Evening star., 1925-10-02
Public Attitude Reversed
In Approving Beef Merger

il NAV be assumed the view Of rresi-
dent Coolidge" according to the Louis
vile Times. which explains that his
view. speaking broadly. is that the
prosperity of business is the most de
sirable thing there is, as out of it
grows the prosperity of the 112,0oo,-
000.''
While it is announced that the
merger effected economies of $780,
900, 900 a year. and thus far the con-
sumer has felt very little of this
economy, while the same is true of
the stock raiser as observed by the
Watertown Times. that paper con-
cedes that "on the other hand. no
one has been damaged by it. and the
letter Of the law has been observed.
SO there was little that the Secretary
of Agriculture could do except give
his approval
Furthermore. The tendency nova
days seems to be away from govern
menetal dictation.' says the Chicago
Tribune, which adds: The Ameri
can people show no great desire for
Government ownership of the pack
ing industry, the railroads or any
thing else. With the laws Of eConom-
les and natural evolution in control.
the place for man-made law is not in
the game but on the SidelineS as
referee, seeing only that the Contes-
tants play fair and the public gets
a show for its money"
Resisting the tide is of no use:
the intelligent thing is to ride it.. *
the thought of the st. Paul Pioneer
Press. The public's interest In the
Armour Morris merger centers in ~
expectation to share in the adran-
tageS Of the economies in which it Is
supposed to result. 1t expects the
Government to be a controlling and
directing, and not a reacting force.
North Dakota'S direct interest in the
Armour plans is noted by the Fargo
Forum, with the comment that there
was nothing in the charges of price
fixing or restraint of commerce. TO
begin with, and the Secretary did
we'll to dispose Of 1t as he has
The householder's interest is para
mount to the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin, which defines that interest
as the desire to get his meat prod
ucts at proper price and of proper
quality" and there was no clear
proof of price control or monopoly
in the Armour transaction as view
ed by that paper. SHOULD the com
bination at any time develop such
monopolistic tendencies. according
to the Bulletin, the hand of the
Government will be sufficiently near
to Intervene in the public interest
\ X
"The mass Of evidence collected by
former Senator Kenyon of Iowa." says
the Milwaukee Journal, s.showed pret-
ty plainly that competition among the
Big Five is q very polite affair. The
public may conclude, however. that
the difference between a big five and
q big four is not enough to make -
fuss about. In any event, stockmen
and meat eaters will have to depend
on the Secretary of Agriculture 10
see that they are not imposed upon.
which makes the selection of this Sec
retary a very vital matter" In this
particular instance, as pointed out by
the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the pub
lie is asked to accept the Secretarys
Judgment much in the light Of q legal
decision and not at all an an act Of
1T was argued" the Chicago Daily
News remarks. that restraint of trade
might follow q decision forbiddinG the
merger. But tho law, as interpreted
by the rule OF reason, does not antici-
pate the facts. 1t does not assume
that wilful violation of the law is in
tended by all persons or corporations
that seek to effect economies through
1t waits for tangible evi-
dence Of abuse of power Of expression
and arbitrary manipulation OF prices.
Should such evidence be forthcoming.
ample authority il vested in the Sec
retary OF Agriculture or in the De-
partment OF Justice to take approprk
ate action