Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-05
INVESTIGATING THE PACKERS

The main fact that has been brought out in all ,ae
months of inquiry into and controversy over the meat
packing business is that there is need right now for a
detailed and comprehensive Investigation of all the fea-
lures of that business by a commission whose personnel
will be of a character ito inspire respect from the outset,
and whose methods will be such that no question will
ever be raised as to their fairness and adequacy. There
and while the inquiry now in progress before congress
sional committees is apparently inspired by a desire to
get at the real facts, in the very nature of things an IN
quiry into such a vast and complicated business. casually
undertaken by congressional committees which have
abundance Of other work, cannot come anywhere near
to doing justice to the subject.
Whatever may have been the purpose of the MEM
bers, the investigation Of the packing business by the
Federal Trade commission was a farce. Because of the
important place which the packing industry occupies in
the industry, Of the country, and of the close relationship
between this industry and the welfare Of the people of
the country generally, the manner in~which that inquiry
was conducted and the character of the report made were
disgraceful Responsibility for much of this must rest
on Francis ]. Heney. the attorney employed by the COM
mission to conduct the investigation. Mr.. Heney is by
nature not an investigator, but a partisan and an advo-
cate. He started in on his investigation of the packers
with one purpose clearly before him., namely to place
the five great packing companies of the country before
the country in such a light that they would be held
- 1APAopeA oAu uHLdW1ul pTdCClCeS.- ~ witnesses
were carefully chosen for their willingness to make state
naents tending to support such conclusions. and testimony
tending in this direction was carefully placed in the rec.
ord. All other witnesses and all other testimony were
excluded. The companies whose business was being in
vestlgated were treated as criminals on trial for their
lives, with the exception that accorded the privilege of
having testimony presented in their defense.
The report Of the commission was of the exact char
acter which might have been expected from the type OF
man !chosen to conduct the inquiry and the methods
which he pursued in doig the work. The total profits Of
the five companies were stated, but no mention was
made of the vast volume of business which was transact
ed in order that those profits might be earned The in
crease OF profits during the progress of'the war were
stated, but nothing. was said about the increase in the
volume OF business during that time. Startling figures
on the ratio of profits to capital stock were given, but
'"e report contained not a word on the facts which lie
at the root Of the whole matter, the profits made per
<nimal handled or per dollar paid for raw material.
A report by such a body as the Federal Trade com
mission should have been, and could have been a valu-
abe contribution to public information on one of our
most important industries. It is in reality an exhibition
OF miserable partisanship and cheap sensationalism.
The congressional inquiry is being conducted for the pur.
pose OF obtaining information which will enable congress
10 act lnteligenuy on the pending bill to authorize the
government to take over certain important activities now
carried on by the packers. 1t is not possible for the com
mi"eet u go into the subject as thoroughly as its import
ance warrants. here is need for a thorough inouirv con-
Quoted by a capable body which will be embarrassed by
no other duties, and which will devote its attention 70
getting at the facts rather than to twisting facts ~ .
some preconceived theory.
There is not much difference between open Boil
shevism and the system Of robbery which is rampant in
this community. m either IT is a case OF taking away
from the other fellow something he has and YOU want.