Arizona republican., 1919-02-05
ADVISES MEAT MONOPOLY
 WITH NATIONAL CONTROL
National Livestock Man Ad- vances Bold Theory - States Existence Of Pro ducers Depends On Strong Supervision - Cattle In dustry Is At Stake.

WASHINGTON, Feb. A govern ment regulated monopoly of the meat industry was advocated by livestock producers today before the senate ag- riculture committee and the house in terstate commerce committee, as the only means of satisfying both the pro 6ucer and the consumer, and prevent- ing the cattle business from being destroyed.
 George Armstrong, cattle man of Fort Worth, Texas recommended to the senate committee that legislation be enacted, which would give the gov ernment control of the entire industry and permit it to fix the prices of live stock, meat and labor. He said both producers anG consumers had just grievances against the present system and that only government intervention would prevent continued agitation.
 Edward c. Lasater, members of the executive committee of the National Livestock association, and former chief of the livestock and markets di- vision of the food administration, told the house committee that the cattle in dustry would be destroyed if the gov ernment did not take steps immedate- | 1 just profit. He declared that more | cattlemen were facing bankruptcy to- 1 day than at any other time in the history of the industry, and that gov ernment ownership was the only solu- 1 tion of the problem.
 Hoover Caused Losses l Mir. Lasater charged that the food administration was responsible for large losses suffered by livestock producers. | He said the packers were assured a ! good profit on everything they handled, but when the producers asked for the same privilege, Food Administrator ! Hoover told them it could not be done, and that they should be willing to make some sacrifices to aid the coun- try to win the war.
 The witness said the result was that the credit of the producers was de- stroyed and'that they had lost so much money that they now were forced to sell almost all their calves, with a con- sequent threat to the future meat supply.
 MT. Hoover seemed to have every ones interests at heart except the pro- ducers," he stated He treated then unfairly from the start. He even went so far as to tell the allies the meat supply of the country was much great CT than it was, and invited them to or. der as heavily as they desired He SC manipulated the situation that Englanf shoWS an increase in her cattle d1lrint the war, while ours is greatly de creased
 WhIle MT. Armstrong was testifvins petore the senate committee he wa asked concerning letters bearing on hi lelatlons to the five big packers. On, or these dealt with his purchase O stock In the Fort Worth Record. Tn
 witness explained that he had helpe,
 10 purchase a controlling interests il thIs paper, advancing s10OOO bor roWed on notes endorsed by Armou ana company and Swift and Company out c9hled that his purchase was t
 'iie packers control of the paper MT Armstrong said his purpose wa lo change the socialistic viewpoint . VI .he eoltor' Clarence Ousley, now as f slstant to Secretary Houston. , MT. Armstrong said he later dispose
 or ms newspaper stock and was con l Vlnced now that MT. Ousley's idea C s government was nearer right than Wer
 his own at that time.
 | The witness identified a letter whic t he wrote to F. W. Croll of Armour an | company, seeking extension of tn ? notes and he added:
 , "I took this stock originally in tt II hope I might be of some assistance { ! Mir. Armour and MT. Swift" He SUE n gested that the packers would find tt . arrangement had been profitable, e they had "notised the editorial polio a before and after taking" s Mir. Armstrong said he knew nothin
 about another arrangement, referred 1
 in letters read by FranciSJ. Heney, |. which the packers obtained stock in Il .. Fort Worth Star Telegram, as securit
 for loan to the paper
 Henry Veeder, counsel for Swift ar
 Company followed MT Armstrong. [
 testified concerning his connection vii h the pools conducted by the big packe S. for 10 years down to 1902. and aft ia several clashes with MT. Heney, pr, ss tested that he was not permitted J. answer questions properly.
 Formation of pools by the big pacl
 CTS was to prevent the oversupply
 the market and to keep prices stab 'n Mr. Veeder testified. One pool VI 's broken up by Schwarzschild and Sul
 berger, an independent company. foo, ct ing the market, he declared. g. But could the small packers bre; k up combinations of the big packe
 today?" asked Mir. Heney. J. They could if they had enough ca v- ital to stick it out" MT. Veeder replie
 "They would have to have mo as money than England" commented \ by Heney
 Widely published advertisements Ire where the Swift dollar goes" we
 criticised by members of the commit
 during the testimony of L. D. H. We
 manager of Swift and Company's I to search department, who was the fiji rd witness today before the senate COT
 mittee.
 to Senators Norris and Gronna said t for advertising was misleading and wot nd give readers of country papers the il
 pression the packing concerns wt led making profit of per cent instead IT, 12. Mir. Weld said the advertiseme
 pointed out that 2.o4 out of each c d. hundred cents of sales went for prof ter s5 cents for livestock and the renal
 der for expenses.