The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-11-16
Big Packi.n!I&: k,i!.!I!!,:!:
".' =
Proposed
]. Ogden Armour Confers
With Wallace aud Daughcr.
iy on Plan 10 Take Over
Member of big Five"
Decision Is Withheld

Washington. NOV 1j.-J ogden Ar
nour. head Of the Chicago meat pack
ing house Of Armour 4 co. presented
10 Attorney General Daugherty and
Secretary Wallace Of the Department
Of Agriculture, presumably for gov
efnncnt approval. proposal for
merging through purchase, the physl.
sol assets of another ot the big five
national packing houses with Armour
K 20. Which of the concerns tho
Amour organization proposes TO ab-
sorb was not disclosed although both
Wllgon 4 90. and Morris & Go, of the
packing group have been mentioned
in connection with the plan officials
concerned refrhlned entirely from eX.
pressing comment on the matter.
Mr. Armour likewise declined to
make any statement except that he
Intended TO remain in Washington for
another day. II was assumed that o
desire to determine the legality Of
such merger. III advance Of taking
any steps 20 complete II. had led to
Alif AbilH'llAhAlbfl WIN 'tll'ulNf
Decisions Withheld
Secretary Wallace. after his confer.
ence with Mr. Armour and several
associates WHO accompanied him 10
Washington. issued statement say.
ing he had expressed no opinion upon
The Armour plan. and II was Indicated
that Attorney General Daugherty had
likewise withheld decision, although
immediate confederation was prom
lsed
Somewhat similar approaches have
Ieen made To the government recently
By heads of Independent steel corpora.
t!ons contemplating merger. but Mr.
Wailace's statement indicated that the
packing Industry, because Of the exis.
tence of special legislation providing
for It's specific regulation by the fed.
eral government stood In different
position.
Secretary Wallace quoted from the
recent packers and stockyards act
establishing this particular control. In
pointing out that packers were for
bidden TO engage IN any business Gre
ating u monopoly or fixing prices,
while the federal trade commission
had been given authority TO investi-
gate their operations at any time.
The legislation further gives the sec.
retary power to supervise the busi-l
ness at all of It's points Of contact
with either the producer or consumer,
and to correct unfair practices.
= Keep Government Informed.
Mr.. Armour's visit was understood
to have resulted, not only from de.
sire to take all precautions against
possible government interference la.
ter, but also from the general policy
Of the packers TO keep the govern.
ment informed Of all new develop
Inents in the field. A similar course
was followed two years ago when
he packing companies, after lnvesti-
CATION bad been instituted by yolun.
AIRY agreement, undertook 10 divest
themselves Of stockyard ownership
md to refrain from operating in in
iustries unrelated to meat packing.
Attorney General Daugherty has re.
oeatedly stated that he was officially
n favor of the government assisting
n the formation Of legitimate trade
and associations when
such combinations would permit Of in
creased efficiency for the American
producer in his search for market.
md in the competition with foreign
I cts.