The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-07-12
Federal Commission Warns Pres
ident of Danger of Food
Supply Domination.
QUICK ACTION NEEDED
Congress Should Take Immediate
Steps to Forestail Ends Aimed at,
Say Members Of Commission
Food Freedom Threatened.

Paris, July 12-The death pen.
atty for food spectators is pro-
vided in a bill introduced In the
French chamber of deputies.
Washington, July 12-The big
Five" meat packers will soon exercise
powerful domination over the ma
tion's food supply and international
control of meat products unless Con-
gress takes immediate steps to fore
stall these aims, the Federal Trade
commission has reported to President
Wilson
AN approaching packer domination
of all important foods in this country
and an international control of meat
products with foreign companies seems
certainty unless fundamental action
is taken to prevent it," says the re.
port, which Is part one of the commits.
sion's investigation of the meat in.
dustry.
"A fair consideration Of the course
the five packers-Armour. Morris,
Swift Wilson and Cudahy--haye fol-
lowed and the position they have al.
| ready reached must lead to the con.
clusion that they threaten the freedom
of the market of the countrys food
industries and OF the by-product indus
tries linked Herewith"
775 Commodities Handled.
| The commission claims the packers
are fast obtaining their domination by
manufacturing or dealing In 775 com,
modities, largely food products, and by
gaining control of 1852 other companies.
many of which are public utilities cor
| porations.
The Big Five jointly or separate
ly WELD controlling interest In 574
companies. a minority interest In 95
others and an undetermined interest
| In 49," the report said.
Charge Illegal Combinations.
The history of the packers growth
Is interviewer with illegal combina-
tions, rebates and with undisclosed
control of corporations. The commits.
sion urges full publicity of corporate
ownership of all industries.
AS to devices for secret control
there does not exist adequate law. In
Its absence unfair competition may run
It's course to the goal of monopoly and
ruin of competitors, without the secret
ownership being suspected.
Report Gives Alleged Details.
The commissions report points out
the following alleged details OF the
packers activities
The Big Five" have control Of, or
interest in, public utility corporations
In Sioux City, Kansas City, st. Paul,
Portland, Ore, San Francisco, Fort
Worth, Chicago. st. Joseph, Mo, and
Hill City, Mimi.
In 1917 they produced "A per cent
of the country's total output Of sheep
and lamb shoe stock; II per cent OF
the glove stock; per cent of harness
leather; 81 per cent of betting and "a
per cent of sole leather.
On July 81, 1917, the big Five
had almost 80 per cent of the country's
entire hide stock.
Other Activities.
They produce one-fifth of the coun
try's mixed fertilizer supply; one
tenth OF the acid phosphate supply;
one-third of the cottonseed oil supply;
nearly one-half of the lard compounds
and lard substitutes; four-tenths oi
the oleomargarine supply and three
tenths of the cottonseed Oil soap.
In the meat industry the commits
sion stated, the big Five" already
constitutes a monopoly. In 1916 they
slaughtered 1922 per cent OF all cat
tie, 1914 per cent of all sheep, 76.t
per cent of all calves, and 61.2 pei
cent of swine.
Other commodities the commission
charges packers are gaining control oi
are breakfast foods, chicken feed
stock feed, fruit, canned vegetables
coal, fence posts, builders hardware
binding twine, lumber, cement, lime
plaster brick, sand, gravel roofing
soda fountain supplies and rice.