The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-24

K &
ssys Cunninw FsspaganAA Enssnsers1
BY Men Of secialistie TeaAsneies.
Chicago, Aug. 2a--Edward Morris
president Of Morris and company. said
today:
with the country In arms oyer the
continued high cost OF living and with
anti-packsr legislation pending before
congress. the federal trade commission
has seixAd this moment to issue anoth-
e. attack on the packers. This state
nent. simply rehash Of the one-sided
Investigation made two years ago. has
double object; to infiams the public
and prejudice congress against the
packers.
II assume am guilty OF Tess ma
5cste" in saying . word to the public
in defense OF our business. judging
from recent utterances In the senate.
To ~denounce the packers 10 patriotic
statesmanship; to defend them Is
propaganda" However, will risk II
and say that the present agitation
against this industry IL 80 per cent
premeditated. cold blooded. cunning
csalistic tendencies, who are seeking to
bolster UP unjust and iniquitous con-
illusions reached by them, and to fas-
ten sociSlistic control on the business
OF this country generally. why exper-
iment along these lines with the recent
expensive object lesson OF government
operation Of railroads and telegraph
and telephone linesF II this Is not
CROUCH the public Is certainly a glut-
ton for punishment
THE people should know that there
IS collusfon between certain persons.
with selfish interests to serve. and with
others In sympathy with paternalism
and communism. These bust in e s
wreckers figure that the packers. on
account Of their dealing with a prime
necessity, are the most inviting sub
ject. and the present. on account of the
high cost OF living. II the most oppor-
tune time to foster the policy of gov
eminent ownership on the people. II
tie pending packer legislation becomes
the law 1t Is only question Of time
until all business will be controlled,
rot by general laws. but by men and
bureaus. inexperienced in business. "
Washington.
Il wonder when the federal trade
commission will issue report con-
tanning the testimony OF the small
packer victims of the big Ave over
whom it shed SO many crocodile tears
Such q report would show that before
congressional committees last winter
lEesS oppressed CoLHpSliAoIc PICdNGu
to be saved from the salvation pre-
scribed for them by the commission
They testified as to the fairness of the
competition they met In the stock yards
and in the markets in which they sold
their finished products and were unit
in declaring that the legislative pana
ceas proposed would not only ruin
them, but would accomplish nothing
for the people.
THE small packer. padding his own
canoe, and doing 1t successfully. knew
then and knows now. that these So
cialistic nostrums will not cure the
patient. which Is the public. suffering
from the high cost OF living. We are
in no combination to raise or txtort
prices: we work SO efficiently and eco
| nomically that we can exist on profit
of small fraction OF one cent per
| pound. Eliminate this and the cost
to the consumer would not be appre-
| ciably affected. We are as much inter
| ested in a solution OF this vital prob.
| lem as any one and will welcome and
aid the fullest investigation by dis
interested, competent and non-politica
body into this all important matter
| Unrest will not vanish until this ques
ton is settled and settled right