Show OF FOOD STILL IS NEEDED SWIFT SAYS SWifT Packer Tells I Committee of House Supervision and I Not Ownership by Federal d ral Government Best S Solution lution Jt ir I I WASHINGTON W JASTI V V ASH kG o J jam Jail 23 Louis F. F swift swift- president president- of Swift Co told t to o House interstate com commerce commerce com coth- merce committee today that the food administration an in stabilizing g the thc livestock live tock stock market i h hIM accomplished wonderful both for the things producer pro pro- ducer uc and tile the consumer and that its control was nc needed ded now as much muchas 4 as ever This s a critical 1 time tilDe and nd everybody everybody every every- is is- loaded with said body up UI meat ineat sai Mr MiS 1 Swift S We Y e haven't l had had- many shipments The Tho only possible pos iv way y to have made mado shipments ts abroad al aY fis' we did was through food al administration il t on control The Tho witness declared that lint a a. decline of ot 1 cent cent a a. pound po n in tho th polk por I market marlet would mean n a loss lose of ot to his hs firm on the great amount of ut m meat a It Ith h had d prepared for tor or tho the world market He expressed a belief bellet that hat with government govern govern- m meat ment nt control continued ed prices prices' would h- h some month th then n p ot U. U lon o Jc Tho The bill before th the committee lo to li U license 1 cense packing plants an ant and permit the thc Lie government to take over adjuncts such as stock stoel yards arts market newspapers and ind refrigerator cars car was opposed by Mr Swift as class legislation and ct certain to bo be hurtful to the general S public b by crippling crIppling- the Industry Government uGo I supervision through full access to the packers books book was advocated b by him himas himas' himas as as' as asa a less dangerous method of ot procedure pro pro- Tho The primary desire of Swift Co was declared to be bo efficient service service sen Ice ice In the stock yards and readiness s was was wag expressed t to sell sell tho firms firm's interests interests interests inter inter- ests ests- in various yards ards If present standards standards stan stan- dards of or operation could be maintained d. d the tho federal trade alon's alons that packer ownership of ot refrigerator cars care prevents the tho small packers from competing with the olg firms Mr tIT Swift suggested that Instead of tal taking ln the cars awa away from the oil firms tho time government or railroads adB should build cars an and let lot the small packers u use c Ho lie said tar tor cars were a losing Investment to his firm firn which maintained them only to assure service The same samel 9 l' Continued on page 9 9 SAYS CONTROl I OF DF FOOD STIll HEED I I Continued from rom p. p page 1 suggestion was tuns made regarding branch houses PrIce Not Controlled CD Charges of or b by the federal trado commission 1 were denied by Mr Mi I I Swift Ho He said that there were cases casos In which his firm had operated co with with other packers In tho the Joint ownership hip of or general facilities where such facilities facilities ties did not exist or 1 were imperfect I and that tho co operation In no wn way extended to th the control of ot prices or r 1 I shipments Mr Swift said there was as J JI stockholders In Swift swIt Co and that his family did not own a L majority of or ortto I I the tto The witness said his Ealar sal Eal- salary salary sal sal- ar ary was was' a year ear and that his four brothers br all aU practical meat pack packers ers draw from 2 to Bach pach ach Keen competition n between tho the five Ive big packers was declared to exist and I Mr Swift said this apparently was as n. n goon S time for now new firms to enter tho the business said ho never hover before knew of or so man many now new plants under construction construe construe- 1 tion and told tho the committee that the j I Anheuser Busch Dusch brewing Interests of or St St. Louis were starting a n. new packing packing- I I I IThe company compan The only onh Cher aher witness of or th the tho da day was Levi Mayer counsel for Armour 1 Co who told the committee why he thou thought ht the pending bill unconstitutional j i lIonal Mr lr payers Mayer's la testimony devel- devel developed declan j an attack on n the r federal trades commissions commission's method of or investigating I the thO packing IJ Industry Ho lIe said sallI none of or the 1 packing firms were allowed to Present