The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1922-08-03
PACKING HOUSES
CONTROL TRADE
George L. Record, Former Roosevelt
Man, Tells How Beef and Coal
Trusts Exploit Consumers
SMALL PRODUCERS CRUSHED


SMALL PRODUCERS CRUSHED
Thinks Government Ownership W6uld
BUST" the Combination
The beef trust and the coal trust
are vicious in their methods of con-
trolling trade in necessities of life.
They crush the small producer and
exploit the consumer, and must be
dissolved, says George L. Record, Of
New Jersey. The way to do this, he
says, is for the people to own and
operate the railroads.
George L. Record is a progressive
seeking the seat Of United States Sem
ator Joseph S. Frelinghuysen. Mr..
Record does not mince his words in
his charges against the beef trust and
the coal trust.
Mr.. Record says: II had an in
structive experience which supports
the argument am making that the
beef trust, as well as the coal trust,
depends for its control Of the market
upon railroad favors equivalent to re-
bates which are denied to competitors.
The Federal Trade commission has
described this process in detail after
an elaborate investigation.
"The railroads have few or no re-
frigerator cars to carry meat or per-
ishable products. The five concerns
constituting the beef trust have their
own private refrigerator and other
cars. A competitor either has to put
on the road his own cars or hire cars
from one Of the beef trust concerns.
"lf he puts on the road his own
cars the railroad managers delay
them and divert them, and allow the
ice to melt, and thus prevent prompt
or adequate deliveries.
"A man recently gave me his per-
sonal experience, which confirmed
the facts which I had stated. He
said he had been a letter carrier in
New Jersey, but i'll health compelled
him to 60 to Florida and start truck
farm. ''-'------D 1.--s 49,
"When his first truck was ready
for the New York market he appealed
to the local freight agent for car,
and to his surprise was told that the
railroad had no cars for perishable
products, and that he must apply to
the Swift concern across the street.
"This is q simple illustration Of how
the beef trust has been able to build
up and how it maintains it's monop-
oily.
"A conspicuous illustration; show
ing the futility Of any relief from
such methods, occurred during the last
administration.
"The Federal Trade commission,
which was created to curb these
trusts, made an exhaustive examina-
tion Of the beef trust, and ascertained
by an inspection Of the records Of the
five firms constituting that trust, that
they were acting in concert to fix
prices and dividing markets, in viola
tion Of the antitrust act.
"These proofs were turned over to
Attorney General Palmer. When he
examined them, he announced to the
press that the facts were sufficient to
, send the leading managers Of these
firms to prison, and that he proposed
to put them behind the bars prompt
ly.
"Nothing further was heard of the
matter until some time afterward,
when the attorney general appeared
in court with the lawyers Of the beef
. trust concerns, and waived all GRIM
inal proceedings, and consented to the
, entry Of Judgment by which the
firms were forbidden to enter into GER
tain lines Of the grocery trade.
"In due time it will be found that
the trust concerns have one after
another managed to evade the force
Of this decree.
Regulation has failed to break up
this monopoly and penal statutes have
no terror for the trust magnates. The
, people must own and operate the rail-
roads in order to break up the beef
trust and other trusts, like the coal
trust"