The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-22
LEARNING THE TRUTH.

Members of the agriculture commit
tee OF the house. which is considering
the Kenyon bill providing for govern
ment control OF the meat packing In
dustry. are eliciting information which
may be useful to them and to the
country. They are learning, for in
stance, thru testimony offered by the
independent packers, that the big
Five" have no monopoly OF the buy
ing market. as has been charged.
The independent packers testify
that they are buying livestock in com
petition with the big Five" in all the
principal markets. Their testimony
hardly seems necessary. Any thinking
man should have realized that II any
group OF packers was in control of the
buying market, prices OF livestock
would not have remained at the high
figures which have prevailed for
some months past.
The fact that the Big Five" are not
in control OF the buying market hav-
ing been established 1t follows that
they are not in control OF the selling
market. II the independents buy in
competition they must also sell in
competition.
The story OF the oil business is be-
ing repeated in connection with the
meat business. There was a time when
the Standard was charged with fixing
the prices for both buyer and seller OF
oil. and it may have been true. But
that II is doing so no longer must be
apparent. Today Independent oil COM
panies are producing. refining and
selling their products in all the prin-
cipal markets OF the country.
1t is notable in connection with the
committee hearing that It Is the indie
pendent packers who are crying out
most loudly against government con-
troll OF the industry. In view OF this
fact Senator Kenyon may feel called
upon to revise a statement which he
made recently. when he said:
kilograms and letters are pouring
in on senators and representatives by
| the hundreds from people who know
nothing whatever about these bills
but are stimulated TO protest by the
agents OF the packers now active all
over the United States.
They now have agents in their en-
ploy travel around the country In
| terviewing retail merchants, telling
| them that these bills will destroy
them. borrowing letter heads from
storekeepers on which they send theiI
letters to congress. stimulating COM
mercial bodies and leading banks tc
believe that these bills will simply de-
! stroy the nation. This battle is fast
becoming one TO find out whether the
packers. with their combination and
monopoly, are so strong that they car
practically prevent the consideration OF
bills to regulate them.
| Altho published in an agricultural
state and presumably holding no briet
for the packers, the Cedar Rapid:
Ga) Republican sensibly says:
The primary part of the high meat
prices is in the prices that are being
paid to farmers. In Iowa we are farm.
| ers all, but there Is no use in lyins
about 1t. Twenty-three and a hall
for hogs means high prices for meat,
of it. What is the use of trying e
make anything else out of It? Blu
no senator from Iowa would have tht
political courage to propose to pro
coed by investigating farm prices
| and they would find that farmers
prices are necessarily high with the
other high things. such as corn and
labor and land. You cannot cut S1l
bacon from a $3.50 hog. Why no
have this admitted, even in congress
And is the packer responsible 70,
that, but every farmer knows tina
It Is not the packer but the price o.
corn that makes the price of hogs.
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