New-York tribune., 1919-07-22
Greatest Campaign in His.
tory of U. S. Being Waged
to Defeat Control Act In
Congress, Says Senator
Anderson Gets Evidence
Armour Circulating Blank
Protest Form in South
and Paying Bills, He Says
Me,o York Tribune

W 0SHtUDtOn bureau
WASHINGTON. July 21.-To defeat
bills pending in Congress to regulate
the industry, the packers have insti
tuted "the most tremendous propa-
ganda ever instituted in the country"
Senator Kenyon, Republican, of Iowa,
charged on the Senate floor to-day.
He exhibited a thick bundle of tele
grams and told the Senate they we're
the messages in opposition to the Ken
yon-Anderson bill received by one Sem
ator in a single day.
"All of you are getting them" he
said. From every point the packers
can reach these messages are being
poured in upon Congress. They come
from bankers, merchants. farmers and
every one else the packers can in
huence. The scope of the propaganda
shows the tremendous power they ex-
ercse in this country.
IL am not objecting at all, of course.
to information being sent to Represent
tatives and Senators, but | do think
Senators ought to know the influences
that are at work stirring up these let
ters and telegrams."
At the first opportunity Senator
Kenyon said he would submit some
remarks on "the league of packers
propaganda"
Charges Wide Campaign
81 will show to Senator's" he added,
hat FOL 1otf
are receiving are in response to cir
culars and letters sent out by the
packers. Every influence they can
reach in this country is being put to
work to stimulate this propaganda"
representative Anderson, of Mime
sofa, joint author of the packer con-
troll bill, gave notice of similar
speech in the House as soon as the
dry enforcement legislation is dis
Grocers' Association submitted evil
dence of the propaganda to Mr.. Ander-
son to-day.
The secretary of the Southern asso-
citation received the following telegram
from the Selma, Ala, Grocers' Associa-
ton last Thursday: Armour agents
having retailers telegraph Congress-
men for Endorsement of their business
methods. Armours paying for tele-
information"
Here is the copy of a form alleged
to have been given by Armour e. Co.
to retailers in North Carolina for sig
nature:
Honorable Lee Overman,
U. s. s., Washington, D. c.
"Am opposed to Kenyon bill, July
25.'
The form contained a line for the
sender's signature. At the bottom was
line "Charge to the account Of -"
From Birmingham, Ala, the follow
ing message was sent last Friday
Following is copy of telegram pack
ers are getting signed by retailers:
birmingham, Ala, July 14-H Honorable
Oscar Underwood, Senator Washing
ton, D. c.: Would appreciate your sup
port to defeat the Anderson Kenyon
bill when same comes before you, as
] am retail grocer and need the eff
fciency of the meat packing indus
try"
The following letter was from Pixies
Vile, KY:
Zone Of the packers men approached
the writer yesterday and tried to tell
him that if Congress passed the law
now pending every handler of food
products in the United States would
be placed under license and that some
one man would be appointed at the
head OF this division, and that if a
retailer or jobber should in any way
make a mistake and do something that
was contrary to the rules governing
the licenses their license would
be revoked and they would be no
longer permitted to handle food prod
ucts
These agencies of theirs are going
to the retail merchants, who know
nothing about the measure which is
now pending before Congress, and get
ting their signatures to petitions re-
questing the defeat of this measure. "
Call Petition Misleading
Waynesville, N. c., reported as fol-
lows:
Armour & Co. are circulating a pc
tition in. this territory for the sigma
ture of all retail merchants. We have
made diligent inquiry, and from what
information we are able to get it would
seem that this petition is misleading
in that they say nothing about the
special privileges, but simply ask the
retail merchant if he is willing for
them to continue in the grocery bust
ness"
Mr.. Anderson said he had received
nothing in the way of proof that the
packers are back of the propaganda
coming from the Northwestern states
However, the letters and telegrams
are much along the same line as those
coming from other sections, and he
says the natural presumption is that
they are prompted by the same agency