The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1919-01-22
LEGISLATION FOR
FREE MARKET IS
URGED FOR U. S.
Meat Packing Firms Have
Power to Commit Any
Abuse, Declares kendrick.
{By Associated Press)

DENVER, Colo, January 22-The
five big meat packing firms of the
United States were declared by Sena-
tor Kendrick OF Wyoming, here today
to have such control over both the
producing and the distributing mar
kets that they have the power Ito
commit all the abuses with which
they are charged. and more" regard
less of whether there is an actual COM
bination in that their representatives
meet regularly to agree on prices.
The senator. addressing the Ameri-
can National Live Stock Association
convention, described bill which he
introduced to regulate the meat in
dustry and said it ought to be possi-
BILE to bring about a free market that
would make it possible for both pro-
ducer and packer and consumer to
work profitably together.
1T is perfectly obvious" he told the
convention, that the packers control
absolutely the meat industry of the
country"
With all the interests involved, and
under the circumstances which sur
round the business it would be diff
cult for them to do otherwise than to
work in unison, and it is scarcely ne
cessary, it seems, to attempt to prove
that the packers agents meet daily,
or weekly, or monthly to determine
prices. 1t is only necessary to point
out that their common interest would
naturally tend to make them act in a
common way. If as they claim, all
abuses have been discontinued they
ought to join hands with us now in
securing legislation that will prevent
the resumption of the unfair practices.
All Classes Interested.
"In no sense is the demand for legis-
lation made in the sole interest of
the producer; there is no class of
the population that is not vitality in
terested in proper governmental con-
troll of the meat packing industry be-
cause it has grown to such proper
tions that it may now be termed the
nations food industry. 1t is Of tre-
mendous national Importance, there.
fore, that congress should establish
some sort of control.
"The bill which | have introduced
is intended to secure this end with
the least possible disturbance to any
interest. 1t aims merely to apply to
have been applied to every other busi-
ness engaged in interstate commerce.
We do not ask that the government
take over the packing houses, nor
even that it should operate the stock
yards. We ask only that the packers
shall no longer be permitted to own
and control both the producing and
the distributing markets. To this end
my bill makes provision that will COM
pei the packers to dispose of their
ownership of the stock yards, just
as few years ago congress compelled
the railroads to surrender the owner
ship of coal mines. 1t further pro-
vides that refrigerator cars shall be
subject to the interstate commerce act
in the same manner that all other
cars and transportation facilities are
subject to it.
Finally. the bill provides for a
licensing system for meat packers for
commissioner and for stock yards
owners so that the government may
keep its fingers on the pulse of the
industry.
without regard to who likes it or
who doesn't, this much l can say, that
if legislation is not secured now, the
effort to establish certainty of compe-
tition in the markets of the country
will never cease until the problem is
properly solved, and if the moderate
reforms now requested are not grant
ed, drastic reforms will be imposed
1ater'