Show FEAR CONTROL OF MEAT TRADE Packer Merger Case MaGo Ma May Go to Supreme Court WASHINGTON April After 11 11 hearing arguments on both the packers and government counsel over the validity of ot the Armour Armour- Morris Armour Morris merger Secretary Jardine today took the case under advisement advIse advIse- advIsement advisement ment with the tho promise that he h would make a rather early de- de decision de decision ciston Two courses course are open to the th secretary of ot agriculture He can decide that the consolidation ot of the two packing houses does not violate the packers and tock tock yards ards act and nd drop the cue case or he can Issue a rule against the themer th mer merger er which would send the case caseto caseto to the supreme court tor for settle settle- settlement settlement ette- ette ment FLAIl R RADICALISM In closing clO th the argument W L I Fisher r chief government counsel urged the secretary to lo send the th Case rase ase to the tho courts for decision It If the merger Is sanctioned he I declared radicalism would be i as the public would be- be that the law and Its agen agen- agen- agen agencies agencies cies rles were not capable of ot prevent prevent- preventIng preventing preventing ing centralization of ot Industries Th Tho packers contend that the act ha has haa not been violated as the statute was waa aimed at monopolies and It was Impossible to create a monopoly In the packing Industry Competition they held had hod not Le been n lessened by the merger I which was formed purely for economic reasons CONTROL I 1 I Government counsel argued that the merger puts too much buying power In one hand and gives give Armour and company a leverage over the market which they can ean use to depress prices Mr Counsel for the packers Fisher said would have you you yu beleve be believe lieve leve that because the tho Armour and Morris firms firma lost money because be- be because be cause of war post-war deflation they hould be allowed to get together and restrain prices It If you listened to them would have every basic Industry In the country con con- and In the hands of ot a afew afew few men who would have o an Iron grip on the nation This tendency of ot concentration In fewer and fewer hands must mustI muslI be bo stopped the government go I I asserted |