The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-31
SOUTHERNERSURGEI PACKING CONTROL PLAN BE REJECTED|
Declare South Just Begin ming to Develop Live Stock and Ask Agriculture Com mittee to Refrain From
 Disturbing the Industry,
By A,.osI.tna Prss,


 Washington, August 80. Delegations of southerners, in-
 troduced by Senator Shields
 and Representative Hull of
 Tennessee, attacked proposals
 in the Kenyon and Kendrick
 bills to regulate the packing in-
 dustry during hearings today before the Senate agricultural committee. Taking the posi- tion that the southern states are just beginning develop ment of live stock, they asked the committee to refrain from disturbing the packing indus try.
 We've just gotten into stock produc ing in central Tennessee said R. E. Powers, vice president of the Nashville Stock Yards committee That territory is just now turning out about s2o 900. .OOD annually in stock. We've had wonderful help from Swift, Armour and the rest We couldn't have cleared the receipts if they had not beeen there to take the stuff out of our hands. Getting away from cotton, our producers would be totally devoid of a place to find a market for thelr stock If it were not for the bigger concerns.
 They've put in packing houses in Geor- gia and in Florida, Too. We ourselves are engaged in organizing a little inde- pendent packing concern, but we are now getting close to Chicago prices from the packers.
 If you are going to license the packing business, we think you ought to license most other lines, too"
 Henry M. Hood of Mount Sterling. Xiv. voiced similar objections. "We are satis- ] jed with marketing conditions he said. l The packers come to our farms and | buy our cattle. If there is combina- l ion, make it penitentiary offense, a | prosecute, but don't weight them down 1 with licenses. During the war it was | IT. right, but now let the country alone ind let it get back to earth. The pack | ITS are great blessing. You can't find ! , man for $i0,eco a year in this country | pho knows enough to sit down here as a l commissioner and control all this busi- 1 iess" After hearing number of western 'tockmen the committee adjourned until Tuesday.
 Chairman Gronna put into the record telegram from the American Live Stock | association charging that in some cases he witnesses were "coerced" and in ,ther cases had their expenses paid by he five big packers.
 INDORSE GENERAL PLAN
 'The association has long realized the of proper conduct of the i've stock business when subject to the monopoly of the great pack 1T combination said the message. which was signed by H. A. Jastro, as | hartman of the Association Market committee.
 we recognize and endorse the general Jan for thoroughgoing and federal con- rol of the packing business which shall n the future prevent the abuses grow ng out of world wide concentrated ower, preying alike on producer and onsumer, and wasteful in many of it's nethods.
 "We believe the licensing system prop rly places power and responsibility or just and rational treatment in an impartial agency of the government. We ndorse as essential the policy of di- orcing the packers from control of the tock yards. We believe that refriger- tor cars should be rated as common arriers. We are aware of the desperate forts being made by the packers to ,aintain their unconscionable position. ve have noted their lavish expendi- ares in advertising that has dealt in vasion. misrepresentation and half -uths. i've deplore the recent action of those ve stock producers who have passed solutions condemning certain features Z the proposed bill II The message was approved by Sena- ,r Kendrick, democrat, of Wyoming, uthor of one of the regulative bills, who f
 also president of the American Live tock association.