Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-07-18
FEDERAL REPORT
HITS AT PACKERS
President Wilson Told "Big Five'
Are Building Great Food
Combine.
PLAN TO CORNER ALL TRADE
Charged With Attempt to Control All
Substitutes for Meat-lnterested
in Banks, Factories and
Other Institutions.

Otner knStltutionS.
Washington, July 14.-An approach
ing packer domination Of all important |
foods In the United States and an in
tcrnational control of meat products
with foreign companies seems GER
trinity unless fundamental oction is
taken to prevent 1t, the federal trade
commission declared in part one Of its
report to President Wilson on the sex
tent and growth Of power Of the Eve
packers in meat and other industries"
"A fair consideration of the course
the five packers have followed and the
position they have already reached"
said the report. must lead to the con-
clusion that they threaten the freedom
OF the market of the country's food
Industries and of the by-product of the
Industries linked herewith. The meat
pacrcr control Of other foods will not
require long in developing"
Declaring 'the history Of the pack
PRS growth is interwoven with illegal
commissions, rebates and with undls-
closed control OF corporations" the re-
pors urged the importance of full pub
licliy Of corporate ownership for all
Industries.
Alleging that the ''big FIVE" pack
ers-- Swift 4 Co, Armour a Co.. Will
son 4 Co.. Morris & Co. and the Cud-
ahy company-jolntly or separately
WELD controlling interest In 574 com
panics, minority interest in 90 others,
anC undetermined interest In 93-a to-
tai OF 762 companies-and that they
produce or deal in some 775 commodi-
ties largely food products, the report
gives this picture of growing packer
invasion into related and unrelated In
dushies: s.. I
'Tn addition TO meat foods they pro
duce or deal In such divers commodi-
ties as fresh tomatoes and banjo
. strings. leather and cottonseed oil, etc.
'They have interests large enough to
be a dominating influence in most of
the services connected with the pro-
duction and distribution of animal
foods and their by-products. and are
reaching out for control not only Of
substitutes for animal foods but of
substitutes for other lines into which
the inteeration Of the business has led
them. They are factors I'm cattle loan
companies. making che necessary loans
to growers and feeders Of live stock I;
are interested in railways and private
car lines transporting live stock and
manufactured animal products; in
most Of the important stockyards COM
panies--the public market for the bulk
of food animals, and In live stock
trade papers on which growers and
Feeders rely for market news.
'They are interested in banks from
which their competitors packing
houses borrow money; in companies
supplying machinery, ice, salt. materi-
ais, boxes, etc, to themselves and their
competitors; they are principal deal
ers on the provision exchanges. where
future prices in standard cured ami
NAL products are determined.
"Their vast distributing system, with
The advantages arising from the con-
troll OF private cars. cold storage and a
network of branch houses has en-
abled them to extend their activities
on large scale into poultry, eggs
cheese. butter, rice, breakfast foods
canned vegetables. soda fountain sup
plies and other lines.
"Some Of Swift & Co.'S subsidiaries
are growing tropical fruits in Hawaii
a subsidiary of Wilson & Co., Inc.
has reached into the salmon fisheries
OF Alaska. and Morris concern cans
shrimp taken in the waters of the Gull
ef Mexico.
'gThe big FIVE, the report said, have
control of or interest in public utility
corporations in Sioux City, Kansas
City, South st. Paul, Portland, Ore.
San Francisco. South st. Joseph, Mo,
Hnl City, Mimi, Fort Worth, Tex,
and Chicago.
As to financial power, the repor
nid in part:
The packer has drawn to a martct
degree upon the banks Of the countr,
for liquid funds. To assure himsel
loans ample to his purpose, the BIZ
packer has secured afiiliation througl
stock ownership, represention on dl
rectorate and in other ways, with nu
numerous banks and trust companie:
Mr.. Armour. Mr.. Swift. Mr.. Morris an,
Mr.. Wilson are directors in bank
affiliated closely with those who ar
strong at the source Of credit In tn
United states. Being thus allied wit
the powerful interests at the source
of credit. the packers powers !
great"