The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-28
LAWS TO CONTROL
PACKERS PLANNED
Congress Wants to Divorce
Stockyards from the
Meat Lords Control
FARMERS FAVOR
FEDERAL CONTROL
Senators Consider This impossible
Want to Stop Extraordinary Powers
of the President - Willing to Put
Packers Under Federal License.


!. WASHINGTON, May 2s.-Legisla-
ton for government control of the great
meat packers viii be introduced early in
the congress session. 1t probably will
propose:
Separation of the stock yards, the
great live stock markets, from packer
control.
enforcement of the refrigerator car
lines and icing plants from packer own
ership.
Placing the packers under federal Ii
| cense.
These are the substantive provisions
of the Kendrick bill, which was intro
duced last session and is being rewrit-
| ten in view Of matters developed during
the long hearings held by the senate
| agriculture committee last session.
The farmers organizations, as repre-
scented in Washington, are not salts
| fed with it, according to senator's on the
committee. They prefer the Sims Ken
-! yon bin Of last session. which proposed
| to empower the President to take over
and operate the packing establishments
| if. in his Judgment, the interests of the
country demanded i.
This, in the view of senator's who
| desire legislation, is impossible for two
reasons. It would be too drastic pen
atty TO impose on the packers, and in
| view of the experience of government
operation of railroads and wires would
probably make conditions worse instead
Of better; and further, there would be
no possible chance of passing it because
of the determination to stop extending
extraordinary powers to the President
1t is intended to prevent the packers
controlling, directly or indirectly, the
stock yard But it is also insisted that
government ownership of stock yards
which the more radical agricultural or
CARNATIONS wonld prefer, is impossible
How to prv the great stock yards prop
critics away from the pac kers, and in
j sgEs that they NH lhersafter bs q9Y
pletely independent, is not an easy prob
lem. The packers control, actually o.
substantially, most of the stock yard
Of importance.
1t would require financial operation
running possibly into hundreds of mil
lions 10 reorganize them completed,
away from packer control, and ever
then, inaSmueh as they are dependen
: on the packers for Their business an,
revenue. it is not apparent how tn
packers could be prevented from exer
r eising q powerful influence over then
or else withdrawing their patronag
and buying directly from the coun
5 try.
/ The federal trade commission las
i year recommended, in addition to thos
n measures, that the government tax
n over and operate in connection with til
J. railroads the marketing facilities while
e the packers have established Throughout
l. the country The hackers of the lcgi.
e lation are not prepared to attempt ii
Gliding this feature at this time, fC
r they believe ii would increase the dill
IS iieulty of getting it passed, and probai
d ly would load it so heavily that il woul
II founder.
e II the measure is not made too rad
cal, especially in turning over bushes
functions to the government. senator
who have been working on the legisls
ten believe it can be passed.