The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-15
Packers GOLFERS
FILLED WITH AID
RAILROADS ALLOW
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~peTishable products like meats which
service the packers are now taking adj
vantage of by Slipping in nOnperishable
groceries into their peddler cars
Or Haney first showed the economic
Importance Of the wholesale Erocers,
setting out that there are over 1000 in
the United States doing a business of
over 100 years they have distributed the
nonperishable food products Of the ma
tion, The grocers are everywhere in
keen competition with one another. He
then described the inroads which the
packers have madaon the grocery BUSH
ness during the last three or four years,
and stated that while the packers ave
to go through the same operation that
the wholesale grocer does. on account
Of the overRrown and complicated char
acter Of their business, they "a not do
the work as effectively. Their domt-
nation would NEAR the substitution of
"a monopoly by five great wholesalers
for the competitive work Of 1000"
The packers inroads have been due
TO the possession OF discriminatory sd-
vantages, chiefly the operation Of their
privately owned peddler refrigerator
cars. Evidence was cited TO show that
through these cars the packer gets an
exclusive service which Is both quicker
and more regular than any which the
tobber can secure; also cars are avail
able to the packer when the jobber is
unable 20 get them. because the packer
has hts private refrigerator cars In al
dition 10 the regular railway service.
Huge Profits Increase.
The fact that the packers have gained
% per cent OF the grocery business in
largo nInQH nf tho country ginEp fhp
war vas emphasized by the witness,
who stated that as yet the packers
have confined their attention largely
to the more profitable grocery lines,
such as cereals. Gnned foods and rice,
thus attacking the grocers in their most
leave the grocer such Improbable lines
osr your and sugar. and to S'SFVo the"
Several exhibits were introduced to
show that the packers are able to make
deliveries In the South from Northern
points in from two to three days, while
the grocery jobber must walt for be-
tween 10 TO 30 days to get his goods
THE packers can make deliveries from
Memphis TO Alabama and Georgia
points more quickly than the iobber who
Is only from so to 100 miles away" II
was also brought out that in parts of
the South the packers car get their
goods transported a distance OF over 800
miles az quickly as the jobber can
cover IS niles This is due" Or
Uancy argued, ITO the fact that the
packers car starts out on fast freight
trains. They are not set out on the
way; they are not held up at division
or junction points, as ordinary cars are;
and they are continually traced by the
packers great transportations depart
ments.
MY examiners have personally seen
cases in which the packers car coming
IN after regular freight hours would be
handled by the railway men, working
over hours; while the iobber's shipments
have to wait over until the next day
thus causing a delay Of "a hours"
The witness concluded by stating that
tho case involves a great matter OF
public policy. ut is a question whether
we are to have the big meat packers
OF the country to gain control over all
food distribution, or whether we are
10 maintain the competitive system, The
Interstate commerce commission must
consider the situation In this broad as
meet