Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-06-13
to
Sign Bills
On Control
President Expected to Ap.
prove Measures to Regulate
Packers, Grain Exchanges
And Coal Industry.
Feels Acts Are Justified
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNINt


Chicago Tribune-Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, June II. - Endorse
ment by cabinet members of the
pending bills to regulate grain ex-
changes, packing establishments and
coal production and distribution is
believed to indicate that President
Harding is prepared to approve these
measures and to defend them as
harmonizing with his pronounce
ment for 'less government in busi-
ness"
Secretary of Agriculture Wallace
approved the grain exchange and
meat packing bills, while Secretary
of Commerce Hoover and Secretary
of Interior Fall went on record as
favoring the Frelinghuysen bill for
the stabilizing of the coal industry.
Secretary Wallace, however, ap-
proved amendments to the grain ex-
change bill as pending before the
senate committee on agriculture
which would eliminate some OF the
features which have been most OBJ
jectionable to the grain exchanges.
1t is the understanding also that the
administration is inclined to favor
the meat packers control bill as
passed by he house, rather than the
more drastic senate bill.
The administration is against any
radical regulation of the coal indus
try, preferring to conhne legislation
to the Frelinghuysen bill, which
gives the secretary of commerce and
the Department OF the Interior
power to make investigations and
obtain full information relative to
coal production, consumption and
prices.
Legislation Justified.
1t is the understanding that Presi-
dent Harding will veto bills more
far reaching than those approved by
his cabinet officers. The administra-
ton takes the view, however, that
some legislation is justified and will
not be an unwarranted interference
on the part of the government in
business.
Both of these bills are the result
of agitation and dissatisfaction ex-
tending over long period of years."
said Secretary Wallace. "They have
sprung out of belief on the part
of large numbers of farmers that our
grain exchanges are places where the
prices of grains are manipulated to
the disadvantage of the farmer and
that our large packer enterprises are
conducted in such way as to pro-
duce violent and unfair fluctuations
in the prices of live stock.
Everyone who has studied Our
system Of making prices on grains
is forced to admit that. up to the
present time, it is the best system
that has yet been developed. But
it is matter of common knowledge
that around these grain exchanges
abuses have grown up, to the detri-
ment of every legitimate interest. We
know that there is manipulation by
large operators, which, at times un-
fairly depresses the price of grain
to the injury of the farmer, and at
other times unfairly advances the
price of grain to the injury of the
consumer. The legislation now being
considered is directed toward the.
removal of these unfair practices.
No Unfair Control.
1T is inconceivable that in admin
istering such law, the Department
of Agriculture should do anything
that would interfere with the leeiti-
mate operation of institutions con-
Quoted for the purpose of arriving
at fair prices for farmers products.
so, also, with the proposal to ex-
tend government supervision over
the meat packing plants. For years
there has been severe criticism OF
some of these plants. Their owners
are accused of combining together
10 the detriment of both producers
and consumers, and this agitation
has gone so far as a demand by |
some socialistically minded, that the
government itself take over and op-
crate the larger packing plants.
1T would be greatly to the dis
advantage of our agriculture if any,
thing should be done which would
impair the efficiency with which
these plants are conducted or impose
unjust additions to their cost of op-
Grafton. But the farmer is entitle
TO know that these plants are op-
Grated in such way as to give
him just prices for his live stock and
the consumer is entitled to know that
the meat products are marketed at