| OCR Text |
Show Investigation of the Packers. t M Very gcnerul Interest has bcon man- M tfested In tho government lnvcstign- H tlon now In progress Into the mode of M conducting business by tho largo pack- H era locatod In Chicago and olsowhero. H Much has been written upon tho al- H logod lllogal and improper modes of H business procedure connected with tho M packing industry; but It seems that so H far no definite charge of any kind has H been sustained and no proof of lllogal H or lncqultnblo methods has been ills- H closed to tho public. Whllo a wave of H sovern criticism of this great Indus- H trial lntorest Is now passing over tho H country It might bo well to remember M that tho packers havo had ns yut no H opportunity to make specific denial, H tho many Indefinite chnrges of wrong- H doing having nover been formulnted H so that a categorical answer could bo H mado. ' H The recent report of Commissioner iH Garflold, which ombodled tho results H of an official Investigation undertaken H by tho Dopartmont of Commorco and H Labor of tho United Stales, was a vln- H dlcntlon of tho Western packers, but m this result having been unexpected at- "H tempts in many quarters to discredit It H woro made. In view of tho situation as It now H stands, however, attention may proper- H ly bo called to a few .facts that owing H to popular clamor aro now being ap- H parontly overlooked. Fair treatment H In this country has heretofore been nc- H corded to all citizens whoso affairs as- H pumo promiuenco in tho public cyo and H somo of the facts that bear upon tho H relation of tho packers to the com- H morce of the country may at this tlmo H bo briefly alluded to. It would. Iba H difficult to estlmnto the licuoO.ts gained H by the farmors of tho country result- H ing from tho onorgotlc enterprise or, jjh tho packers, for whatoVer'lsof benefit H to tho' farmer Is ,a : gain -lo. thd entlro H comeco of the-pov(nt.ryjM And,,9gn- 4H noctcd with their contfnuoua nggrus- " ' iVIH slve work no feature perhaps has .been 1 mo'ro important than tholr efforts in H seeking outlets alt over tho world 'for H tho surplus productn- of the farmer. 1 Our total exports of agricultural prpd- H ucts haVe gnlnod but llttlo In tho past H Iwcitty" years, and leaving out corn, H tho totnl of all' other farm products H was far less In 1903 .than In 1891. But H In packing house products thero was M considerable gain during this period, H becauso an orgnnizod and powerful H forco has been behind them socking H new nnd broader markets. H I Besides the benefits reaped by farm- H crs on account of tho enterprise and "M energy exorcised by the packers In at- M talnlng commercial results by foreign H trade, tho great development In tho H manufacture of packing houso by-prod- jH ucts has added enormously to tho H value of all live stock raised in tho H United States. Tho wasto mutorlal of H twenty years ago, thou an expense to H tho pnekor, Is now converted into ar- H tides of great value, and, ns an ceo- H 1 nomlc fact, this must correspondingly H increaso the value to tho furmor of H every head of cattlo marketed at tho H numerous stockyards of tho country. H Let theso, facts be rcmembcrod whllo H now It Is so popular to regard tho H great packing Industry as deserving of H j condemnation. At least it must bo ad- H I mltted that, so far, there Is no ade- H 1 qunto reason for tho almost unanl- H l mous howl that may bo heard ovory- H I where In tho faco of tho Garfield re- H port above alluded to which practical- H ly exonerates tho packers from tho ob- H scure and indefinite chnrges thnt havo H 1 been for somo time past mado the sub- H I Ject of popular comment American H 1 Homestead. H |
