St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1919-07-26
TUE ST. TAMAY FARMER CoyINGFoN SATURDAY JULY 26 1919
30 s; ;ai| |a|||!i|
VICIOUS AND DANGEROUS LEGIS.
LATION PROPOSED.
0Qenssnued On Page =

pIldtLlCdlly at d SlduuoLIAl Ill 4lahy
cities and even increasing as much
as 20 per cent in some cuts. In
some cities, where retail prices have
been reduced, reductions are usually
about 10 per cent. 1t would seem
from the report of the Department
that regulations are required in the
retail handling of meat products
rather than in the handling of the
live stock and the wholesale distri-
button of the beef.
The Bills in question in taking
away from the packer his private car
lines would no doubt be extremely
acceptable to the packer, provided ne
was assured of an efficient means for
shipping his porduct. The condi-
ton or the railroads under govern
ment control and ownership is sucn
as to justify the fear that efficient |
distribution would disappear entirely
under government control. |
There is shortage of refrigerator
cars to handle the products of the
country at this time, and private
owned cars ofithe packers, which are
a most important connecting link in
the distribution of meat products,
would simply go to help make up the
shortage of cars in other lines of
commerce.
The car as used by the packer is
one wn.ch is found after years of ex-
perience to be especially adapted to
handling meat products. The ordl-
| nary car carries the load on tie
| floor; the packers car is construct
ed to bear the weight of beef car
| casses suspended from the roof,
equipped with hooks and racks,
| which arc absolutely necessary for
the safe transport of his product.
| They are under the packers control,
and by lse of them he can ship his
product to the middle of Canada or
\ the middle of Mexico, regardless Of
/ line or lines of railroads he uses and \
| without the necessity of transfer en-
i route. Should this highly developed
| system of distribution be interfered
with, it is certain that the packers
of the country would soon lind their
coolers full, which would result in
cur.ail by them of their buyers
/ from the market; would hinder the
| distribution of meat, and unques-
| -ionably cause a higher price for the
meat and lower price for the live
| stock.
The packer is regulated. The
Federal Trade Commission in it's re-
port has not shown profteering.
The penalty for false returns in In
come Tax Reports is a term in the
penitentiary
The packer has an elaborate sys-
tenn for the distribution of meats In
| which he deals with his consigners.
| This system makes it cheaper to
handle other products than strictly
meat products, thereby increasing
his volume of business greatly, with
Approximately the same overhead.
The Bill above mentioned pro-
hibits, at the discretion of the Secr5-
tary of Agriculture, the packer from
selling any food product except meat
food products, which, If done, would
greatly increase the overhead ex-
pense of the meat products and
would again necessitate an increased
price to the consumer for meat.
1 On occasions the packers have
been large purchasers of rice and
other products of the Southern
Estates, and this Bill would remove
his competition entirely from the
market.
Under the aforementioned Bill
no packer or employee of packers
may own any stock in stock yard
company. 1t is for the good of the
industry to have the operation Of
stock yards under the control and in
the hands of those who are interest
ed in the welfare and upbuilding of
the live stock industry and under
their ownership, and who are not
depending entirely for dividends on
the profits of stock yard operations.
The various audits made from
time to time of the packers books
show that their profits have been
very moderate, and with small profit
they have built up an exceedingly
efficient and economical machine
whereby enormous quantities of live
stock are marketed, paid for in cash,
and the country supplied with pro-
ducts of highgrade meat at price
which ali Investigations have shown
to be an exceedingly reasonable one.
It is sure to be suicidal to the live
stock industry of the country to place
this highly-efficient business at the
mercy of any one man.
| This Bill would place all of the
aforementioned highly specialized
branches of live stock activity under
the control of one man, and it is
ridiculous to conceive OF superman
handling or administering the affairs
of this great business, especially at a
salary of $4,000 per year.
The principal objection to these
Bills is that they are class legisla-
ton; they are offering an opening
| wedge foe the foundation Of bureauc~
racy, and that under the provisions
provided herein we will find the in
itiative which has been responsible
for the building of this great coun-
try of ours destroyed, as has been the
case to SO marked a degree in oar
| railroad companies, telephone COM
panies and telegraph companies UNI
der government control.
We would suggest that, if the pro-
motors ci this measure are honest
n their contention, they get in per-
sonal touch with the growers of live
stock and learn from them, directly,
their opinion as to the virtues of the
| proposed measure as against the re-
| ults received through the avenue Of
| he packers of the nation.
4 IL 4, L., 4I,N Il Ir,