The sun., 1919-09-10
PACKERS DEFENDED
BY IOWA FARMERS
Delegation Tells Senators
State Owes Prosperity
Largely to Them.
OPPOSE KENYON'S BILL
Licensing System Would Not
Cut Food Cost, Say
Wholesalers.

WASHINGTON, Sept. "a group OF
stockmen from the middle West, princi-
paily Iowa, and several wholesale meat
and produce dealers from various cities
o,ned In defence OF the big Five"
hackers to-day before the Senate Agri-
culture Committee. The Kenyon and
Ksndrick bills proposing Federal license
regulation for the industry and other re-
strictions found no supporters during
the session.
ITS a pity this sort of q bill had to
come from a prosperous State like
Iowa" said ]. S. Blackwell of Musca-
tine referring to the fact that Senator
Kenyon (Iowa) is sponsor for the chief
rteulatiye measure. Iowa cattle feed
ers are prosperous and land values have
gone up In the last few years from $50
TO $500 an acre, due to the fact that the
packers have made a market for our
produce"
DO you think the packers are en-
tirely responsible for these high prices?
Don't you think world shortage had
something 10 do with it?" queried Sena-
tor McNary Of oregon.
Blackwell admitted that there were
some other causes for the Iowa pros
perity. but insisted the packers were
entitled to a part Of the credit. He
spoke of the Federal Trade Commits.
sion as being responsible for "a ono
sided report" on the packing industry.
C. H Will and ]. ]. Leghorn. also
from Muscatine. and ]. b. Nichols OF
ment. with variations setting forth the
undesirability OF Government restrictions
on business enterprises.
Calls Iowa Prosperous.
Iowa farmers are reasonably pros
perous,' said Charles r. Brenton of
Dallas Centre, Iowa, in presenting a
petition from a number of cattle growers
opposing the bills. Markets are salts
factory. War restrictions on business
enterprises are tiresome. We're not in
favor out our way of any licensing"
Your people are not at all alarmed
by the spread of the big packers and
their Intervention into other business
lines?' inquired Senator Capper (Kan.).
mo, they are furnishing things cheaper
than other people or they couldn't ex-
tend" replied Brenton.
P. S. Haner and Roy A. Johnston
Of Taylorville, ILL.,, expressed similar
views, derived, they said, from extern
slve experience in the cattle business.
w. B. Schneider, Kansas City whole
saler in groceries and meats, said the
licensing proposals were unfair and
would add to the cost of food distribu-
ton.
Ralph Hurst of Kansas City took a
similar view. Others who protested
against regulation were o. Nessweig,
an Independent packer at Madison. Wis,
and W. E. Robinson, a vegetable Gamer
ut Bellair, Md
Lewis II. Haney, representing the
southern Wholesale Grocers' Assocla-
tion' gave out after the hearing a letter
ne had written to Senator Gronna
North Dakota), chairman Of the
Agriculture Committee, charging that
the larger packers were inducing wit
nesses to attend the hearings.
Hints Packer Propaganda.
In this connection 1 would suggest
that the committee call Mr.. Brooks of
swift & Co, put him under OATH" the
letter said. land ask him how much
money the five big packers have spent
or have become obligated TO pay to
date In railroad fares, hotel bills, &C.,
for any of the witnesses"
! wish this committee would tell me
what profiteering is" said o. Nessweig,
an independent packer of Madison, Wis,
after making a protest against the regu-
lation.
Anybody is proflteering who takes an
unreasonable or eXorbitant profit" re-
piled Senator Harrison (Miss.).
Well what is an unreasonable
proft?" persisted Nessweig
MY uotion that it is what some of
these shoe fellows get" Senator Harri-
son responded. Generally think that
getting more than is or 20 per cent
profit on a product is profteering. Don't
you think that 20 per cent. on meats is
profteering?"
Yes. If it is 20 per cent net" con-
coded Nessweig.
W. E. Robinson, a Maryland vege-
table Gamer, argued that licensing
would Increase cost of doing business.
1T won't help at all to cut down
prices OF anything" said he. prices
won't come down until labor Is willing
70 go back to work in this country.
That's our trouble now-too high cost OF
production"
Deploring attacks on the big packers.
Robinson declared the rich man is God
Almighty's representative on earth"
The men with the packers are regular
Fellows" he said. There's nothing
Wrong about than,