The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-03-19

BY the Farmers National Council
Through the National Committee on
Packing Plant and Allied Industries,
Bliss Building, Washington, D. C.
The hearings on the Anderson bin
to control the meat packers have
shown beyond question and with
strength enough to convince any
doubling members of the Committee
on Agriculture, that the people of
America, producers of live stock, and
consumers of meat products alike, de-
manding promptly legislation to con-
troll the meat packers. There are
twenty-one members of the Commit
tee Of Agriculture: two members, Will
liam W. Wilson and John w. Rainday
represent Chicago districts, while IL
linois has in all three representatives
on the committee, Pennsylvania, two,
an dsixteen states are represented by
one member each.
Introducor Explains Need for the Bill.
Congressman Anderson, who made
the opening statement before the
Committee, outlined the results of the
investigation made by the Federal
Trade Commission and added inforlna-
ton which he had secured from his
own study of the packer situation. He
emphasized the wastefulness of the
packers methods of Strengthening such
large proportion of the meat supply
of the country in twelve central
points. He said that in 1918, 50 per
cent of the cattle of the United States
were produced west of the Mississippi
river and 60 per cent of the people
lived east of the river. In that year
the section of the country east Of the
Mississippi and south of the Mason
and Dixon's line, sent 100000 cattle
into the great slaughtering sections of
St. Paul, Sioux City, Omaha, St. Joe,
Kansas City, East St. Louis, Fort
Worth, Oklahoma City, Chicago, Gin
cinnati, Buffalo and New York; and
about 100000 of these were moved
back into the south in the form Of
meat. In 1918 about ten million cat
tie were marketed west of the Mis-
sissippi river and about five million,
onl yone-half of the total were con-
sumed west of the river.
Commissioner Colver Urges Legislation
Commissioner William B. Colver of
the Federal Trade Commission gave
the gist of the Commissions findings
dIltl stIlS"cICU VIC NIltlI SC VI IIIS p%Sn
ers that they had not been permitted
to put all the information into the re-
cord that they wanted, saying that
cover and over again." the packers
had been invited to put what they
said had been omitted into the record
and they had always declined to do
SO. Commissioner Colver called atten-
ton to the fact that the Trade Com
mission had recommended, to remedy
the evils found to exist in the meat
packing industry, that the stock yards
and refrigerator cars be owned by the
railroads, and operated as part of
their service. While he was discuss
ing the bearer warrants of Armour
e. Co., which enabled the holders to
draw dividends without having then
identity disclosed, Congressman Rain
ey asked whether this was not prac-
tice which was common among bust
ness concerns in European countries
and Commissioner Colver replied, 81
think so, l think it was invented ir
England to beat the income tax law.
Asked whether there had been any
communications between the Fedora
Tra1p Commission and the Attorney
General on the latter's decree in re-
gard to the packers, Mr.. Colver said
Their had been some but chiefly as tt
commodities, and expressed himself
on this situation: II do not think thai
government by decree or government
by injunction is the orderly American