present pre pre- pre pre-I I I sent testimony or question witnesses ses I o I 10 to Reply Keply I II I When the fc federal eral lr tirade rade de commission i I toOl took and found a verdict or of I guilty g against as t the tho pa packers kers do jou OU OUI r i rI I 1 mean to say your clients were given I n no nt chance to reply as asked Representative Represent Represent-i I e aU San Sanders ers I Iono ono Mono whatever Mr pr lr Mayer sahi You do not mean to sd sly say that when ja j I a a. witness took look the stand to give gho damaging dam dam- dam damaging am- am aging Ing testimony against ng your our i Iou 5 you on ou were not allowed to question hAm lum 1 r rI I 1 was not allowed to participate in I Ithe Ithe the hearing at all j I You were not allowed oven even to es establish es- es I es j the credibility of the l No o I Then what credence can we give o to these findings continued Mr r. r San- San f ders I whatever I I y None v t I IDo Do you Ou mean to sa say the federal trade commission undertook ok to investigate investigate ate a great Industry without giving giving- Ithe the tho industry a chance to present Its s I Iside side Three Roquet t D Denied I Absolutely none Mr Mayor said I II II I made three trips to Washington ton to J plead for tor the opportunity but they I refused an and s-a s gave vo no reason The They I sent scores and scores acorns S of or examiners to go through h tho the files rUes of 01 Armour Co and took man many letters I I Of course the they took all the tho letters letters letters' to show the context Mr Sanders In- In Interrupted I I They did not Mr Mayer answered j I Irhe The Tho witness said a mistaken inference Inference Infer infer- referring I Ito Ito ence drawn from one letter I to an agreed price on lard compound was due to the failure of or the i commis 1 sion to take other 1 l letters which would have explained that the price was fixed b by the food rood administration and not b by the tho packers puckers I It is the most remarkable thing I ever er heard of 01 in ill my m- life life life- Mr Ir Sanders remarked as ho he finished his questioning question question- ing Drastic war measures were given b by Mr 11 Mayer laer as tho thu reason for an aeu acute te tendency In legislation or v nich he ne hesaM saM sale the pen pending ling bill was an nn example Ho said Bald that some departments of ot otI the government were unmindful that I the tho power of or Congress in peace was I quite dl different terent from its Us powers in I lor of war and that a situation which no longer exists s was tho the inspiring motive for the legislation under d discussion l Geuer Control regulate private indus indus- If you OU can try such as the tho packing plants then you iou can regulate res the tho manufacture of oC e cr everything thing he asserted and it wont won't be ho long before you havo have every cry dissatisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied dissat dissat- clement of the community ap appealing appealing appealing ap- ap pealing for the great reat panacea of or congressional congressional con con- gressional g action The Tho licensing pro of or the tho bill was declared tho the most drastic because c cIt I It entrusted to lo one ono man the the right to issue and revoke rc licenses Sir Mayer s Fild tid the power lower given the government to 10 pin purchase chase and publish market newspapers newspaper staggered g th imag imag- and might ht lead to powerful political Influence Representative Barkley of Kentucky have havo Mr pr whether sought to Mayer say tho the commission had hall acted illegally Illes No o law covers tho case cast but I think the commission acted unfairly and at anything any aly y- y thing that is unfair Is illegal Mr pr Mayer replied Regarding statements that thit lh t Swift Co was spending one me million dollars a month In an advertising all campaign to educate public opinion ho submitted an affidavit to show that thc firms firm's total publicity expenditures hall hail been IHen in twelve months ending November November No No- o- o vember 2 1918 E SIG r. r D nus S Br Universal hirer ui Service Annapolis Md Mil Jan 23 Ensign 23 Ensign Charles D. D SI Jr of ot Lebanon Pa j son Ion on of or Rear Admiral Charles D. D Sh U. U S. S N. N retired who commanded commanded com com- man cd tho the Maine Maino when whon she was WIS blo blown vii up In Havana lla harbor In 1393 died at atI atthe I the tho ho naval na hospital this morning of oC pneumonia |