Arizona republican., 1922-01-26
FIXING
CHARGEF|LED
AGAINST BIG
PACKER
Kansas City Livestock Ex-
change Charges Armour
Company With Violation
Of 1921 Control Act
IRepubIIcan A. p. Leased wIreI

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25--Armour &
Co. and the Fowler Packing company
We're charged with numerous viola
tions of the packers and stockyards
act of 1921 in a formal complaint,
which the Kansas City livestock ex-
change announced it had filed late
today with the secretary of agricul-
ture. This was said to be the first
complaint formally filed under the
new packers control legislation.
The complaint charges that the de-
PENDANTS practices include price
fixing in it's worst FORM" and are
tending toward an absolute monop-
oily in the purchase and slaughter
OF hogs" The two companies. it is
explained, "have consired and agreed
with certain shippers that such ship
pers shall have the exclusive right
and privilege of shipping hogs from
specified loading stations and terri
tories to the Fowler Packing COM
pany Of Kansas City and the said
defendants deny to all other ship
pers TIE same right and privilege
unless satisfactory arrangements can
be perfected by said other shippers
with the shippers previously selected
by the defendants"
The defendants, according to the
complaint, receive. buy, water hold,
weigh and handle hogs at the Mistle-
toe stock yards in Wyandotte coun-
ty, KAN, in a manner which violates
the control act.
In December, the comlaints says
the Mistletoe stock yards received
and bought 4S.44S hogs, compared
with 155,0T7 received and sold on the
"open competitive market" at KAN
sas City. This. it was contended.
made Armour & Co. independent Of
the open competitive market and
their hog buying policy is based not
upon the basis of light or heavy
receipts at the open competitive mar
Set, but solely on the number of head
received by them direct at the Mis-
tletoe stock yards"
Shippers. 'the plaintiffs add, are
induced by the defendants with
false, misleading and deceptive
statements as to certain savings
which do not exist" to patronize the
Mistletoe stock yard.
PACKERS RIDIcULE CHARGES
CHICAGO. Jan. 25--A represent :
ative of Armour & Co. when informed
tonight of the charges made against
the comany and the Fowler Packing
company by the Kansas City live
silly and ridiculous"
Armour & Co. has owned the F'ow-
Ter company for years, he said, and
asserted there could be no conspir-
acy between the two companies, which
he said, would be equivalent to Ar
nour & Co. conspiring with them
selves.
"Mistletoe yard at Kansas City is
a private yard owned by the Fow-
Ter Packing company, which. as is
generally known, is an Armour &
Co. plant" the official said. No
commission men are allowed to op
crate on this yard and no yardage
charges are assessed against the
shippers of hogs. Consequently hog
raisers who consign to Mistletoe yard
save commission and yardage fees.
Efforts have been made from time
to time to close this yard so as 10
force the business to go through
the public market where commission
and yardage fees are collected and
the present charges are quite APP
parently intended to make such col
lections possible. Producers who ship
to the Mistletoe yard get the going
market price for their hogs"