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That's too bad," said Andrew. "That investigation will cost the Government a great many thousand dollars, the preliminary report will be ready about 1922, and the war be absolutely forgotten by that time."

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But sugar has gone clear out of sight in price and you can not get any at any price," said Imogene.

"That's all right," said Andrew. "They will blame it on the Beef Trust and will swear that they have cornered the sugar supply to use in making sugar-cured hams.

"If the ice man shoots up the price of ice it is because the Beef Trust has cornered the ice market to ice the beef they are shipping abroad.

"If the price of shoes goes up it is because the Beef Trust is in such a hurry to ship its calves that they do not take the trouble to skin 'em.

"Eggs have gone skyrocketing, but that is because the hens won't lay, knowing very well if they do lay, the eggs will never be hatched, but put into cold storage by the Beef Trust, and what self-respecting hen wants her offspring frozen?

"The Beef Trust is the goat of every investigation. Perhaps this is just as well. Some one has to be blamed and, as there has never been any evidence of the existence of a Beef Trust and as they have no soul to damn or nose to smash, they had just as well take the blame as any one. "One thing I can not understand, however, and that is how the Chicago packers can act the way they do. Now, if I had a cow and an American offered me $15 for her and a hated foreigner offered me $35, would I sell her to the foreigner? Certainly not!

These people actually seem to be in business for the money there is in it instead of for the glory of our great Government which has hounded them from pillar to post and made it a penal offense for them to make margarine one of their principal by-products-so that it remotely resembles butter so that the farmer can get a dollar a pound for his butter.

"They should fix the price of sausage at 5 cents a pound, no matter what it costs them to make it. They should sell porterhouse steak at 15 cents a pound even if a farmer does expect to drive a cow to town and arrive home in an automobile which he has received in exchange for her.

"It is my opinion, although I can not prove it, that the beef trust started the big war for their own private ends and I am almost sure they are to blame for all the ills that mortal flesh is heir to."

"What and where is the Beef Trust "? asked Imogene, puzzled.

"The Beef Trust is an imaginary punching bag for wind-jamming statesmen who want to get into the Congresional Record," replied Andrew.

(Copyright, 1919, by Twenty-first Century Press (Inc.).)

[Reprinted by permission, and issued by the Institute of American Meat Packers, 22 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill.]

Mr. ANDERSON. I have here an article which I would like to call your attention to, since you have been sort of minimizing the advertising of the American Institute of Meat Packers, and I want to give you an idea of what they think of it themselves, just as it appears in the National Provision under the title of "Work of Institute of American Meat Packers."

I will only read part of it, but I will have it all go into the record. [Reading:]

From time to time news stories concerning the fundamental facts of the industry have been issued. The layman can hardly realize the amount of interpretative work which has been done in this way. The circulation obtained by press releases prepared by the institute runs literally into the billions. Editors publish these stories because they are news. No amount of paid advertising could secure news space in metropolitan papers. Material prepared by the institute was published in papers ranging in size from those of a few hundred in circulation to the very largest in this country. These stories concerned storage stocks, profit, prices, and other fundamental matters on which the public had been misinformed.

In order that hostile editors might see that there were two sides to the criticism of meat packers, huge sheets reprinted favorable editorials, for a long time were sent weekly to the newspapers of the country.

Of course all of this was done without causing the expenditure of any money. [Reading:]

Hundreds of letters were written and printed in answer to misinformation and adverse criticism. These letters played quite a part in changing the cast of editorial comment. It is apparent from the press clippings that the attitude of newspapers toward meat packers has undergone a decided improvement. So vigorous was the work done by the institute and individual companies that the educational campaign has been called the greatest ever undertaken by any agency except a national Government.

Hundreds of thousands of booklets, pamphlets, and reprints have been circulated. There were requests for 185,000 copies of a single pamphlet issued by the institute a four-page folder on cold-storage legislation. There were requests for more than 90,000 copies of a little pamphlet called “Everybody's Goat."

