Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-08-27
i, S, MONOPOLY ON
REFRIGERATOR CARS
NOW RECOMMENDED
Would Put Them in Govern
ment Hands to Be Operated
by Railroads.

Washington, Aug. 26-Declaring
that the step is necessary to control
the business of the five largest pack
ing companies, the federal trade
commission in special report to
President Wilson recommends that
operation of refrigerator cars, and Of
cars used for transportation of meat
animals be declared government
monopoly. 1t recommends, further,
that the property concerned, includ-
ing icing stations and other facilities
as well AS the cars be acquired by
the government and railroads there
after be licensed to own and operate
them. The big packers, the report
says, now own 80 per cent Of all the
refrigerator equipment in the country
suitable for the transportation Of
fresh meat.
1.-The present countrywide system,
of transportation 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.
"1n turn, the volume of traffic of
the five packers has enabled them to
secure from the railroads advantages
over competing shippers. Formerly,
in the shape of direct rebates, these
advantages are now usually in eXpe-
dited service to the big packer cars;
in favorable mixing rules which in
clude all their diversified products
and even many articles not related
to the packing industry; by allowan-
ces paid to some of the big packers
by carriers for part of the transpor-
tation service; by favorable arrange
ments and lease of stock yards by
the railroads to some of the big
packers; and by the sale of the rail
roads of humping posts manufacture
ed by subsidiary of one of the big
five.
Leave to Public.
"The small Independent packers
cars are misused and diverted, fire.
quently being out of his service for
extended periods, in several instances
as long as six months. In 1917, the
cars Of the "big five" and their sub
sidiary companies maintained al
average of sos miles per car pei
per day, while the average for ears
of their competitors, the independ
ent packing companies, was only
54.4 miles"
The commissions investigation OF
the private car ownership has devel
oped the fact that while packers
claim losses, the report says, Va prop
er revision of their car accounts
shows the car operation has nettec
some profit. This amounted to 6.e
per cent in 1912, 3-4 per cent in 1915
and 4.3 per cent in 1917.
Thomas E. Wilson, president OF
Wilson and company, and chairman
of the Institute of American Meat
Packers, in a statement here today
said the packers were willing to sub
nit "the justice of the commission
demands" in it's report on private
car lines to the common sense of tbs
American public.
Packers Statement.
"Under an investigation ineXper
fenced by transportation questions,
said Mr.. Wilson, 'the trade commits
sion presented report diamentrical
ly opposed to that handed down by
the interstate commerce commission
composed of men trained in railroad
work. After a six year study of tht
question the interstate commerce
commission report said.
can important part Of the inter
state commerce of the country i;
transported in privately owned cars
1t is to the interest of the owners
carriers and public that their opera
ton should be continued under sucl
rules and regulation as will insure
their efficient handling without dis
elimination against any shipper o.
particular description of traffic. Thu
system of the use and supply of pri
waite cars that now exists cannot b;
at once and radically changed with