The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-12-15
VERMONT WHOLESALERS
FIGHTING BIG PACKERS
Object TO Modification Of RuIna Bar
ring Them from Dealing In
Groceries,

'iH9 HSIO lFoI1 OSdIlnH IN
Groceries.
Washington Dec. 15.-Strik ng
directly at the food supply Of the nat
ION by reason of its monopolistic
tendencies, the proposed modification
or the governments decree forbidine
the big packing houses from handlina
groceries and other unrelated prod
ucts Is characterized by Attorne.
Roland E. Stevens OF White River
Junction as next to the conference
on the limitations of armaments the
most vital issue before the American
people today.
vermont has 4 particular interest
In the result OF the exhaustive hear.
ings now in progress in Washington
before the special interdepartmental
committee appointed to get at the
facts in the case and present re.
commendation to the attorney gener.
al, for all the wholesale grocery
houses of the Green Mountain stat
are vigorously oppos,n letting down
the bars that would give TIE packers
any further control OF ioodstuffs
than they already enjoy Mr..
Stevens. who as a member OF the
Vermont state board of control +.
widely known throughout that com.
monwealth, Is one of tie special
counsel board that is combating the
modification of the decree Testi-
lmony has been presented on both
sides of the question for week or
IN doNu onA al a .f 4, ,-t,
part OF the hearing the lawyers viii
present their arguments.
Although Vermont has no definite
ly organized association of wholesale
grocery concerns, Mr. Stevens repre-.
seuts tho entire list of Vermont
wholesalers. as follows:
Burlington Grocery company, Bur.
lington. Spaulding & Kimball, Bur.
lington: Rutland Wholesale Grocery
companv Rutland: Il d KEYS & com
pany. Rutland; French G Bean com.
pany. ST. Johnsbury; st. Johnsbury
t,... esaie Grocery company, St
Johnsbury; Montpelier Grocery com
pany, Montpelier. Cross Abbot com
pany, White River Junction. De Witt
Grocery company, Brattleboro,/ and
Pennington Grocery company Benn-
ington. tNey are credited with do
Ing $l2,0Q0Q00 worth of business &
year.
From the point Of view of the uti.
mate consumer, that Is. the American
people, this issue is of tremendous
consequence, said Mr.. Stevens today
in discussing the salient aspects OF
the case, for 1t affects their food sup
ply vitally. In fact, Il is my opinion
that next TO the conference on the
bmtation OF armaments now go ne
on in Washington. which is Internal
ional in its scope, the most vital issue
before the nation today is the ques.
ton whether there g1ouid be mod
ificatlon Of the decree restricting the
packers to the handling OF their own
products and forbidding them to dea
i'll non-related products.
III the packers are permitted und
er a modification OF the decree TO
handle unrelated products a monop
ely OF the most dangerous sort in re-
spect to the nations food supply
will be created We are showing
now at the hearing how tn $ can and
viii take place,
Swift and company who control
the meat business IN Nermont-there
is practically no local butcher trade
in Vermont any longer-have such o
monopoly on meats t1at our people
have to pay from so to rs cents per
pound for their meat and at the
came time producers Of beeyes for
slaughter are able to get only one
and one.half cents per pound fo'
their beef The same thing would
happen IL groceries and other prod
ucts are to be handed by the big
packing houses as they handle the
meats.