The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-01-23

w s\SilNtIIbN. Jan ~ ~ '''h7
sresstonaI cunlmt;tcHS wcr" rccr:rtcd
again to-day IN hearing witnesses NC
were questioned cc-it"rf'H-- "N!denit
brought out a, the federal trade coTl'
missions r,ca, hacking inquiry. Tie
Commuters have under c"nSidcratAHO
Legislation providing Tor government
control OF the nl":.c packing industry.
J. Ogden Armour prrsid"u; % Armour
S Co. continued his testimony before
the house interstate corrtri"rC" commit
tee. He said his saicry Was Ee".o"p
Year and had never been any higher
asserted that Armour X -. w"ut" w'i'
come means to enable live stock pro-
ducers TO market their aHInra* at @
price based on the cost .; production
suggested a central cc-l;rol Of live st"'F
shipments rs 4 possible means or 90
taicinG this and renewed his opp"$ttI"r
to a pending bill 20 empower "a" gov
erums1lt to take over control OF All
junctS of the packing Industry.
Before the senate agriculture com
uittcr. Thomas = Logan was cues
4 toned again as 20 his activities II
Washington cor Swift !; O.. ~" Stand
ard Oil Company. o. Indinr,a, ard Other
corporations and his friendship with
Joseph T. TumUl;y. Edward y. Hurley
and other Eorernmrn. officials. The
committees also heard several indie
pendent packers.
Bill Far Rach1ng.
Conc1cssr,ru who questioned Mr.
Armour paid especial alteration 10 get
ting his views on II" probable effects
/or the pending bill. Replying :" Top
resen,ativs Shook. OF Ohio. Mr.. Armour
said he thought the bill probably meant
ultimate government ownership OF the
packing industry. and hc agreed Win
Representative Cooper. of Clio. that =
the bill were constitutional th"r" was
mo limit rs to how far the governments
might reach out and invade the realm
hitherto occupied by private industry.
Representative Dillon. OF South Da-
kota. tried 70 find out how cattle buy
ers determine prices. He drew rom
Mr. Armour admission that Armour &
Co. insisted on having an equal division
Of the cattle offered 1T markets where
there were only two packing plants.
such rs Fort Worth and Denver but
the witness said there was no collusiou
that the purchases were made on .
basis OF plant capacity.
9TH" Stsa.;incSS of purchase percent
ages is not strange. because variance
of even 100000 animals might make 4
difference Of only one per cent" he told
Mr.. Dillon.
Defended by Armour.
Mr.. Armour defended the practice or
wiring on" whereby buyer who
failed - obtain cattle which the grower
insisted o-l shipping I" another market
for p better price. r"ti;ieS the com panE :
representative AZ tho now market ~ the
price he offered.
Foreign business OF Armour & CO. was
said 10 bn entirely divorced from ihc
parent corporation. hecaus" i was dc
sirable 70 have the companies operate
under the laws Of tho country whore
they were located.
Tho South American plants made
$4,000. aGG last year. Mr.. Armour said
Virtually all OF tn" South American
m"a, has been shipped 20 Europe. and
Mr. Armour thought th"-r would b"
little Of il sent 10 this country in nc
near future. especially il 4 -" r1a7k":
IS opened IN .I"rn!auy. which the com
raoy hopes will result from n" HS;ab-
lishm.nt OF p new government there.
Charges % Juggling figures werr -
scented by the witness. Fir said that
reports OF transferring prices "a make
one department nt tn" business show
better results than another was "childs
taIK''
Mr.. Armour criticized tho federal
,radr commission FOR alleged "nfatrneSS
in conducting IS inquiry. DiscuSsinS
in detail rccomms nGations by ,he com
mission. ne declared:
II think tho commission made lot
Of foolish suggestions that won't work.
Anything tina, is hardship to tho packer
is bound sooner or later. 70 manifest
itself in hardship 20 the consumer or
producer
Levy MAYER. counsel for Mr.. Armour.
will roll rho cou,mi,tc" tomorrow why
he thinks tho pending bill is. urcon-
stitutfonal. and will hc followed on N"
stand by Louis :. Swift. president OF
Swift & Co