The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-05-28
(By the Farmers National Council
Bliss Bldg, Washington, d. c.


Bliss Bldg, Washington, d. c.
There have been nine hearings
within the last few years on legis-
lation to control the meat packing
! industry. The hearings within re
! cent years have been based upon the
most thorough, fair and complete in
vestigation ever made of any big in
dustry--the investigation of the meat
packing industry made under order
of the President, by the Federal
Trade Commission.
The demand for adequate legsla-
ton to control the packers is as
nearly universal as demand for leg
| islation has ever been in this coun-
try. At the hearings on packer leg
isiation before the House Committee
on Agriculture, recently closed, rep
resentatives of the Farmers National
Council; the National Board of Farm
Organizations; the National Grange;
the American Farm Bureau Fedora
ton; the Farmers National Union
the American Federation of Labor;
the Railway Brotherhoods; the Ma
tional Consumers League; and the
National League of Women Voters,
urged adequate packer control legis-
lation.
Very few producers and fewer So
called Independent packers appeared
in opposition to pending packer con-
troll legislation and those who did APP
pear spoke merely as individuals.
1t is well within the bounds of ac-
curacy to say that those who advo-
Gated packer control legislation rep
resent with the members of their
organizations and their families,
close to twi-thirds of the country's
population.
Findings of the Federal Trade Com
mission mistaken
Commissioner Colver of the Fed
eral Trade Commission, when asked,
at the House hearings, whether the
Commission since making their re-
port on the meat packing industry
has ever been advised by the big five
packers as to specific inaccuracies in
the report, replied, "Only one of the
five y has specifically
pointed out anything" and that was
a minor charge of an unfair infer
ence.
A further question was asked by
member of the Committee: "Out-
side of that one instance none of the
packers has brought to your atten-
ton any error claimed by them in
the facts found by your"
Mr.. Colver. "Not to my recollec-
ton"
Question. "Or in your figures 2"
Mr.. Colver. "No, sir. If you
analyze the whole answer which has
been made to this report of the Com
mission, there is no denial of state
ment of fact and there is no denial
of the figures. There are claims
that something intangible has been
left out, and over and over before
committees of Congress they have
been invited to put the missing
things into the record"
The Commissions findings have
been proved accurate.
The Meat of the Trade Commissions
Findings.
| In their report to the President in
July, 1918, the Federal Trade Com
mission stated:
answering directly your question
as to whether or not there exist
''monopolies, controls, trusts, combi-
nations, conspiracies, or restraints of
trade, out of harmony with the law
and the public interest," we have
found conclusive evidence that war
wants an unqualified affirmative.
at appears that the great pack
ing concerns of the country-Swift,
Armour, Morris, Cudahy, and Wilson
have attained SUCH dominant posi-
ton that they control at will the
market in which they buy their sup
plies, the market in which they sell
their products, and hold the for
tunes of their competitors in their
hands,"
Control of Transportation Maintains
Packers Position.
If these five great
concerns owned no packing plants
and killed no cattle and still re-
tanned control of the instrument of
transportation, of marketing and of
storage, their position would not be
! less strong than it is"
"The producer of live stock is at
the mercy of these five companies
because they control the market and
| the marketing facilities and, to
some extent the rolling stock which
transports the product to the market.
"The competitors of these five
concerns are at their mercy because
of the control of the market places,
storage facilities, and the refriger-
ator cars for distribution.
"The consumer of meat products
is at the mercy of these firms be-
cause both producer and competitor
are helpless to bring relief"
The Commissions summary of it's
findings states, Give corporations
Armour & Co., Swift & Co., Morris
4 Co., Inc, and the Cudahy Packing
Co.-hereafter referred to as the
big Five" not only have a monop-