Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-30
FEDERAL TRADE
BODY TOPUSH 81
PACKERS CASES
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

by no means over. What the depart
ment of justice has done in COM
promising a suit brought under the
Sherman antitrust law. will not
swerve the federal trade commission
from it's course in bringing proceed
ings in thirty-one different cases in
which it is alleged that the packers
are violating the federal trade com
mission law with reference to I'M
fair competition.
The full significance of a little
statement issued recently, rather
vaguely worded at the time, but con-
veying, nevertheless, the intentions
OF the federal trade commission. is
just beginning to be apparent. 1t
develops that the commission was
fully aware of the negotiations be-
tween the department Of justice and
the packers and prepared the state
ment of it's position to be issued CO.
incidentally with the announcement
of the compromise reached by the
attorney general.
In many quarters, the federal
trade commissions position was
promptly interpreted as dissaustac-
ton with the course of the depart
ment of Justice and the fact that
the commission addressed Its letter
to the president and asked Tor
continuance of his confluence was
construed as the outcropping or an
inter-departmental quarrel.
TWO Departments Cooperate
But that isn't the situation. The
feeling between the federal trade
commission and the department OF
Justice is friendly and cooperative.
There is a perfect understanding Oh
the scope and jurisdiction OF each
branch of the government with ref
erence to the suits against the pack
ers. The federal trade commission
furnished to the department of JUS
tice much of the evidence which was
used in the suit brought under the
Sherman law
That is only one of It's functions
however. Under other laws, 1t
is charged with the duty of compel
ling big business to desist from I'M
fair trade practices and its orders
are subject to affirmation or reversal
in the United States court of APP
peals. So while the packers may
reach an agreement with the de-
partment of justice as to their dis
ISOLATION from related lines of bust
ness constituting a monopoly, that
has nothing to do with the work of
the federal trade commission under
other laws.
The big question which the fed
eral trade commission is trying to
answer in behalf of independents and
smaller concerns than the packers is
this:
If the $685., 100000 of capital which
hitherto has been distributed in
more than 400 different kinds of
businesses must now be concen-
trated in the meat business and in
the butter, egg, cheese and poultry
business, what will 1925, 100000 of
organized capital do to the persons
engaged in the meat, butter, egg,
cheese and poultry business?
Packers Know Commissions Power
The packers know just what the
lowers of the federal trade commis- |
sion are, but an item in Chicago
newspaper recently gave the impress
sion that they expected President
Wilson to call off the federal trade
commission. 1t is known that pack
ers have discussed that possibility
with the attorney 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 cabinet.
1t will be noted that the attorney
general left the question of butter.
eggs, cheese and poultry Ito further
considera ton" which may or may
not mean the entry of another COM
promise decree with the department
of justice or submission to an order
from the federal trade commission.
Letter to President
To understand the position of the
federal trade commission today, the
following excerpt from its letter to
President Wilson sent to the White
House Immediately after the terms of
the compromise with the packers be-
came known, ought to be read"
1.-THE commission, in respect to the
meat-pacEing industry, found there
existed monopolies, controls, trusts,
combinations, conspiracies and re-
straint of trade out of harmony with
the law and public interest. The
commission so reported to the pres
ident and to the congress and placed
it's mass of facts as rapidly as they
could be digested in the hands of the
department of justice for such action
as it might deem wise. The COM
mission has responded to the call
of committees of congress which
were considering proposed remedial
legislation and to the call of the de-
partment of justice in the further
study of the facts transmitted"
The commission found that start
ing with a practical control Of the
meat packing industry the pres
ent state of affairs made possible
unfair invasions into other indus
tries to an extent that an ultimate
control of the food supply of the
nation in a few hands was possible |
and probable. To this situation it
has directed the attention of con-
gress.
Commissions Intention Revealed
I'VE 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 it is particularly charged. |
In a number of these matters for
NAL proceedings have already been |
instituted. In others, formal pro-
ceedings are in process of formula
ton. These things the commission |
will carry forward in due course and |
in the orderly prosecution of its
work"
In the foregoing paragraph is re- |
vealed the intention of the commits |
sion to go forward with thirty-one |
cases entirely different from those
comprised by the department of JUS
tice Victor Murdoch, Bull Moose
leader in Kansas in 1912; Huston
Thompson, of Colorado, former as
sistant attorney general, and Will
liam B. Golfer, for ten years pub |