The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-25
PACKERS CONNECTION
WITH STOCK YARDS
J. Ogden Armour's Comment on the Hoover Letter.

Herbert Hoover's successful admin
Isuatlon of the worlds food problems
proves ability that justifies considera-
ton of his conclusions upon, any sub
Ject to which lie has given mature
thought However, / do not feel that
ms Opinions relative to the federal
tF&ds commission report were based
ION compre hensivc knowledge of the
packing industry. Mr.. Hoover's let
Was Hrlann 1Ir" nenthe aRo SfieE
/ sesss 'It,ar u rsseay-s ,.a'saorA5on' ,,g1rk
our food problems. and before the
/ Packers had had opportunity to set
forth the facts and fundamentals
/ win reference TO the ex parte report
( on which he was asked 10 comment.
IN "it,y OF the tremendous bur
uens he then carried, | cannot con-
ceire of his having found time to
study the fundamentals OF the sltua-
zion and 1t should he noted that his
letter was written by request and not
volunteered as the result OF any belief
IN his part that his study was suf-
ftciently comprehensive to warrant
final conclusions yet from his OBJ
seryation he freely admits the eff
/ fictency of the present organization
Ct the industry.
While concuring in the trade COM
missions demand that stock and re-
frfGerator cars be taken from the
packers, he points out that refriger~
ator cars "are highly technical ser
vices beyond the ordinary range OF
railway management" and that
whether this service should be con-
Quoted by government or private en-
ttcrprise seems to me to require fur
Their thought and in any event TO de-
pend upon the ultimate disposal of
the railway question"
Such further thought as Mr..
Hoover recommends was given the
matter by the interstate commerce
ooninission ard its decision after six
years of exhaustive investigation
might be summed UP in this para
graph Of its report Of July 81. 1919;
! The refiner OF oil. or the meat
! hacker. could not more do business
. on an economic and efficient basis
without his private cars than he
tcould without his modern equipped
i refining or packing plant"
This report. when - or more re-
cont date than MIR. Hoovers letter.
fully iustifies packer ownership OF
refrigerator car lines. 1t ia not illogi-
cal 20 assume that with this report
before him. Mr.. Hoover would CON
cur fully in the contention of the
packers that they, themselves, can
; best handle their refrigerator car
service. II any agency Is developed
for giving the service that is essen
, tial. /, for one, viii gladly relInquish
the privilege Of running such cars at
"A loss as is now done.
/ MIR. Hoover agrees with tho trade
| con mission that the packers should
1 not he financially interested In stock
yards. He does not say who should
own them but he expresses himself
as against federal ownership on the
I ground thar it ~ detrimental to main
tenance of individual initiative on the
part of American citizens. There is
no quarrel rs to ownership of the
yards, Packers ask only that the
yards be operated with their present
efficiency because they are essential
TO the industry
! hir. Hoover does not concur fr the
TRADE com missions demand tina.
pac &crs' branch houses cold stora yes
etc, be taken from them. lie con-
firms the packers' contentious in This
matter.
! With his theory of regulation to
prevent the packers alleged Incur
sions into the general food field, |
cannot agree and | call attention 10
/ his error in likening such resula-
zion to existing legislative control OF
banks, railways and insurance COM
paaies, Banks and insurance com,
pan!es are trustees of other peoples
money, and railways are by their In
herent character public utilities.
! Regulation OF the packers activities
as MT. Hoover suggests, involves our
government entering upon a field of
novel and radical iegislation--5he de-
termining by law OF the commodities
( an individual or a corporation shall
ihandle. That is improper, nu-Amer-
/ SCAN and an abvidgement OF the very
rights which Mir. Hoover says must
! be assured equally OF opportunity
land full scope for initiative.
The part of Mr.. Hoover's letter