The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-06

PRODUCERS
ARE BLAMED
Packer Opposing Federal
Control Faults System
Of Marketing.

Washington. May e.-Ffuctuations
In the livestock market are largely
due to the unscientihc and ineffi-
cient system employed by produc-
ers In marketing their products,
and the real trouble at the base Of
the whole question is not SO much
a packers problem as 1t Is . pro-
ducers problem, Thomas e. Wilson
of Chicago, president Of the Insti-
tute of American Meat Packers, told
the house committee on agriculture
today. in appearing in opposition to
the orris-McLaughlin bill to con-
troll the packing industry.
Mr.. Wilson, who said he spoke
for the 200 packing companies
which comprise the membership of
the institute, told the committee
that legislation Of the sort pro-
posed would simply serve 70 divert
the largest single industry in Amer
ica from energetic efforts to adjust
itself to changed and difficult sit
uation. The result, he said. would
be as harmful to the livestock pro-
ducers as to the packing industry
itself, as the interest of the pro-
ducers is so closely interviewer
with that of the packers that what
is injurious to one is bound to
prove harmful to the other.
The Norris-McLaughlin bill, Mr.
Wilson declared, does not deal with
or solve the economic problems OF
the producing or consuming public
He added that by delegating radical
and revolutionary powers to a
commission it would set up form
of governmental despotism over
private business which would be
destructive to private initiative and
individual enterprise. The meas.
ure, Mr.. Wilson said, would create
another commission whose princi.
pal duties would be to duplicAtG
much OF the work already being
performed BY the department ol
agriculture and other governmental
agencies at an enormous cost and
without benefit to anybody. leading
to conflicting authority. endless
confusion and constant uncertainty
in the direction OF business. He
asserted that the industry already
was supervised and regulated by
more laws than any other industry
in the country.
Penalize Packers.
Mr.. Wilson declared that til
whole scheme of the proposed leg
islation seemed to predicate OF
the idea Of penalizing the packeri
for some unproven and imaginar.
offense Of the past, or to shackl'
them because Of the fear they nigh
exercise some illegal power in th'
future.
Tables showing comparison o
the earnings Of the packers witt
earnings of other industries wer'
presented by Mr.. Wilson and he de
i clared other industries were max
ing much greater profits than tn
meat men. During 1920, he said
the five larger packers averaged I
profit Of about 10 cents on eacl
animal slaughtered by them AM
that about 81 per cent Of every dol
lar received by the packers wen
to livestock producers. The falling
of in export demand, decreases
meat consumption per capita in tn
United States, increased unemploy
ment and decrease in PURCHASING
power; the development of Thrift
In consumers buying and the gen
eral decline in commodity value
and general deflation were ascrth
ed by the institute president as rea
sons for the decline in prices G
livestock and meats.
Mr.. Wilson said he would be gla
to see the government do what ]
| can to help the producers, farmer
or any other industry in need 9
its assistance but he doubted il con
gressional enactment could chang
the economic condition now exist
iin0