The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-04-03

OF menl Tor the most part memDef o.
i've families. whose annual mrn-oNss|
iu utf inoeH 10 stated 10 be larger than
the combined business OF an the rail
rnhh' uf the nation. They are frs
hand producers Of nothing. ftcy
lave repeatedly told you that theS NE
yorr agents the agents OF b pro-
duror Thcir contribution to the
wealth uf he country " effected -
HuppiyinR market Tor your produr..
hy farming that raw material into nH1n-
ulaciuttd goods, u hy Discriminating
those goods 10 another class ct middlc-
man Wild eventually passes them on
to The consumer.
Yet ctfor hy reason of their no
pvrior efficiency and mastery ofgnn-
i2ation. or hS the advantage OF thclr
commanding position. or by both ineN
llat been able 10 place tlemsrlvcs De-
Nuud D. reach uf calamity. They OPP
crate ON a higher plane. in e rarcu "a
atmosphere where the shock Of FAN
iul markets BE- not felt and where see
uItuur OF uisastpr barely reaches their
tura. They have been successful. Dat
they hay" not escaped criticism, gnd
ipey have failed to- win the c%onuurEtc
f.fher Of tho producer or the public
Dl-irust and suspicion OF he packers
and heir methods have rvirteo fot go
long that al least my emo does not
run 10 the contrary. Whether sucn
dstrust and suspicion are Justified or
not, non viii be 80 reckless Us To deny
that they have existed and do exist,
'Thi in itself b. q dcplurahle tAct.
10 ,Nershudows every operation OF he
breeder and feeder OF livestock. ami
Induces q sort Of mmlisin IN respect uf
the markets which should not sNist
under sound economic condition. 3
thlnk I AN ahuw mat such distri-at
uud suspicion ure not without reason.
History of Pools.
The history OF the packers is % his
torl eft pools and combinations. ct .u-
No-tlEutions bud iniunctlons. Ftrst
There was the AllcttCu pool. then the
N"odcr pool. then the National Pack
INK company merger afterwards itt
fuitsd into its component parts AMI e.
Inscribed hy the Biz -Four from whose
IuiuH 90 issued. There has been .rr-
urnssionnl Investigation after cuugr,I.
-iouHl Investigations there was tine in-
junction boo 1908 under which ha
packers have ever since been opngti
INK; there was the fairfield report ANA
ID plentiful application OF whitewa.h,
there was criminal prosecution; .u,t
more lately the exhaustive Inv rstist-
zion of the Federal Trade Commission
which has led directly To the action OF
the department OF Justice uud Iuolnsr
Injunction decree.
In the meanwhile how has ala tins
affected the packers They have gone
ON their way rejoicing They have
piled up profit upon profit unul They
hive increased their net worth from
about sa2, 0O0. 900 at the time OF th,
injunction OF 1908 10 about SAta.uNu -
900 at tho time of the inJuGction OF
1919 an increase in 10 years OF
1891 OuU. OOO-of whirh only $50, N0u. -
600 is represented hy ash subscrip-
ton 60 capital During the same per.
lod they have distributed To stopkhuli-
efH dividends ~ NlUH. 600, uOU. Their
combined total OF salcs In 1915
amounted 10 $500, 0O0. O00. am not
BOO possession Of ull The figures FOR 1919.
but the total sales ut % uf the Two
swif a 60 Tor that year ar" siv"n
us over 1900, coo. 900 This figure
takes mo- account ut the subsidiary
companies mot included under tht
uuuIp OF swift q Co.. or OF the inter.
este 81 individuals OF the firm In any
uf the many activities. including cattle
loan companies and banks. which do
pend Tor their success on the control
ut capital conferred Dos the privileged
position these mon occupy.
While thin vast aggregation ca
wealth was hriuE piled upon the hands
uf 10 few mon the producer WIS strir-
ulnE always with conditions that moro
and more restricted his operations and
Hdd,d 90 his production costs. A.
ways under thc shadow uf fuctuuting
markets De- came to feel more and
more aCutcly the grip of "a ruthless
Capitalization. Tho markets rorrc
punded tniprrfectlN. or not 90 all, Ia
Tn' Increased cust Of investment
and the increased ,uHt of preparation.
lu 1914 The price OF native beet oattu'
Zoo chicago. according TO SwItt- NE-
urts. was NN.65; bon 1915 u was SS.4u-
90 cents loss Remember that there
was 90 war in Europe and that tno
packers were making enormous pso.
utF.
na.Iu.... n..sl.-A
Was % any wonder that tho prn-
Queer became restless Wa ID any
wonder that he asked himself again
us hr had asked himself man times
before. whether anything could Do,
dom. for his relief Bnt there wu.
THIS difference between his position
turn Iud the on" .t" formerly occupied
an active organization WAS ct ns
command
"a wua 900 these circumstance Do
90 time OF intense questioning dnd iur
tense unrest that the American lI.H.
stock Association met Jt W lasu tu o..
Annual Convention Of 1916. and Jft'I
tuil discussion and conference witt
representative ut the packers Wn,
were there present, authorized hN Ir.
solution the formation Of tn" Market
committee u was Immediately FOL
lowing the close OF the Convention, Ui
january "a, 1915. when about tWyuts
mtuH-mUny ot them representing turii
state and local associations. auII
umuur whom sat the President OF M,
Association ! am % addressing me-
ON the stage of the Crawford 1hoIttt
aud pledged HE funds iut the nurut.
Iur ot th" work. that the Market Com.
mittoo may Boz said 10 have been born
The Committee lost mo- time iu ur.
ElniXihg, and got To work without de.
iuy. Their hat was Bee the ring, u1u
thcy had un opportunity of toll' wing
DO srtN soon. The first Trial ui strength
incurred at the hearings on The bur.
land Resolution In Aprii ot that Year
THIS WAS a resolution introduced in th'
House OF Representative hN Mr. Boz.
lIud which proposed 90 direct th" Eud.
"rii Trade Commission TO make an iu.
N~rsilgution of the packinE industry
aud b. wus supported by the MIracI
committee. several ot whose member
appeared at the hearing tu urlc I'
adoption. The resolution was dcluat.
tI largely owing Co Do Vigorous uu.
position ct the packers Later NJ
EuriIud introduced another resolution
ot p broader character asking Tor
thurourh Investigation hy the ErdcrH
Trade Commission. assisted hF rlp bp.
uarumcnt of Agriculture. of The cN'
jtut, manner and methods Of any man.
Ipulntion of the markets OF con'ro
oi the visible supply of food products