The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-27
Troubles of the
PaCkersNOt Over
By DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright, 1919, by The
Intslhgencer.)

WASHINGTON. n. G.. Dec. @S.-The
troubles Of tn" Chicago packers are by
no means over What the Department
"f Justice has done in compromising a
suit brought under the sherman Anti
Trust law will not swcrvc the Felcral
Trade Commission from IT, course in
bringing proceedings IN thlrty-oGs dtf-
icrcuc cases n which II is alleged that
;he packers are violating the Federal
Trade Commission law with reference
10 unfair competition.
The fall Significance Of Little state
mert issued recently rather vaguely
worded az the. time but conveying
nevertheless the intentions OF the Fed
eral Trade Commission is just begin
ming 10 De- apparent. 1t developed that
the commission was fully awar" of the
negotiations between the Department Z
OF Justice and the packers and prepared
the statement 81 its position 10 be Is-
sued roinCIdentally with the announce
meut IL The compromise reached BY the
attorney general In many quarters,
the Federal Trade Commissions posi-
tion was promptly interpreted as tSsat-
iSfactioa with the course or the Depart
mcut Of Justice. and the fact that the
commission addressed It's letter TO the
President and asked for u continuance
OF his confidence was construed as the
outcropping Of an tnter-departmsntaI
quarrel.
Blu, tina, ism: The situation. The
feeling between the Federal Trade Com
mission and ;hr Department OF Justice
F-gapA1,. aud en-pDpraflyp There iS
Il perfect understanding OF tire scope
and Jurisdiction OF each branch OF the
government with reference to the Sui.e
against the packers. The Federal Trade
Comm! sSion furnished 20 the Depart.
ment OF Justice much Of the evidence
which was used in the suit brought un-
der the Sherman Law.
That Is only one Of its functions. how
ever. Under other laws. Il Is charged
with ,he duty Of compelling big husl-
ness To- dcSiSt from unfair trade lrac-
tices. ard rs orders arc subject rs af-
firmation or reversal in the United
States court OF appeals. So while the
packers may reach an agreement with
the Department Of Justice as To their
disaSSucIatjou from related lines Of
business constituting a monopoly. that
has nothing 10 do with the work OF the
Federal Trade Commission under other
laws.
The bis question which, the Federal
Trade Crmm!sS IS trying 10 answer
i'm behalf OF .nd.pe ndentS and smaller
corCrrnS than ;hc packers is this:
"IC he 525.UO6 600 OF capital which
has hitherto been distributed in more
tran 4pn different kinds OF businesses
now must he concentrated In the meat
business and In the butter. egg. cheese
and poultry business. what Will $522.-
uOn.OOO OF organized capital do TO the
persons engaged In the meat. butter.
egE. cheese and poultry business
The packers know just what the
movers ~ the Federal Trade Commits
sion are but An item III Chicago news
papers recently gave the impression
that they expected rreSideUt Wilson to
call off the Federal Trade Commission.
I, il known that the packers have dis
cuSscd that poss ihil!ty with the attor-
ney general but the latter has no more
Jurisdiction over the Federal Trade
Commission than the secretary OF the
navy or any other member OF the caoi-
net.
Il will be noted that the attorn>y gem
eral left the question % butter. eggs.
cheese and poultry TO further consider
alton" which may or may not mean
the entry OF 1nOkEtE 'NillPsO'llASF NN~''V
with the Department, OF Justice or sub
mission TO an o-d"T from u" Federa!
Trade commission.
To understand thr position OF The
Federal Trade Commission to-day. the
following excerpt from its letter 10
President Wilson sent 20 the White
House Immediately after the terms OF
the compromise with the PACKERS be-
came known ought TO be read:
The commission found that with re-
Spect to the meat packing industry
there rviStel mOnopOleS. controls.
trusts. combinations. conspiracies and
restraints Of cradc out Of harmony with
the law and public interest. The COM
mtss!on so reported 10 the President
and 70 the congress and placed It's mass
= Of facts as rapid: as they could be.
d!Ses,"d in ;hc hands OF the Department
or Justice for such action as u might
deem wise The commission has re-
spondcd TO the call OF committees Of
congress which were considering pro-
posed radical legislation and TO the call
Of tn" Department Of Justice In the
further study OF the facts transmitted.
The commission found that starting
with "A practical control OF the meat
hacking industry. the present state OF
affairs made possible unfair inHsatonS
tntO other Industries 10 an extent that
an ultimate rOnt-ul Of the food supply
or the nation n 4 few hands was pos
Sible and prohab,e. To this situation Il
has directed the attention nt congress.
We should say TO you that in this
examination the commission has
brought out certain facts having To do
with the laws. the administration Of
which Il Is particularly charged. In a
number Of these matters formal pro-
reedirgs nave already been instituted
In Others formal proceedings are m
process ~ formulation. These things
the commission will carry forward in
dine course and In the orderly prosecu-
,ion OF it's work.
In tho foreEo.@g paragraph is re-
,ealed the intention of The packers TO
60 forward with thirty-unc cases en-
,sreIy different from tUose compro-
missed by the Department of Justice
Victor MurdoCk. Bail Moose leader in
Kansas. in 1917. Huston Thompson. OF
colorado former ass ta1t attorney
renrral. and William = Golfer. for ten
years publisher Of the Clover Leaf
nrfspapers-Thr s. "alu News the
MINNEAPOLIS News and the Omaha pail>
News. constitute the three members OF
the Federal Tcade Commission a. pros
ent. the two other vacancies have not
vet been Ruled. though colonel Gaskiu.
Of New Jersey. y Republican. has beer
-