The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-08
SAYS OFFICIALS
HELPED PACKERS
Live Stock Mans Charges
Against the Food Admin
istration.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL-
TURE ALSO IMPLICATED
Lasater Declares Federal Off
Gals Aided Packers in Obtain
ing Monopolistic Control.

Washington, Feb. 3.-The food ad-
mir ;stration and the department Of
agriculture aided the five big pack
ing firms in obtaining a monopolis-
-ic control Of the meat packing indus
Try, Edward c. Lasater, OF the Ma
;:cnal Live Stock Associations execu-
tive committee. and a former employe
Of he food administration, testified
today before the house interstate
,or. :3lerce committee.
While -Ir. Lasater was making this
charge and asserting that he had re-
because he realized Its practices were
harmful to the common welfare" L.
d. II. Weld, manager Of Swift &
Cen? p&ny's research department, told
the senate agriculture committee that
3 combination OF the big packers to
control the meat industry was i'm
possible because of the large number
ol independent concerns.
NJ. Lasater asserted before the
house committee that during the last
e:sf cean months the food administra-
ton had served as a screen behind
wl:ch the packers operated illegally
against the public's interests. When
asked what the illegal acts Of the
pacl ars had been. Mr.. Lasater replied
ne would answer in detail later.
The department Of agriculture
;!dcl the packers, Mr.. Lasater
charged, by delaying investigation Of
the meat growers by the federal trade
con. mission at the time the packers
themselves were being investigated.
iie laid the packers did not want such
an inquiry as they knew it would rob
| -,.erl Of the argument that the pro-
duccrs. and not they, were making the
big profits.
Mr.. .asater submitted a letter from
W. J. Spillnlan, former chief of the
bureau Of farm management Of the
| department Of agriculture, in which
Nj. Spillman said Secretary Houston
retarded investigation of the pro-
ducers by refusing to authorize ap-
poinement of fifteen Investigators. He
added that the secretary had told him
to discontinue the investigation en-
tirely. saying the farmer was not en-
titled to any information on the sub
;ect and that the only use ever made
of s,ich information was for agitators
like this man Baer, Of North~Dako--
ia to go out and stir up the farmers
with.
The next day. Mr.. Spillman wrote.
he received letter from Secretary
Houston notifying him that every
project connected with the investiga-
ton was discontinued. Mr.. Spillman
saiG the secretary authorized the ap-
po;ntnent of the Investigators only
when the National Live Stock Asso-
ciat:on became insistent in it's de-
lnands.
Nj Lasater told the cornmittee that
the statement of the packers that
the; did not have the power to fix
'nrices o. live stock even if they de-
cire1 to 90 so" was not founded on
facts and that the packers knew it.
The witness said the packers had
held out a tempting bait to the live
SION Il, Chicago in December, 1917,
ws1e,' they asHed the producers to Coo
operate" with them. Cooperation, he
declared, meant .price-ixing and a
fur: her effort Of the packers to shove
the blame for high prices on some
one else and the producers refused
70 consider the idea.
E. In his testimony before the senate
committee Mr. Weld said Swift &
Comoany's earnings for the period Of
the ::sac had increased 176 per cent
com pared with the three years ending
with 1914. but argued that this was
not rs great an increase as some 9TH
er Industries had enjoyed and that
competition was responsible for the
fact that the profits were not higher.
But doesn't that show that al! Of
you were making profits during the
war that We're too hiSh?" asked SEN
ator Norris, OF Nebraska, who declar-
ed that any surplus accumulated
above a reasonable dividend was TAX
en- from the consumers pocket.
Over the protest Of Senator Page
of Vermont, who declared it was
nothing less than a piece of dishon-
orahle practice" the committee ad-
mitted to the record today penciled
signed Il. F. 81 and deal
ing With the testimony last week Of
w =. Prieby. of the food administra-
tioI's poultry division and formerly
president Of Prieby &; Co., said to be
I subsidiary poultry concern of Swift
& Co.