The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-14

the position they, have already reach ed must lead to the conclusion that they threaten the freedom of the market of the country's food indus Cries and of the by-product industries linked herewith.
 'sThe meat packer control of other foods will not require long in devel- oping."
 Declaring "the history of the pack CTS growth Is interwoven with illegal ccnrssl n atisns, rebates and with un- disclosed control of corporations, the report also urged the importance of full publicity of corporate owner ship for all industries. ''As to de- vices for secret control. there does not exist ed eduGte law. In its absence unfair competition may run it's course to the goal oc monopoly and accom- pl.sd the ruth of competitors without the secret ownership being suspected and consequently without complaint to the commission or Investigation of facts. The com Petitor is in jeopardy SO long as he has not the knowledge of true ownership and the public is entitled to such knowledge"
 EXTENSIvENESS AN ACTIVITIES.
 Pointing out that the Big Five packer jointly or separately wield controlling interest in 574 com panies, minority interest in 95 others and undetermined interest in 93-a total of 762 companies-and that they pro- duce or deal in some ITS commodi- ties. largely food products, the re- port gives this picture of growing packer invasion into related and un- related industrios:
 "1n addition to meat foods, they produce or deal in such divers com avI ha, A. strings. leather and cotton-seed oil, breakfast foods, win fz. curled hair, pepsin, and washing powders. Their branch houses are not only stations for the distribution of meat and poultry, but take on the character of wholesale grocery stores. dealers in various kinds of produce and jobbers to special lines of trade.
 They have interests large enough to be a dominating influence in most of the services connected with the production and distribution of ani- nal foods and their by-products. and are reaching out for control, not only of substitutes of animal food, but of substitutes for other lines into which the integration of their business has led them. They are factors in cattle loan companies making the necessary loans to growers and feeders of live stock: are interested in railways and private car lines transporting live stock and manufactured animal pro- ducts: in most of the important rtockyards companies the public market for the bulk of fooafanimals; . and in livestock trade papers on which growers and feeders rely for market news.
 They are interested in banks from hnt not rfr7o houses borrow money; In companies supplying machinery. ice. salt. ma tertals, boxes. etc, to themselves and their competisnfs; they are principal dealers on the provision exchanges where future prices in, standard cured animal products are determin- ed; they or their subsidiary com- panies deal in hides, oleo. fertilizer material, and other crude animal by products; purchase from other pack CTS these crude by-products. and thereof to a further stage than most of their competitors.
 They are important factors in the leather industry, in oleomargarine and lard substitutes. in cotton-seed oil in fertilizer, in soap, in glue, etc.
 Their vast distributing system, with che advantages arising from the control of private cars, cold storage. and a network of branch houses. has enabled them to extend their activi- ties on e large scale into poultry. eggs. cheese. butter. rice. breakfast foods, canned vegetables. soda foun- tain supplies, and other lines.
 From rendering edible fats from what would otherwise be wasted in their own factories. they have reached out to secure for rendering the waste fat and bones of local butchers fin large sections of the country. and in some instances are interested in com- panies contracting for the disposal of garbage of large cities.
 Individuals of the Armour family are owners of grain and elevator companies, and J. ogden Armour and the president of one of the Ar mour subsidiaries arc importan, stockholders in a company producing from mineral desposits in Utah a substitute for potash as an element of commercial fertilizers.
 T. Ogden Armour is also a promi. nsnt factor in the American Interna- tional Corporation, with its shipping ana shipbuflding interests. its impor- and export companies in various lines it's interest in company or Ranfzed to develop cattle raising
 meat packing. quebrache extract ant nIIied businesses in Paraguay. its con- trol of a large tea importing companJ and a sugar machinery corporation and its minority stock in the United Fruit Company. Some of Swift Co.'S subsidiaries arc growing trop teal fruits in Hawaii; a subsidiary o Wilson q Co.,. Inc. has reached int tho saisnon fisheries of Alaska, and [ Morris concern cans shrimp taken fl <hs waters of the Gulf of Mexico Cattis brought from Central Americi arc aauueAtsrsd by or for some of tn big packsrs at Mobile and Jackson rwiiie. Tn Eng1snd, France. Italy Holland and ofhsr European coun friss laxys meat dtperzbutong com