to order the
railroads to eliminate all the unlawful
unreasonable, unjustly discriminatory
and unduly and unreasonably preferen-
tial rates. rules. mixtures, minima and
other carload tariffs which are accorded
10 shipments OF groceries. grocery staples
and other merchandise when rendered
IN moking up mixtures with or wher
shipped in the same car with the prod
ucts OF slaughtered animals"
"It ought not to be necessary for a
man to be a packer in order TO be a sue
cessful merchant in prunes." said a rep
resentative of the National Wholesale
Grocers Association. discussing the rapic
working out OF the packers plans to ex'
tend their wholesale grocery business.
GUARANTEED STOCKS.