Show L F SWIFT COMMENTS IN LETTER im mr ir L F swift president of swift company ae made tho the following To coar m ments menta with regard to mr air hoovers letter to ho he president on tho the industry 1 I am naturally greatly interested in mr flo hoovers overs letter to the president which was written last september and welcome it as an honest expression of opinion about the pack ing house situation I 1 am only sorry that al mr r hoover had not had opportunity to avail himself of t information brought out at tho the recent hearings in washing ington tile tho principal isue seems to bovillo bov bo whether llo or not there Is a monopoly and 1 I believe it was clearly demonstrated at these hearings that the large pack era are in active competition with each other there are am absolutely no agreement agre cemen emen monr monc the avo largest packers to control prices and they together handle less than forty per cent of the meat supply of the country the pic largest company hall handles lles only about twelve per cent of the total meat supply and less lens than 25 per cent of even tho the output of houses bouses that aro are under U S inspection there aro are about packing concerns besides those operated by the div largest that are under federal inspection and hundreds of local houses that are not subject to inspection all largest cities havo have packing houses that compete directly with ill the five largest so sams of their representatives ape pared at the hearings in WIN drington and stated that litey were prospering and that there was wag fair and open competition in the industry I 1 have stated that we have no serious objection to being relieved of our oar interest in refrigerator cars and stock yada but wo we have pointed out that it ft Is decidedly questionable tio whether and or bencile imn lie le such euch proceed ure uie ui e wo we would alo albo calf attention to the fact that during the recent hear gsg arl no evils needing correction have been broughm brought to ugh tu in connection with packer ownership of these facilities I 1 quite agree with mr air hoover that there la is no reason tor for the government to take over the branch houses of tile the but I 1 do not feel that consideration lilla been given to tile the question of handling other products than meats swift company handles only a few such products and they are distinctly related re lateLl to our bUBil business legS either as byproducts of the packing houses or as goods which can call bo be economically handled through our extensive distribution organization I 1 hardly think that the government should assume an hority to dictate what products any business concern may or may not handle there thera Is nut not only nu need for such a stop step in connection with the busness but it would act as a dangerous precedent which might bo be ortena ed cd to all other industries it is at al ittle difficult for or me to ro concile mr hoovers critis cism ot of the fact act that tho the large packers h have avo eliminated middlemen and gone direct to the retailers lors with the general odineo enthat marketing should ie be as direct as possible from prod producer acer to consumer I 1 think it will bo be conceded that it wo we have eliminated unnecessary midd lement this has had boon been to the advantage adian taga ot of the public at largo since there Is no monopoly the facts do not justify the tha statement that as time goes on this clency canno tall fall diminish and like all monopolies OPO op olies Iles begin to defend itself by repression rather than by efficiency As long lone as the large packers have to use their utmost escorts in competition compo tit I 1 0 n with each other and with hundreds of smaller concerns to earn their profits ot of only two or three cents centa on I 1 each dollar of sales there la Is no room i tr fr a tailing failing oil off in efficiency however I 1 welcome such sincere and disinterested views as those expressed by mr air hoover tile the public and our legislators legislator a need to andar stand our business much moro thoroughly than they do now before they are in a position to undertake rest ric live regulation swift company has voluntarily appeared before congressional committees to give s cai information as la is desired wo we have nothing to conceal all we want la Is an opportunity to got get the facts before the public and when tilts this has been accomplished accomplish wo we shall rely on the sense ot of fair play of tile tho american people and shall abide by their verdict |