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Show in Lira UNDERCHARGES Trade Commission Chairman Chair-man Accuses Counsel in Letter to Murdock. (Chicago Tribune Special Service.) WASHINGTON", July 31. The federal trade commission, in a report to the senate sen-ate today, undertook to show that the packers sought to be relieved of making returns on their profits from foreign business busi-ness and thus escape payment of heavy additional Income taxes. Ivevy Mayer of Chicago, counsel for Armour & Co., and Colonel George A. Sanderson, now secrctaary of the United States senate, were named by tho commission com-mission as representatives of the packers In their efforts to have tho order requiring requir-ing the returns rescinded. The commission's report was mnde in response to a resolution proposed by .Senator .Sen-ator Sherman, illlnois, and recently adopted by the senate, calling for all documents, papers and other data bearing bear-ing on alleged negotia tions between the commission and British government off! -cials. and tending to injure the packers' export trade. The commission submitted a large volume vol-ume of papers and other data, but entered a flat denial that It hod aided in any proceeding pro-ceeding with the British government against the packers. Included in the report was this letter by Chairman Fort of the commission to Commissioner Victor Murdock: "The only incident that 1 can recall having to do with the American packers' export trade was at the time the federal' trade commission called for a report as to the operations of the foreign business of tho packers. "At this time, Levy Mayer, represent- , ing Armour &. Co., said to me that the real reason that the returns should not (Continued on Page 8, Column 4.) ARMQUR LAWYER . UNDER CHARGES (Continued from Page One.) be made was that It might involve very heavy additional payment of Income tax to the United States government, and likewise might lead to taxation in Argentina Argen-tina and other foreign countries. "Mr. Mayer exhibited a list of companies com-panies doing business in Argentina. As you remember, I was very much out- raged at the supffestton that I could or would be a pnrty to the defrauding of this government; or, being a government official, would be a party to a deception of a friendly foreign government." In this connection, Commissioner William Wil-liam B. Colver, In a letter to Mr. Murdock, wrote: "In the matter of the reports of the five larffo packing concerns In Chicago with respect to their foreign business, I remember that very strong objection was made to making these returns. Officers, attorneys and agents of these companies visited the commission and visited various va-rious commissioners." Summarizing its report, the commission made these statements: The correspondence having to do with the agencies of the British government, particularly inquired about by the resolution, resolu-tion, was in tho nature of requests for information; not the giving of information. Most of these requests apparently were disregarded by the British officials. That Commissioner Colver did travel 1 abroad at public expense as charged; that he did not make any speeches, violent or , j otherwise; and that, so far as can be : ! found, no Interviews with him were pub-: pub-: lished in London. I That in the matter of export trade : touching on the supply of meat to Great Britain, intercommunication is indicated among four of the five gren t packers as to methods of increasing profits in dealings deal-ings with the Brit ish government. That in the matter of export trade to neutral countries, there is indication that cargoes of meat of each of the five great packers were seized by the British government gov-ernment in allegation that they were. In fact, destined for an enemy country, afld that- In tho prize court proceedings there was community of counsel with respect to two and a division of expense in relation to prize court proceedings with regard to three of these packers. That the lurer American packers are now pngaKfd not only In the wholesale distribution of meat In ('Jreat Britain, but In the retail sale as well, having control of 60 per cent of the imported beef supply of the f'nited Kingdom, and maintaining 144 wholesale branches In sixty-four towns and about 1000 retail butcher shops. |