The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-15
EARS J. 5. NOT STRONG ENOUGH ID
 OVERCOME POWER
 OF B|G PACKERS
Murdock Says Even Hoover Could Not Take License of Big MalefactOr, But Could Rescind That of
 Little Fellow
By Associated Press


 Washington, February IA. Victor Murdock, member of the federal trade commission, told the House interstate commerce committee today that he feared the five big packers had ac- quired so much power that even the United States govern. ment might not be strong enough to combat 1t.
 Even Food Administrator Hoover Mir. Murdock said. "could not reach into Chicago and take the license of a grea. malefactor. although he could rescind tho license of one of the little fellows"
 This testimony of the trade commission CT followed his statement that facts gath cred during the commissions investi- gation of the meat packing industry had been turned over to the department of justice and that he had no doubt that proceedings under the antitrust law would result
  legislative branch of the government would deal weakly instead of vigorously with the packers. His statement that the packers were well aware where there would be vacancies on Senate and House committees which would consider their cases and that they would try to see to it that their friends got on these committees as vacancies occurred brought sharp questioning from members of the committee. MT. Murdock said he did not mean that any improper means would be used and that he did not in any way mean to infer that there had been stuff ing or padding of committees in the past
 But I do say,- the witness contin- ued. that even while we here arc dis cussing things that have happened in the past, the big interests of the coun- try are thinking in terms of the future They are always well ahead of US. And you can depend upon 1t that they are doing it now"
 Commissioner Murdock strongly urged enactment of legislation before the com mittee for government control and regu- lation of the meat industry. Replying to questions of committee members he said it was entirely possible that If tho meat industry were made subject to legis- lation such as that proposed every other business might be made subject to simi- lar legislation.
 HEARING CLOSED Tho committee closed its hearing with the examination of Mir Murdock, who de- voted considerable time to discussion of the so-called international meat pool, which was sharply criticized in the com missions report to the President last summer
 '"The packers" he said. '-haye como be- fore this commission to testify. but where they did not ovade entirely the subject of tho international meat pool they answered erroneously- This is a combination of American packers which has for one of It's purposes. among other things, the allotment of space for meat shipments from South America to the l United States as well as to Europe. '"They say that the British restriction and apportionment of space was sanc- tioned by the British government In whose ships the meats from South Amer ica were carried. They have said that the British government, as war meas ure to insure the feeding of civilian pop 1 ulations abroad and the armies of the allies arranged the percentage these hackers were to have of cargo space. However it is fact that meeting was held in Chicago at which these very per- centages were agreed upon by the repre- 1 sentat tives of the packers and that meet | ing took place two years before the out- | break of the war in Europe "All this in itself offers proof of the charge made by the federal trade com mission