The Washington times., 1919-01-29

toward Government ownership OF
stoclIyards, packing houses ana re-
frigerator cars, because, he stated
lin this connection IL is my opinion
that stockyards under the control and
management OF private corporations
are superior in every way to what
they would be under Government
ownership or control We believe
that under the present circumstances
competition and efficiency in the op-
Grafton of the yards is more assured.
Says Present Control Il Enough.
He stated that in his opinion exist
ing control was enough-that Of the
Bureau OF Animal Industry of the
Department CT Agriculture in the
packing houses and that Of the Bu-
reAu of Markets in the stockyards.
81 will qualify this further Wilson
added, by saying that the actual
ownership of yards as demonstrated
in our case has no bearing upon the
success OF the packing industry eN-
cept in so far a. ] have previously
stated. / am convinced that efficient
management under private control IS
more assured and an efficient man
agcmcnt OF stock yards is second only
10 efficiency in the packing house in
dustry
Under the present plan OF con-
CentrateG mark cts, the shipper is as
sured of a demand for whatever kind
and whatever numbers OF stock he
ships in A. before stated, ] am con-
vinccd that there Is no discrimination
ia the purChase--one buyer having as
much access and getting as good a
price as any other buyer, be he large
or small. This is evidenced by the
fact that right in Chicago there are
p great many medium and small sized
killing plants whose growth within
the past few years speaks for itself,
and ! am quite frank in saying that
believe that no one of them would
say he has been hampercd or dis
criminatcd aaginst in the purchase OF
livestock
Wilson. as did all others packers
Indignantly denied the insiuuationS OF
the Federal Trade Commission. that
there was a combination between the
Big Five" and said that Un siEnifi
canoe should be attached 10 isolated
letters taken from their files showing
that all the packers were familiar
more or less with each others moves
saying that this was business, and
that their profit, being on such a vol
umc of business and the rapidity with
which their product must move, made
this knowledge necessary, othcrviS'
severe losses would he cntailrd.
But 4 per cent OF wilson's business
was that Of groceries. he said. and
these only a few articles. lie drew
attention to the commodities an av-
erage grocer carrics-tinWare hard
ware, and many other foreign lines
and claimed that it was unfair TO ac-
cuse the packers in this connection.
But 81 per cent OF the pea pack OF
the country and but 2.GS per cent OF
the corn pack Of the country last
year was his, he said.
Statement Is Read.
The attack lodged by Mr.. Wilson
was supplemented by opposition
voiced by Edward A. Cudahy. OF Chi
cago. president of the Cudahy Pack.
ing Company. Mr.. Cudahy, through
! illness, was unable TO appear, but the
committee permitted his statement tC
! be read By counsel
Mr.. Cudahy will appear later fol
. "rOSs-eSaminatiOn. In his statement
he denounced Government ownership
and asserted that suggested means oi
/ regulating the packers would result
! in uncertainty and a lCsScninE o.
I credit and would place the packing
| industry in the "demOra!iZnE posi-,
ton" now occupied by the railroads