Evening star., 1920-01-04
CONGRESS FACES BIG :
LEGISLATIVE BATTLE
So-Called Packers Bill, Soon to Be Con-
sidered In Senate, Will Encounter Op-
position of Strong Organization.

have handled more cheaply than 9TH
erwise. But there are skeptics. Any
concern that can make 33 per cent
profit on it's investment during the
year 1917. when the country was at
war, as did one of the big packers
dealing in foodstuffs. is regarded
with suspicion. benevolent monop-
oily. in the opinion of many people.
is about as rare as a benevolent des-
pot-there amt no such animal. And
the force of public opinion is COM
pelling Congress to act. The people
are interested in the dinner table as
never before Not because it con-
tains so much but because they can
afford to buy SO little at the present
high prices.
The activities of the packers have
spread far afield. even to the hotel
business. They own or hold interests
in many large hostelries. And the
hotel has been an important factor
in advancing the cost of foodstuffs.
The first-class hotel charges 60 cents
for a dimnutive plate of peas and
fabulous sum for a beefsteak. The
second-class hotel, noting the high
prices of the fellow higher up. raises
it's prices Then the third-class no.
tel-the cheap restaurant. SO called
and the lunchroom follow suit in turn.
The rise in price is accomplished.
Live stock Dealers Plant.
The live stock man. the actual pro-
ducer of beef, sees big prices for
tie profit for himself He has kicked
like a steer. But in a number of In
stances the packers have been able to
rope and hog-tie the stock man. who
is dependent upon the packer for
market for his steers. his hogs, etc
Some of them, therefore. have ap-
peared before the Senate committee
to oppose government regulation OF
the packers. On the other hand,
many stockmen have strongly advo-
Gated the legislation. The division
of opinion, friends of the bill say.
merely emphasizes the tremendous
power exerted by the packers.
The packers deal in hides, which ul-
timately become shoes for the Ameri-
can people. There is nothing in the
agreement with the government that
divorces the packers from the hide
business. The Federal Trade Commis-
sion has amassed a great quantity of
interesting information regarding
hides and leather and shoes. Recent
ly a cattleman came to town with a
first -dass hide--on Q steer-which
he sold at a price much less than 1t
cost him to buy a new pair of shoes
Yst fhat hide coTftained the raw mas|
terfal for a dozen pairs of shoes. 1t
didn't please the packer. Yet the shoe
trade is endeavring today to educate
the, people up to the idea that this
year a pair of shoes will cost $40 or
more. 1t seems a time to call halt,
and a good place to begin is at the
beginning. where the packers sell the
hides and leather.
Terms Of Packers Agreement.
Under the packers agreement with
the government. they are to be given
two years to dispose of their holdings
in public stockyards and other inter-
ests. 1t is reasonable to give them an
opportunity to get rid of these proper /
ties without sacrificing them. 1t
might be hard to find purchasers with J
sufficient money to handle these great |
enterprises at short notice. When
it comes to disposing of the stock !
yards, some of the senators believe !
the yards should be taken over and
operated by the railroads. They are, in
fact, terminal facilities for cattle-car-
rying roads, just as freight yards are
terminal facilities. If owned by the |
railroads they would be under the su-
neryision and control of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Any industry SO vital to the public |
welfare as the railroads or the meat
packing industry has public inter- |
est. and the people are demanding
that their interests be protected
They are looking more and more to
the government for such protection
When any vital industry falls into the
hands of a comparatively few per-
sons who monopolize it, then look out
for SQUALLS The recent action of Con-
gress on the McNary sugar bill may
be taken as an object lesson.
Vvr Y"~ ~