Evening star., 1919-01-23
u. 5. MEAT INQUIRY
MEkYODSATTAcKED
Federal Trade Commission
Convicted Packers Unheard,
Counsel Testifies.
COURSE TERMED "UNFAIR"

Methods of the Federal Trade Com
mission in conductina its meat pack
ing inquiry We're alta, 'ked at today.
hearing of the House A ,terstate com
merce committee on legiA lation to reg
ulate the meat industry Ii accordanc,
with the commissions z acommenda'
tions.
Levy Mayer, counsel forS Armour 6
Co, was on the stand discn ssing tht
constitutionalHy of the bins and th'
commissions inquiry.
When the Federal Trade 6 ,mmis
sion took testimony and found a yer
dict OF guilty against the packArs. d.
you mean to say your clients wer'
given no chance to repIy?" asked A2ep
resentative Sanders OF louisiana
None whatever" Mr.. Mayer saiA'.
ou don't mean to say that WIN y
a witness took the stand to give dam
aging testimony against your c1ienA
you We're not allowed to question
him?''
Barred From the Hearing.
Il was not allowed to participate in
the nearing at all.
You were not allowed even to estab-
lish the credibility of the witness?"
No
Then what credence can we give to
these findings?" continued Mr. Sanders.
None whatever
DO you mean to say the. Federal
Trade Commission undertook to in
vestigate a great industry without
giving the industry a chance to pre-
sent its side?"
Absolutely none" Mr.. Mayer said.
Il made three trips to Washington
to plead for the opportunity, but they
refused and gave no reason. They
sent scores and scores of examiners
to go through the files of Armour
& Co. and took. many letters"
"0f course. they took all the letters
to show the context?" Mr.. Sanders
Interrupted,
They did not" Mr.. Mayer an
swered.
Cites Mistaken Inference.
The witness said mistaken infer
ence drawn from one letter referring
to an agreed price on lard compound
was due to the failure of the COM
mission to take other letters which
would have explained that the price
was fixed by the Food Administration
and not by the packers.
L
ever heard of in my life,'' Mr.. Sanders
remarked, as he finished his question
ing -
Representative Bark1ey of Kentucky
came to the defense of the commits
sion, and Mr.. Mayer agreed with him
that it had Instituted its investigation
under direction of the President. Mr..
Barkley sought to have Mr.. Mayer say
whether the commission had acted il
legally.
No law covers the case, but think
the commission acted unfairly, and
anything that is unfair is Illegal" Mr..
Mayer replied.
Drastic War. Measures.
Drastic war measures were given by
Mr. Mayer as the reason for an acute
tendency in legislation. of which. he
said, the pending. bill was an example:
He said some departments of the goyT
eminent were unmindful; thai the
power of Congress in peace was quite
different from its powers in time OF
war. and that a Situation which no
longer exists was the inspiring mo-
tive for legislation under discussion:
IF YOU can. regulate private indus
try, such as the packing plants. then
you can regulate the manufacture of
hairpins, rubber boots. everything" !"
he asserted, land it won't be long
DeIore you nave every dissatisIleu eie-
ment of the community appealing for
the great panacea of congressional
legislation" -.
The licensing provision of the bill
was declared the most drastic because
it intrusted to one man, the. PEesi-
dent, the right to issue and; revoke
licenses. Mr.. Mayer declared the pow
er given the government to purchase
and publish market newspapers stag
gered the imagination and might lead
to powerful political influence.