Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-02-04
CHARGE IS FOOD ADMINISTRATION
 AlDED PACKERS
Lasater Claims Department of Agriculture Aided Also.
SERVED AS SCREEN
 FOR OPERATIONS
Charge Secretary Houston Retarded
 Investigation.


 ministration and the department of agriculture aided the five big pack ing firms in obtaining a monopolistic control of the meat packing industry, Edward c. Lasater, of the National Livestock Assn. executive committee, and former employe of the food ad- ministration, testified today before the House Interstate Commerce Com mittee.
 While MT. Lasater was making this charge and asserting that he had re signed from the food administration because he realized "its practices were D. H. Weld, manager of Swift and Company's research department, told the Senate agriculture committee tha, a combination of the big packers to control the meat industry was impos- sible because of the large number of independent concerns.
 MT. Lasater asserted before the House committee that during the last Is months, the food administration had "seryed as a screen" behind which the particulars operated illegally against the public's interests. When asked what the illegal acts of the particulars had been. MT. Lasater re- piled he would answer in detail later Department Aided.
 The department of agriculture aid ed the packers, Mr. Lasater charged, by delaying investigation of the meat growers by the Federal trade commits sion at the time the particulars thenl- selves were being investigated. He said the packers did not want such an inquiry as they knew it would +ob them of the argument that the pro- ducers and not they, were making the big profits.
 MT. Lasater submitted letter from w. J. Spillman, former chief of the Bureau of farm management of the department of agriculture, in which MT. Spillman said Secretary Houston retarded Investigation of the produc- CTS by. refusing to authorize appoint ment of fifteen investigators. He add ed that the secretary had told him to discontinue the investigation entirely saying the farmer was not entitled to any information on the subject and that "the only use ever made of such information was for agitators like this man Baer, of North Dakota, to go out and stir up the farmers with. !" Letter From Houston. Next day, MT. Spillman wrote, hs received letter from Secretary Houston, notifying him that every project connected with the investiga- tion was discontinued. MT. Spillmali said the Secretary authorized the ap i. pointment of the investigators only when the National Livestock Assn. became insistent in it's demands. Mir. Lasater told the committee that the statement of the packers that "they did not have the power to fix prices of livestock even if they desired to do SO" was not founded on facts and that the packers knew it. The witness said the particulars had "held out tempting bait" to the livestock association at it's annual session in Chicago in December, 1917, when they asked the producers to 'sco- operate" with them. Co-operation. he declared, meant price fixing and a further effort of the particulars to shove the blame for high prices on some one else," and the producers refused to consider the idea.
 Earnings Increased.
 In his testimony before the Senate committee, MT. Weld said Swift and Company's earnings for the period of the war had increased 176 percent compared with the three years end ing with 1914, but argued that this was not as great an increase as some other industries had enjoyed and that competition was responsible for the fact. that the profits were not higher.
 But doesn't that snow that all of you were making profits during the war that were too high?" asked Sena- tor Norris, of Nebraska, wno ideciared that any surplus accumulated above reasonable dividend taken from the consumers pocket"
 Notes Admitted.
 Over the protest of Senator Page, of Vermont, who declared it was moth ing less than a piece of dishonorable practice" the committee admitted to the record today. penciled notations signed ''L. F. s. "and dealing with the testimony last week of W. F. Prieby of the Food administrators poultry division, and formerly President o1 Pieby and Company, said to be sub. sidiary concern of Swift and Company The notations was submitted by Francis J. Heney, who explained ts the committee that by mistake a pri