Bisbee daily review., 1919-01-29
PACKERS URGE
AGAINST MORE
TO CURB
NEAT INDUSTRY
Louis F. Swift and Edward S.
Morris Declare Further Leg
islation Will "Muddle
Things. Handicap Business
CBy Review Leased wire)


WASHINGTON, Jan. 2S.-Presi-
dents of two big packing companies
today advised senate and house COM
mitrees against national legislation to
regulate the meat packing industry.
Louis F. Swift & Company. told the
senate agriculture committee present
laws were adequate to deal with any
abuses charged. Edward s. Morris.
of Morris & Company, testified be-
fore the house interstate commerce
committee that any further legisla-
tiCn would muddle things"
J. Ogden Armour, president of Ar
mour Company, announced yester-
day he expected to consult represen-
tatives of all packers concerning meas
ures to be offered as substitutes for
legislation pending before congress.
Mr.. Swift, when asked today by Sen
ator Gore of Oklahoma, if he expected
to assist such legislation, said he felt
much of the so-called feeling against
the packers" was exaggerated and
that legislation would not affect the
situation.
Limit Capitalization
Some limitation of capitalization of
Senator Gronna of North Dakota, af-
ter Francis ]. Heney had cross ex-
amined Mr. Swift concerning in
creases of his company's capitaliza-
ton.
MIR. Heney said that by separating
the Swift company into three organi-
cations recently the market value of
the original stock had been increased
more than $100, 100000 Mr.. Swift de-
MED this and agreed to intern the
committee as to transactions dealing
with the separation of the company
into Swift & Company, Swift Interna-
tional and Libby. McNeill & Libby.
Mr.. Morris, in completing his testi-
mony before the house committee,
said the packers should not be inter
fered with as long as they operate at
the present degree of efficiency and
treat producer and consumer justly.
Legislation would be particularly
harmful at present, he said, because
packers are making every effort to
get back to a pre-war basis.
impossible to Fix Prices
Asked by Representative Rayburn
of Texas if he did not believe it would
be advisable for the government to
at least fix the price of meat, Mr..
Morris said such an attempt undoubt-
edly would result disastrously be-
cause there were many factors in de-
termination of meat prices over which
the government would have no con-
troll.
1.-The food administration had been
successful in fixing prices of meat
sold to the allies he said, because
the allies had to take our meat or go
without. AS soon as the world mar
ket becomes normal prices will be
fixed by the law of supply and de-
mand-"
The packers sell at the best prices
they can get, but are forced to sell
quantities" he said. "If the price
was fixed reductions would not be
made when the supply exceeded the
demand and meat would go to waste"
Referring to a statement yesterday
by Mr. Morris that agitation and
misrepresentation had resulted in the
government finding it necessary to
take over the railroads" Chairman
Sims asked the witness if he knew of
a single case where a railroad had
gone into the hands of a receiver be-
cause of agitation or legislation.
Attacks lnjure Resources
81 did not think my statement would
be interpreted in just that way" Mr..
Morris replied. 81 meant that the rail
roads had been attacked so widely
that their revenue was reduced so low
they could not operate efficiently.
This was demonstrated by their con-
dition when taken over by the govern
ment 1t would be unfortunate if the
meat industry were placed in the same
position as the result of interven-
ton"
Mr. Morris said his salary was
$4,000 year as president of his com
pany, J. Ogden Armour, president of
Armour & Company, told the commit
tee he was paid $4,000 a year and
Louis Swift, president of Swift & Com
pany had said he received $4,000.
Representatives of Cudahy & Com
pany, followed Mr. Morris J. A Nc
Naughton, traffic manager. submitted
figures to show refrigerator cars were
operated much more efficiently by the
packers than by the railroads. He
said It would be all right for the gov
eminent TO supply cars to Independent
packers, but asserted the big packers
should be allowed to retain those they
have.
Thomas CTeigh. attorney for Cudahy
6 Company, told the committee il
would be 'an utterly impractical. un-