The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-06
BY WILLIAM r. sANRoRN.

IL
The danger that the great packing
interests will, unless drastically regu-
lated, ultimately control the entire
food supply of the nation, both in a
wholesale and retail way, was the
central idea brought at meeting of
the National Wholesale Grocers asso-
citation in Cincinnati on Thursday.
Preposterous, you say? The coun-
try is too large, too rich, and there
Is too much active competition from
coast to coast.
Well, we haven't said that the pack
ers were heading for the ownership
of all the little grocery stores. We
simply state that the wholesale gro
GERS discussed the possibility of food
CONTROL" and of themselves being but
out Of business, first of all, and this
to be followed by the elimination of
the retail market man by chain OF
packed-owned stores a few years
later.
To our view that is no nightmare
no wild dream If the food trades are
left to follow their natural courses, to
drift as they have been drifting, 1t
may be but matter of few years
before just what the wholesale gro
GERS are preparing to fight and to
head off will be brought about.
Thirteen hundred members of the
National Wholesale Grocers' associa-
ton are in session in Cincinnati this
week. They know why they are
there, and the nature of the problem
they must eventually solve, not this
year or next, it may be, but later and
not so far away at that. Their busl-
ness has already been fcut from ~
to as high as so per cent, SO they
claim, and the situation is growing
worse daily.
Handling 70 Food Products.
Whenever the packer gets into a
thing he very quickly becomes mo-
nopolist, and therein lies the danger.
He is a monopolist to this extent; he
regulates prices for the rest OF that
particular trade. He limits the little
fellows opportunity, then the latter
is finally eliminated. In recent arti-
Gle we spoke of the entrance OF the
packers into the coffee roasting trade,
to the alarm of old established I'M
porters and roasters, who are taking
action to see what can be done about
it, At that time we quoted Chairman
Colver of the Federal Trade Commls-
sion who has made an exhaustive
study of this vast subject.
Mr. Colyer addressed the grocers al
Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon
His remarks, which follow, are most
Illuminating:
THE great combination Of five meat
packing establishments has gone into
70 extra lines of the food business. II
already has reduced the wholesalers
trade 10 to so per cent by dealing oil
rectly with the retailers, and unless
restrained will wipe out the wholesal
ers in ten years, and in Is years VII
wipe out the retailers by chain Of
stores. Before it is too late this com
bination should be ordered to keel
within the meat business-or 1t will
control the entire food supply OF the
nation The unrestricted development
of a food trust would mean the el1mln-
alton of those great American bust
ness institutions which have been built
up to manufacture and prepare the
food, other than meat foods. Ruthless
invasion into unrelated fields is ex
cused on the grounds of efficiency L
is not true or it would be reflected II
lower prices instead of constantly IN
creasing prices. Shall we, the people
who have just poured out our bloot
and treasure in France to end thu
ruthless efficiency of the Hun, ST
silent while the same commercial kul
tur comes to it's perfect flower in thi
country"
Mr.. Colver said that the meat pack
ers have pineapple plantations in Ha
wall, can vast quantities of beans
peas and other small vegetables, sal
mon, tuna, corn products, rice, catsul
and scores of other foods other thar
meats. They control not only th'
meat supply, but are getting contro
of the supply of possible substitutes,
said Colver "They control the oleo
margarine field, and since, in addition
of beef suet. cottonseed oil is als'
used for making oleo, the trust nov
virtually controls the cottonwood sit
uation"
So imminent is considered the dar
ger that some well-known lawyer
have been engaged to outline pla
of action. The refrigerator car serN
ice, a passenger car service as t
speed at less than freight car cost
to others, with all its delay, gives tn
packers great advantage just now
and has for long time. 1t is to ovel
come this that the association ha
opened the fight. They demand equs
opportunity; no more nor no less.
Clifford Thorne, of Chicago, one c