OCR Text |
Show The Beef company which has been fined $25,000 will feel the penalty as much as an ordinary mnn would feel ono cent, nnd no disgrace attaches to the line, In tho circles In which these men move. Tho rebate practice is admitted, and In that, no doubt, lies somo oncouragoment, especially as it Includes a demonstration that tho present laws aro sufficient If enforced. Tho result, however, of merely fining a corporation may bo to glvo heart to tho others, for they will seo that if any of their officials happen to bo caught they will In all probability escape tho HHHpjjMHHKiHMHflHHH ono punishment thoy fear. If tho present devices to defeat tho law prove inadequate, thoy will Invent others, and the defiant game will continue until somebody is actually imprisoned. impris-oned. Tho ways of giving rebate aro many, and one of the most used and most difficult to detect Is commission to an agent, for whose arrangements with the shipper tho carrier is not responsible. re-sponsible. The confession of this beet company shows not only that they received re-ceived rebates, but that railroads gave them, which may lead to further progress, although if tho ordinary vle,v is correct tho railroads aro comparatively compara-tively llttlo to bo blamed, being held up by tho packers and almost powerless power-less In their hands. Most peoplo believe be-lieve tho packers squeeze tho rail roads, the breeders, and the consumers with impartial thoroughness, but thero Is thus far Insufficient knowledge. knowl-edge. A Hood of light may be let in, if, as is rumored, the convicted company com-pany has given information against the others, but thero is no reason to oxpect any change in the packing companies' com-panies' methods, whatever they may be, until conviction Is followed by a real penalty unflinchingly exacted. Collier's Weekly. |