New-York tribune., 1919-09-03
Plan of Wilson
To Seize Meat
Plants Shown
Senate Committee Is Told
Idea of Government Oper-
alton Was Dropped When
Special Board Opposed 1t
Expert Blames Butchers
Direct Service From Pack
er TO Consumer Favored
to Reduce Retail Prices

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2-Plans for
governmental operation of the plants
and distributing systems of the Big
Five packers during the war received
serious consideration but were dropped
when majority Of a special committee
reporting on the subject TO President
" ilson rejected the proposal, it was
developed to-day through testimony
before the Senate Agriculture Com
mittee
NJ. SAMSON, a Texas cattloman who
served on the committee as repre-
sentative of tho Department of Apr.-
culture appearing at the hearings TO
oppose passage OF the KENYON and Ken
drlck bills for Federal regulation Of
the packing industry, referred casually
to the subject and Senate members.
overcoming MIR. Sansom's OBJ jections 10
discussing the matter because the
President had not published the report.
questioned hlm until they got the full
story.
after the Federal Trade Commis-
sion made its report upon the packing
situation, committee was appointed to
go INTO the subject for the President,
which had on IT Representatives OF the
Department Of Agriculture, the Food
Administration, the Department of
Commerce and Labor and the Inter
state Commerce Commission" SAMSON
said. They put me on for the Depart
ment of Agriculture because I was
supposed to know about stockyarcs and
cattle handling. After we went into it
pretty thoroughly, we divided up.
1.-Two of the committee. reprcsenta-
tives of the Labor Department and the
Federal Trade Commission, voted to
take over the plants. but The rest of
US were against it. The Trade Com
mission representatives seemed to be
pretty severe at the time for prosecut-
ing the packers"
"You say they were prosecutors ."
Senator Ramsdell (Democrat. of
Louisiana. asked
"Well, | hardly mean that" SAMSON
responded. "They were preiudiced.
perhaps, because Of their investiga-
tions."
Mr.. SAMSON, in opposing the regu-
iatory bills, also developed an entirely
novel solution for the high-price-of
meat problems.
My investigation has convinced me
that the large packer hasn't gone as
far with the meat and food business
as he ought to 60" he said "They
ought to carry the meat straight
through to the consumer and cut
out the retailer. They could do it
better and cheaper I've found that
1t takes from so to 100 per cent IN
crease to get the meats through the
butcher shop. In my town there are
26l concerns retailing meat In
Washington there are 700 We know
that meat is too high to the consumer.
'lf the packers did the retail bust
ness with more efficiency, fewer shops,
and we got complaints on high prices
as we are getting them now, it would
be simple matter to find out then
who was protiteering.'
A conflict as to the motives Of viii
nesses who have Appeared during the
hearing was precipitated earlier in the
day when Senator Kenyon, Republican.
of Iowa, author of the principal bill
at issue, introduced two letters for
the record. One from J. G. Miller. Of
Denver, asserted that Colorado pack
ers who classed themselves as inde
pendents in opposing the legislation
last week really were connected with
the larger companies. Harvey Nuckolls.
owner OF q plant at Pueblo, Col, was
named as one of those having such
connections.
Henry Needer, counsel for Swift &
Co., interrupted the proceedings a lit
tie later, denied the assertion for all
Of the packers and introduced Nuckols.
who also denied it fatty
The second letter from J. {. Nor
row, Of Alliance, Neh, said cattioman
from that state who have supported
the contentious of the big packers
were people who secured special favors
IN marketing their stock.