The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-02-04
FOOD CHIEFS:
IN PLOT, SAYS
EX-E P[OYE
AIDED MONOPOLY IN
THE MEAT INDUSTRY
Asserted Secretary Houston
Prevented Investigation
of Meat Growers.

WASHINGTON, Fob. 3.-Thc food ad-
n,inistration and the department or ag-
riculturc aided the five big packing
firms in obtaining n monopolstlc coh-
troll Of the meat packing industry, Eo-
ward c. Lasatcr. of the Nallonai H,S
ctork Associations executive commit
tcc and n former cmployc Of the food
aGminisrra ration. testified today bc1oro
the house interstate commerce .co'n-.
mittcc. .
charge and asserting that ne mao
signed from the food administration be-
cause he realized its practices were
harmful IN the common welfare l.. u.
n Weld. manager. Of Swift & COM
nany's research department, told the
senate agriculture committee ina
combination Of the big packers 10 con-
troll the meat industry was imposslpic
because Of tho large number or ihoc-
pendent concerns.
Mr. Insatcr asserted before the house
committee that during the last cignteen
months the food administration hau
"scrycd As n screen" behind which t..e
packers operated illegally against the
nuhlic'ss interests When ASKED Vha.
the iltGal acts OF the packers ..e
been. Mt. I.asatcr replied ne "euio
answer in detail later.
Houston Under Ttre.
Thu department of agriculture aioed
,I,c hackers. Mr.. Lasatcr charged, pS
DELAYING investigation OF the Tca'
s,rntrors by the federal trade commis-
sion n, tho time the packers thehn-
selves were being investigated. He SAID
Tho hackers. did not want such an IN
ouIrv as they knew IL would rob them
Of the argument that the producers.
and not they. were making the o's
profits.
Nr Lasatcr submitted letter rom
". j. Spllman. former chlc1 OF .ht
bureau Of farm management or the ae-
partmcnt OF agriculture. In whicn Mr:
spillman said Secretary houston re.
tardcd investigation Of the prooPreFs
nv refusing to authorize appointment
of nftccn Investigators. He added tnht
the secretary had told him to disc
ti,uo the investigation entirely. saying
,ho farmer was not entitled TO ans IN.
formation on the subject and that tnc
only use ever made OF such lniorIn'
zion Was for agitators like this. H."n
Bacr of. North Dakota. to so out nna
stir un the farmers with"
Thr next day. Mr.. SpillmSp Mrote.
he received n letter from ;Sccrr1fr?
Houston notifying hin, that sycry pro:
;eci connected with the inr<easat'r~
was discontinued.
Mr.. Spillman said tn" sfSsc'nr'
authorized the appointment or tnS.m,
Live Stock Association became inslS'c"t
in it's demands.
Says Packers Lied.
Mr. Lasatcr told the committee tna'
the statement Of the packers that ~t"-y
did not have the power To NIX pr''.:
of live stock. even If they desired ".
do.so," was not founded on facts, an'
thai tho packers knew It. -.
Tho witness said tho packers hao
"hold out n tempting hait' to the i've
stock. association al ITS annual ses:lo"
In Chicago in December. 1917. "f%n
they asked to producers to- 'co-'peN
atc' with them. Co-opcra'ion, ne oc-
cIarcd meant price fixing and a tur-
thor effort of tho. packers TO shon"
the hlamr for irh'rriccs on some one
else" and tho producers rC1usco
consider the idea.
Tn his testimony before the senate
committee, Mr Weld said swift 4
tonpony's earnings for tho perio! OF
tho war had increased IFS per cent.
comparcd with the thrc" years cnn6
with 1914. but argued that this was
as great an ncrraS" as some olhcr'
dustrics had enjoyed. and that comL 4
tion was responsible for the fact tnaI
the profits werc not higher.
"Rut doesn't that show that all OF
you were making profits during 'n'
war that wcrc too high? asked scr.
ator Norris. of Nebraska. VINO oeciared
tha, any surplus. accumulated above
reasonable dividend was taken 1to'''
tho consumers pocket. .s
Adnitted Under Protest.
Over thc protest Of Senator Page. OK
Vermont. who declared il WAS "nothlhs
less than a process OF dishonoraoi'
practice" tho committee admitted to the
record today pcncilcd notationS slSned
"I +. s." and dealing with the testi-
mony Of last week Of W. +. Prieby. OK
the food administrations poultry vi.
vision. and formerly president Of Prieoy
& Company. said III be suoSiaiaf~
poultry concern OF Swift & COMPANY.
The notations were submitted py
Francis 7. Hency. who explained to the
committee that by mistake a private
copv Of the federal trade commissions
rcnort on the packers Investigation.
which had been used for reference py
Louis i. Swift in his testimony lase
week. had been placed in his brief case.
J. VI. Chaplain. auditor OF S"lft @
Company, WAS another witness sCoaJ.
After he had testified that the plone
on 4 head Of beer was 81. Mr.. H"ncy
read 4 letter which he said showed that
Lihy: Mcneil G Libby. Swift suosi.
diary. made an average profit, OF Se.l+
n head on beef in 1918. The letter
nIso said the Libby concern lost money,
in pincapples and California fruit.
That's why such big business IS
uneconomical." said Mr. Hency. ine
rest OF the business must pay for !he
losses Of both sides.