Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-08-21
SMALL PACKERS
AGAINST PLANS
OF REGULATION
Independents Say They Are
Furnishing Competition for
Big Five.
WOULD POSTPONE NEW
LAWS FOR BUSINESS
Witness Declares He Believes Big
Concerns Cannot Control Prices
at the Stock Buying
Markets.
WOULD POSTPONE NEW
LAWS FOR BUSINESS

Washington, Aug. 20.--Independent
packers appearing before the senate
agriculture committee today challen-
ged most of the statements of the
federal trade commission on which
proposals for stringent regulation
of the five dominant concerns in the
industry are based.
The Independent representatives
insisted that they were meeting and
furnishing lively competition at both
ends of the industry--in the pur-
chase for their plants and in the sale
of meats to the retailer-and express
ed the conclusion that the law Of sup
ply and demand would serve suffi-
cieantly to protect the consumer.
Their view was supplemented by, that
of retail butcher, and given minor
support in the appearance of vege~
table cannery representative and
the head of a milk condensing bust
ness to object to licensing provisions
of the Kenyon bills which they felt
would apply to their business if not
changed.
Committee members, particularly
Senator Kenyon, republican, Iowa,
author of the regulation measure,
and Senator Capper, republican, Of
Kansas, put to the packers represen-
tatives pointed questions bearing on
the establishment of the American
Institute of Packing, it's Washington
offices, and activities, as we'll as en-
tering into the subject of profits.
"Isnt the institute office here to
fight any kind of regulation Sena-
tor Kenyon asked T. Davis Hill, who
headed a delegation of independent
packers of Baltimore.
"I'm not an officer of it" Hill said,
"but I suppose they want to be on
the ground to be familiar with all
legislative proposals affecting the
Industry"
Understand, I'm not saying they
ued, cor that there is anything wrong
in their methods, but do you know
about their agents and publicity men
here, or who is going to pay for
them?"
No Time for 1t.
~ suppose there will be dues
assessed for that" HILL said.
"That's the usual way"
1--WE are now PASSING through a
period of initiation" Mr.. Hill said,
in making his objection to the pro-
posed regulation. "Prices are alb
normal, business is abnormal. This
is no time to regulate. Wait until
we get through it and have out feet
back on the ground and then see
what drastic measures are necessary
The witness said he bought hogs
i'm competition with the big packers in
Kansas City and Chicago and was
sure the big concerns could not con-
troll prices. Solomon Greenwald
who said his house in Baltimore
dealt in only beef. asserted the same
thing was true of other livestock.
| Senator Randsdell, democrat, Louis,
lana. took up the questioning from
another angle.
"We've been told the big packer:
lare going into everything" the sena
tor queried, Concerning the sale o.
some 700 other products. Do yor
think it would be good thing to have
them put all these other smaller mer
out of business and establish a mono
poly in foodstuffs ?"
"No. but I'd say to license the 9th
err and let the livestock industr,
alone" Greenwald responded.
"These are just the sort of object
ions that were raised to meat in
spection when that law was proposed
observed Senator Kenyon.