Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-07-07
PACKER CONTROL
ACT IS REJECTED
Senate Kills Regulatory Mea-
sure BY a Vote Of 81 to a.
After Sharp Debate.
new BILL INTRODUCED
Senator Sterling Throws Packer Reeu-
Iatlcn Forces In Confusion by In
PRODUCTION Of Measure More
Drastic Than House Bill.

PRODUCTION Of Measure More
Drastic Than House Bill.
Washington-The "agrarian bloc"
encountered an important defeat in the
Senate, when that body refused to sub.
stitute the Norris bill submitted by the
Agriculture Committee for the measure
passed by the House for supervision Of
the meat packing industry. A vote Of
81 to "a was cast in favor Of the House
bill, after Senator LaFollette Of Wis.
consin had charged that 1t was the
packers BILL" no less than seven i'm
portant provisions having been written
by an attorney for the beef trust"
Rejection Of the Norris bill, which
was supported by Senators Kenyon and
Kendrick, co-authors Of the packer
legislation approved by the Senate in
1920, resulted chiefly from the failure
Of the leaders Of the agricultural group
to hold their lines intact They lost
several Republican members Of the
bloc. although they had announced the
packer regulation to constitute an acid
test for loyalty to the legislative pro-
gram urged in the interest of the far
mers. Mr.. Kenyon had predicted that
federal regulation Of "big business"
would be "the rock on which the Old
parties would split"
Confers on Results.
Defeat OF the agricultural committee
bill, generally described as more dras-
tic than the House measure, and intro
duction Of new bill by Senator Ster.
ling threw the packer regulation forces
into momentary confusion. A resolu.
ton to adjourn out Of respect for Rep
resentative Mason Of Illinois, who had
just died, thereupon was approved
without dissent
Debate Evenly Divided.
Final debate was evenly divided be.
tween proponents and opponents of
packer regulation. Senator Mccormick,
Republican, Illinois, attacked the bill,
saying that it conferred wide and dis
cretionary powers on a single govern
ment official. Senator Kenyon, in the
final statement for proponents, at
tackled the big. packers, and defended
the Federal trade commissions fnves-
tigation Of the packing and other in
dustries.
Voting on amendments, with speech.
es, limited to five minutes, began at
one o'clock, and opponents Of the Sen.
ate bill were enabled by close votes to
put through several amendments. One
of these would restrict the proposed
|Nregulation to the food products of the
packing industry.
Defeated BY Kenyon.
Senator Kenyon defended the Fed.
eral Trade commission, and declared
that the cry of destroy The trade com.
mission" arose. because they had tried
to turn the light on a few of the great
monopolies in this nation.
Just q few days ago." said Senator
Kenyon, "the Trade Commission filed
q report on the lumber industry that
will arouse the ire of the gentlemen
engaged in cornering the price Of lum.
Der to the American people. And these
gentlemen, who have had the lumber
combination, who have marked up the
quotations Of fir lumber from 800 to
500 per cent, will, with their Hobbies,
be infesting the city Of Washington,
demanding high protective tariff on
lumber"
81 will suggest to our Republican
leaders," Kenyon added, "that great
majorities are dangerous, and, if they
believe that election was mandate tc
take away all regulation OF big bust.
ness, as the Senator from Maine, Mr..
Fernald, argued, they have misunder.
stood the election returns. Nobody
wants to injure business. More bust.
ness in government was the slogan of
the campaign. That did not mean for
big business to move in, and take
charge of the government
Referring to opposition to coal legis.
lation, expressed by Senator Elkins of
West Va, Senator Kenyon asserted
that a coal bill was coming, and he
added: will Senators sit around. and
say that the people Of the U. S. are
going through another winter like last
winter, with coal prices as they were
and can be lulled to sleep by the slo.
gan, Let the coal business alone No,
they are not going to do IT,"