Which I judge is along the same line as this one I have just read entitled "Friend Wife." [Reading:]

These requests were from persons who wished to redistribute the material. Material has been furnished to speakers, libraries, college debaters, and civic organizations. In cooperation with the institute speakers have addressed women's clubs, trade bodies, and other organizations. Increasing efforts are being made to present the packing industry intelligently to students of civic, economic, and industrial subjects.

Much work has been done and many conferences held with Government officials.

This is along the line of the relationship of the institute to the Government [reading]:

In Illinois, the committee on public relations has been furnishing constantly such information as has been requested by the fair price commissioner. Furthermore, important negotiations of an economic nature are now being conducted with a Government agency looking toward an equalization of the demand at retail for the various cuts of meat.

I judge that that Government official would be the Attorney General.

Mr. WELD. His department, working through the fair price commission at Chicago.

Mr. ANDERSON [reading]:

It is expected that these negotiations soon will bear fruit and that the meat industry as a whole will be benefited.

Of course, the unsuspecting consumer would be led to believe that he was to be the special beneficiary of this [reading]:

The committee on public relations has in operation such departments as a "General News Service," a "Special News Service for Agricultural and LiveStock Papers,” a "Service for Retailers,” and a “Clearing House for Publicity Material Issued by the Individual Members of the Institute." Some educational work has been done in cooperation with women's organizations, and speakers representing the institute have addressed various gatherings on subjects affecting the industry, but it is planned promptly to systematize and extend efforts of this sort by adding a “Special News Service and Publicity Department for Women" and a "Speakers' and Lecturers' Bureau."

Mr. WELD. Is that all?

Mr. ANDERSON. There is considerably more to it. I ask that it all go into the record. I do not want to take the time of the committee reading it now. I just wanted to call attention to it, to the way this campaign is viewed from the standpoint of those who are actually conducting it.

(The article from the National Provisioner, entitled "Institute of American Meat Packers." referred to and submitted by Mr. Anderson, is here printed in full, as follows:)

WORK OF INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN MEAT PACKERS.

The Institute of American Meat Packers since the change of name and the broadening of plans which took place last summer and fall has been actively engaged in the work of forwarding the interests of the meat industry in many ways. These plans have taken such shape that the institute has set forth some of them in a general way in a bulletin issued to members. The information contained therein will be of interest to the trade at large as showing what the institute expects to do and how it is already beginning to do it.

The work has progressed chiefly under the direction of the 10 standing committees which were appointed following the Atlantic City convention. Concerning some of this committee work the bulletin says:

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH EVERYBODY.

Those who attended the convention at Atlantic City will recall that Presidentelect Thomas E. Wilson announced that there would be appointed strong standing committees the activities of which should entirely cover the packing-house industry and which should be composed of men well qualified to accomplish real results.

Of these committees it is apparent that great responsibility rests especially with the committee on public relations, of which Mr. G. F. Swift, jr., is chairman; the committee to confer with retail dealers and trade associations, of which Mr. J. A. Hawkinson is chairman; and the committee to confer with livestock producers, of which Mr. Thomas E. Wilson is chairman, inasmuch as it is through these committees that the institute, and consequently the industry, seeks to keep in touch with the three most important parts of the body politicthose who furnish us with our raw material, those who stand between us and the public, and the consumer of meat food products.

The committee on public relations has carried on a broad, vigorous, and permanent campaign designed to interpret the packing industry to the press and to the public. This campaign has taken the form of letters, personal contacts, speeches, statistics, pamphlets, bulletins, researches, plate material, booklets, news releases, and statements by individuals.

GIVING THE PUBLIC THE FACTS.

From time to time news stories concerning the fundamental facts of the industry have been issued. The layman can hardly realize the amount of interpretative work which has been done in this way. The circulation obtained by press releases prepared by the institute runs literally into the billions. Editors publish these stories because they are news. No amount of paid advertising could secure news space in metropolitan papers. Material prepared by the institute was published in papers ranging in size from those of a few hundred in circulation to the very largest in this country. These stories concerned storage stocks, profits, prices, and other fundamental matters on which the public had been misinformed.

