The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-25
LIVE STOCK PRICE
 RE FOR !. STAbIL|ZING THE MARKET DISCUSSED
Swift Tells Committee Re- moval of Food Administra- ton Restrictions Now Would Result in Ger
 tain Disaster
By Associated prsss

By Associated Prsss
 Washington, January .24. Regulation of live stock prices so as to assure a stable market, either through continuing the food administration or by es- tablishing some similar system of control, was discussed today before congressional commit tees by presidents of two meat packing firms which do an an nual business of about two bill lion dollars.
 Louis r. Swift of Swift X Co. con cIuding an appearance of two days be- fore the House interstate commerce committee, said a stable price over periods of production was desirable and declared if food administration restric- tions were removed now, disaster would result. J. Ogden Armour of Ar mour X O.. told the Senate agriculture committee that some means of as- SuIitS d pIlIt icNti Iol SciHtiltit WOutu be agreeable to the packers, repeating reasons he had outlined earlier before the House committee.
 Members of each committee evinced considerable interest in the statements of the packers and Representative Stephens of Nebraska. announced that he thought there should be some gov ernment agency to control prices ire spectlve of war conditions. HENEY QUESTIONS WITNESS Examir ation of MT. Armour devel- oped new interest late today when the Senate committee asked Francis 7 tIeney, who conducted the federal trade commissions meat packing inquiry, to question the witness Unfairness oe method and inaccuracy in deduction are some of the complaints which some of the packers have made against the commissions inquiry and Senator Page lof Vermont inquired if the commit tees hearing was to degenerate into s prosecution'
 1, Levy Mayer, counsel for Mir. Armour.
 consented to tlse examination on being.
 accorded the privilege of questioning 1 W illnesses.
 Violent fluctuations of prices were predicted by MT. Swift if food adminis l {, ation control should be removed. Like Mir. Armour. however, he seemed du
 bious that governmental control over the sale of live stock at agreed prices would be practicable in normal times, pointing out that the success of the food administrations guarantee of a minimum price for meat animals had been due to the fact that the admins tration dominated tine market through control of purchases for the allied armies.
 Anything that will make for steady average price is better than the same
 price reached through sharp declines
 and increases" MT Swift said. He Z added that "constructive cooperation" would accomplish more than anything
 else. but that this was in isolation of the Sherman law.
 OPPOSE LICENSING SYSTEM Chairman Sims asked MT. Swift if the licensing feature of food adminis- tratiou control had not been of great benefit. but the witness did not agree. declaring the success achieved had been | due to cooperation between producers, packers and the government repre- i sentatives. A bill to regulate the meat
 packing industry is pending before the 1 committee. containing licensing
 clause which the packers have opposed 1 1 sion of the business. "Wouldn't it be advisable to ex- 1 tend in some form for this year or un- 1 til normal conditions are restored the | licensing of food control now exercised.
 without passing any other part of this
 bill or by amending the food control law" asked Mir, Sims. .I think it would be advisabl to ex- tend the food administration control
 until after peace" Mir. Swift said. '1s has cut down profits but we are satisfied
 passage of the s10o, 900. 900 famine re- lief appropriation would not benefit the packers. because they expected suffici-
 ent demand to take all their product,
 despite the enormous supplies accumu- 1 lated at war prices.
 Representative Hamilton had asked
 about reports that the English people refused to eat great quantities of pre- 1 served pork since the war crisis had
 passed and that the appropriation was l to enable it to be sent to southeastern Europe.
 l We find the English people are buy l ing their normal amounts of bacon, ham, etc." MT. Swift said. '1 didn't anticipate you were going | to send 75 cents pound bacon to those | other people" said MT. Hamilton.
 INTERESTED IN EXPENDITURES 1 Expenditure of s4o0O00 last year to coun- l teract federal trade commission pro paganda'' and the employment of Thomas
 F. Logan of Washington. former news
 paper man, to advise Swift and company regarding publicity, attracted consider4- ble interest from members of the com
 mittee. Henry Veeder. counsel for Swift
 and company, insisted that the expenses,
 came out of the stockholders profits and
 not out of consumers.
 1 Any expense unessential is a pub I lie injury in business so vital to tho country, because otherwise you could res | duce your prices that much. declared 1 Chairman Sims. .It is such things thas
 have put a bad taste in the public's mouth as to the packing industry i Mir. Swift said advertisements were
 placed without any thought of influencing 1 the policies of the papers | At the close of the hearing MT. Sims 1 thanked MT. Swift for being frank and not quibbling, and said that he thought [ the witness had been given flair. T l square opportunity of presenting his
 side Mir. Swift said he was positive he 1 had.
 When he appeared before the Senate { committee, MT. Armour was questioned.
 at length by members regarding profits. 1 He said the stock dividends of 40O per- | cent declared by his company in l9ls was made possible by accommodation or 1 a surplus since the establishment of the business but In reply to questions said <