Arizona republican., 1919-02-07
HENEY D|CS INTO G|F TS. OF MEAT PACKERS
Henry Veeder Admits Many
 Contributions Claims Swift Deplored Necessity
 Of Donating Gov. Col quitt Of Texas Benefactor Wishes Practice To Stop
TRepubIican A. p. Leased WireJ


 WASHINGTON. Feb s-Politieal contributions and legislative activities of the five big meat packing concerns were inquired into today. during the cross examination of Henry Veeder, counsel for Swift and com pany, by Francis J. Heney. before the senate agriculture committee, which is considering legislation for the regula- ton of the meat industry.
 MT. Veeder testified his company had contributed s975 to the campaign funds of Representative Taggart of Kansas in 1915, and s250 to Represent alive RodenburG of Illinois, in 1912. After the committee had adjourned to- night. however Mir. Needer issued a statement saying that the S250 con- tribution referred to in connection with MT Rodenburg's campaign, had been paid to a committee working in be- half of the Rodenburg primary law in Illinois," and had not been for MT. Ro- denburg's own campaign.
 The witness also roId the commit tee that a donation was made in 1910 to the campaign fund of 0. B. Colquitt, who became governor of Texas the following year. Bills for expenses in connection with a school bond cleo tion at National City, Illinois, and the election of a tax assessor named Mon roe, at the same place. were paid, MT. Veeder said, because of the large prop erty inteersts of the packers in that town.
 MT. Veeder said it was not the policy of Swift and Company to give finan- cial aid to office seekers and that ev- erything possible was done to avoid if. When Senator Gronna of North Dakota asked why the packers did not report candidates seeking contributions. NIT. Veeder said the packers would be glad if there was law prohibiting office holders from asking us for money"
 Pro Rata Political Gifts In reply to questions, the witness said it was the practice of the five big packing firms to oppose jointly legisla- tion in Washington and state legislat- ures, which they considered adverse to their interests
 Several states were allotted to each company for supervision, he said, and the expenses paid pro rata, when there was necessity for action. As a rule these costs were assessed, according to ! the witness. on the basis of the volume of beef business done by each company. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas and 1 Pennsylvania were among states in which MT. Needer said the packers ! had conducted legislative activities. Replying to Senator Gronna, Mir. Needer said he supposed the contribu- | tion to Mir. Colquitt's funds in Texas was made "at the request of citizens committee" A letter which he wrote to local agent in Fort Worth, Texas. said:
 Tt was agreed to pay Capps and Canter on account of Colquitt's cam paign fund. s2,000 and I am today in receipt of a request from Dunham asking that we make payment of one third of s1,o00, now called for on ac- count of the fund"
 How do you look upon a creature cheap enough to ask contributions from the packers?" asked Senator Gronna.
 We try to avoid these things and
 think they should not be done.' re-
 sponded MT. Veeder T think the fact
 We have been solicited only two or
 three times, indicates how little of this
 is done.''
 Senator Gronna said he was con-
 vinced by correspondence that had been produced before the committee , that there had been men in congress
 who should have been in the peniten
 tiary.
 Hoover Is Protected He added he had written Louis F Swift, president of Swift and company that unless the packers changed then
 ways of doing business they might find that some day they were not ir s the packing business 9 MT. Veeder testified that in 1916 Inc : spent s20,00o. and the same amount thu V following year, to oppose anti-oIeo-
 mo re r.ir 1rrrtc lott
 Several firms, he said, contributed tC the fund.
 Efforts were made to ascertain tn, n opinions of members of congress bu V not to influence, said the witness, wht resented MT. Heney's reading tn,
 worst meaning possible into letters : referring to packers opposition to tn ' Borland resolution.
 U While MT. Veeder was testifying be
 fore the senate committee, W. A y Glasgow, Jr counsed for the food ad = ministration, flatly denied before tn 1t house interstate commerce commits s sion that Food Administrator Hoove
 had favored the packers, as charge - by Edward c. Lasater of the Nationa - Livestock associations executive com , mittee, and former head of the foo 10 administrations livestock and marke e division"
 Mir. Glasgaw also defended s1 yea
 men employed by the food administra
 tion, who had been accused by Nj y Lasater of carrying out the policies ( = the big packers. MT. Glasgow said h l. never had come in contact with a nor Is loyal and conscientious group of men ,r J. B. Wilson, representing the Wye d ming Woolgrowers' association, req
 resolutions from Montana, Wyomin -e and Idaho cattle growers organiza il, tions, opposing any legislation designe 1e to regulate the packers. The resolJ Inf tions said such legislation would hay re harmful effect upon the industry.