Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-08-22
FLAYS Governments
DISPOSITION TO RULE
NATIONS ENTERPRISES

pflScS, with especial reference To
proposed legislation for supervision
of the packing industry. was made
today by Senator Fernald of Maine,
speaking i'll the senate. Stamping
the Kenyon and Fcndrick bills, Vch-
clcs of the packer regulation now
under discussion as examples of
Sitting, throttling legislation" h
declared his opposition to them, SAID
they were extension of the policy
which had failed in the transports
! ton and communication industries,
and predicted that the public would
suffer from higher costs and poorer
service should they be enacted
II cannot believe the senate of the
| United States feels after the eXper-
ince we have had with governmen,
control of railroads, telegraph and
| telephone lines, that the policy should
be continued,' Senator Fernald said
at would certainly lead to chaos and
bankruptcy. In behalf of the bust
ness men Of the country, who have
had as much to do with making our
country great as any class of citizens
want to protest here and now
! against this proposed legislation. 1t IS
filled with danger to our institutions,
and our system of government. 1t IS
socialistic, and it un-Amcrican, and
it should be dcfeatcG.'
Defending the packers, Senator
Fcrnald said their business had to
be conducted in large units in order
to be economical, Their develop
ment Of refrigerator cars and oW1er-
ship of stock yards, like their utl'1za-
ton of animal by products, constitut-
ed valuable service.
Packers Praised.
conc of the most notable results OF
/ by product utilization is the fact
that all the meat from steer can
be sold by the packer for much less
than he pays for the live animal
Senator FernaId said. "Swift ard
company, in 1918 paid on an aver
age of $92 70 head for cattle, and
sold the meat for $Sl As head. For
bv-products $22 OS head was re-
ceivcd. Thus $1O.S1 covered the ex-
pense and profit on each head. And
| figures show the profit her head was
only $1,o2.
"ro my way of thinking the dis
covcrv made by the packers that by
products that were thrown away
achievements of modern times. When
the proposition to curb the packing
industry is viewed in its proper light
think it will be found that the
present organization of the industry
really meets the needs of the situa-
ton in this country and results IN
efficiency
He attacked the federal trade
| for Uouoot ion h1o mot h
DDS" in it's investigation and report
on the packers, and said that it had
very largely lost sight of it's func-
ton to aid and guide business.
"The commission" asserted the
senator, "failed to get any evidence.
of combination. 1t is only by unfair
method, by misinterpretation and
mstatcments of facts that it was
able to come to the conclusion that
there is combination in restraint of
trade. This report so far as | have
been able to investigate it, contains
no evidence of monopoly am
reliably informed that the commission
in some instances actually used only
such parts of kilograms taken from
the files Of the packers as appeared
to bear out this case, emitting items
not useful evidence to the committee.
Heckling Business.
$50 here we have an agency Of the
government, constituting itself main
" as prosecuting body, losing
sight very largely Of it's functions
in the aid and guidance of business.
The federal trade commission, in place
of cooperating and being of some
assistance, has, and is now badger
ing, carrying and heckling American
business interests"
"If there is any unfair compet
ton or monopoly or any practices in
trading that are not on the square.
the Clayton antitrust law and the
federal trade commissions laws give
ample power to suppress such illegal
operations"
Complaints of wholesale grocers
that the packers were entering their
field in the sale of perishable foods,
he cassed as unjustified, with the
remark that the same complain
might be made against the grocers
for handling drugs, hardware, and
other goods out of their line
at is unthinkable that congress
should give the government power
to say" he asserted on this PORT,
"what products concern may or
may not handle, as it would be able
to do under proposed legislation, in
stead of attempting to make big
business little. Let US all pull to-
gether to make little business biz.
Remove the shackles some men are
attempting to place on business in
terests of the country. Give them
a fair field. Let each work out in
his own way the great industrial
problems before u.s."