The evening world., 1919-08-25
SENATORS REBUKE'
PACKERS WITNESS
FOR FALSE charge
Latter Had Testified Kendrick
and Capper Influenced
Government Report.

tnat the Dcportment OF Asrlcuttafe,
through the Influence of Senators
Capper OF Kansas and Kendrtck of
Wyoming. had issued "a statement un-
fair 10 the packers. was made to-day
by L. d. H. Weld OF swift q Co. be-
fore the Senate Agriculture Com
mittee. -
You charge that Senator Kendtck
and Senator Capper influenced The
Department to put out an Incorrect
statementT' Senator Kenyon asked.
"one that put us In tho wrong
light Weld replied. '
Aocordlng 60 testimony put In the
record. the Department Of Agriculture
last month planned 20 issue a state
msnt on the meat situation declaring
that the packers OF the United states
were entirely, blameless In this In
stance"
Senators capper and Kendrlck and
Representatives Tincher and Hoch Of
Kansas questioned one department
oelclal. according 10 the testimony In
tho record. Following this a state
ment was issued declaring that the
packer is manifcstly unfair" Weld
said. citing the Congressional Record
Of Aug. IN proof OF his charge
Weld's charges wero made while
Kendricl and capper. both members
of the Committee. wsHe absent from
the room.
Returning, both Senators denied tho
charges and questioned Weld, who
said he based his statements on mat
tens In the Congressional Record.
. Il never saw the original state
ment," Weld admitted on questioning
by Senator Kendrick.
Then you had no right to como
before the Committee and make ovch
charges about two membcrs.' Kon-
drlok declared sharply. ''Your state
ment was absolutely unwarranted. 1
don't believe tho statement was
changed at all"
Senator Capper declared also there
wac no basis for such charges.
Il made my statements on the ba-
sis OF the Congressional Record"
Weld explained. IL don't know
whether you two gentlemen had any
thing to do with II, but tho statement
apparently was changed as n result
Of the conference in which you par
ticlpated."
Weld defended the American In
Etitute OF Meat Packers and stated
Il was organised 10 carry on propa-
ganda against the Kenyon and Ken
drick bills.
I'VE expect to continue It and We
stand on our rights as American citi-
sens to do 60" Weld declared. You
cannot expect us TO let Congress pass
these bills without taking some steps
10 acquaint the public with what Is
going on"
Weld attacked the Kenyon bill and
the Federal Trade Commission. .srho
main objection to the bill." said Weld.
"is In tho fact that 1t was based I'M
on reports Of the Federal Trade Com
mission, which are saturated with
glaring inaccuracies and misstate-
ments. This, in itself. would be seri-
Gus enough II the matter resteS there
But 1t doesn't, because. n passed, this
bill win further initiate the already
high cost OF living"
Il Weld answered some OF the state
ments made by William B. CoIver oi
the Federal Trade Commission.
II was utterly amazed that he
should make the assertion that the
packers have over a thousand retail
stores In England" Weld said. 'I
want to say for Swift and Company
that the concern has no interest al
rectly or indirectly In any retail store
In England, and, 80 far as have
been able TO learn, no other American
meat packer has. any such interest," >
Senator Capper read a letter from
cattle broker on the Chicago Yard
TO a Kansas stock man, who haC
forwarded a shipment OF calves Z
the Chicago market after failing q
sell them m Kansas City.
swift and Armouc knew just how
many calves there were in each
load" the letter said, "and each maj
had instructions not TO bid on an!
calves until the head man had seeI
them. We got thirty-four OF yours
sorted In a special pen. and Swift
calf buyer bought them; but wheI
the head man found out about II h
threatened to fre him. Their
doesn't seem 10 be any way for yol
7 TO make money shiipng here"
Doesn't that show a black lis
, against these cattle which were for
! warded7" Senator Vupper asked.
I "No, there's nothing unfair abou
! IT," Weld responded.
Wouldn't IL have been fairer Il
tell this shipper that he couldn'
> make any money by refusing 10 ac
/ oept that packers price at Kansa
| City7"
) at would have been collusiol
. then, but there's nothing wrong Il
. telegrRphing ahead concerning ship
I ments. That is proper market infor
nation"