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Show K COMPETITIOi IS QIYiFICTIO! Dealer in Meat Explains Why Hogs Have Exceeded Civil War Prices. ST. LOUIS, April 10. High prices of meat aro duo partly to fictitious competition compe-tition between livestock huyera employed by tho Swift, Armour and Morris Interests Inter-ests and by tho National Packing company, com-pany, which Is controlled by these Interests, In-terests, according to testimony this afternoon after-noon by A. 11. Ucnn, vice-president of the St. Isolds Dressed Beef and Provision company. Mr. Bonn testified In tho Investigation of tho packing compnnles conducted by Attorney General Mnjor. Tho St. Louis company Is owned and controlled by tho National Packing company, com-pany, according to testimony adduced yesterday, To this competition between concerns ostensibly rivals but really under tho same control, the witness specifically attributed at-tributed the recent prlco of 511.16 for hogs. noun stated buyers ostensibly representing repre-senting the National company but In fact representing tho Armour. Swift nnd Morris Interests, frequently bid against the buyers directly omploycd bv these Interests and thus forced up tho prlco of meat. Tho benefit of this policy Is explained by tho Invostlgators as producing pro-ducing an Illusion of competition In the eyes of tho public. "The competition between tho different differ-ent buyers Is something fierce," said Bonn. "If It had not been for that wo should not. have had hogs at 511.15." "It looks as If tho Swift. Armour and Morris Interests were roally trying to lift themselves over thn fence by their boot-straps," commented Attorney General Gen-eral Major. "Thai's, just what II is," agreed Bonn. |