In order that hostile editors might see that there were two sides to the criticism of meat packers, huge sheets reprinting favorable editorials, for a long time were sent weekly to the newspapers of the country.

Hundreds of letters were written and printed in answer to misinformation and adverse criticism. These letters played quite a part in changing the cast of editorial comment. It is apparent from the press clippings that the attitude of newspapers toward meat packers has undergone a decided improvement. So vigorous was the work done by the institute and individaul companies that the educational campaign has been called the greatest ever undertaken by any agency except a national government.

Hundreds of thousands of booklets, pamphlets, and reprints have been circulated. There were requests for 185,000 copies of a single pamphlet issued by the institute a four-page folder on cold storage legislation. There were re

quests for more than 90,000 copies of a little pamphlet called "Everybody's Goat." These requests were from persons who wished to redistribute the material.

Material has been furnished to speakers, libraries, college debaters, and civic organizations. In cooperation with the institute speakers have addressed women's clubs, trade bodies, and other organizations. Increasing efforts are being made to present the packing industry intelligently to students of civic, economic, and industrial subjects.

SPECIAL WORK DONE BY COMMITTEE.

Much work has been done and many conferences held with Government officials. In Illinois the committee on public relations has been furnishing constantly such information as has been requested by the fair-price commissioner. Furthermore, important negotiations of an economic nature are now being conducted with a Government agency, looking toward an equalization of the demand at retail for the various cuts of meat. It is expected that these negotiations soon will bear fruit and that the meat industy, as a whole, will be benefitted.

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The committee on public relations has in operation such departments as a 'General News Service," a Special News Service for Agricultural and Live Stock Papers," a "Service for Retailers,” and a 'Clearing House for Publicity Material Issued by the Individual Members of the Institute." Some educational work has been done in cooperation with women's organizations, and speakers representing the institute have addressed various gatherings on subjects affecting the industry, but it is planned promptly to systematize and extend efforts of this sort by adding a "Special News Service and Publicity Department for Women," and a "Speaker's and Lecturer's Bureau."

Furthermore, the activities in connection with the "Service for Retailers " are being intensified and broadened greatly. It is proposed also to add permanent displays for exhibitions and, in brief, to continue to take advantage of all feasible means of conveying information. Suggestions along this line coming from individual members will be warmly appreciated.

LIVE STOCK AND OTHER COMMITTEES.

The committee to confer with live-stock producers, under the chairmanship of Mr. Thomas E. Wilson, having before it the important matter of securing a better understanding on the part of the live-stock producer of the problems before the meat packers, and of cooperating with the live-stock producer so far as is possible and desirable, has during the past few months accomplished much along these lines.

The committee to confer with retail dealers and trade associations, under the chairmanship of Mr. J. A. Hawkinson, has under consideration a carefully formulated plan of comprehensive nature which, if carried out in its present form, will undoubtedly be of great value to the industry as well as to the public.

The committee on finance is, as is evident from the name, a working committee, the activities of which are confined to the interior organization of the institute.

The other committees-legal, traffic, to confer with Government officials, eradication of tuberculosis, packing-house practice, and foreign relations and trade-while primarily designed to render effective those clauses in our constitution having to do with cooperation with the Government and improvements in the arts and sciences upon which our industry is based, are the committees which will probably prove to be of most direct, tangible service to the membership of the institute.

As their names indicate, these committees cover practically every phase of the packing-house industry, and the benefit from their activity which may be derived by members of the institute is largely determined by how much is put up to them by the members for settlement or assistance. As at present constituted, they include many of the ablest men in the industry, and each member of every committee has been selected because of the member's qualifications to be of expert assistance to his brother members. They are your committees; they stand ready to assist you in solving any perplexing problem, and prompt attention is given to all letters of inquiry sent the secretary's office for apportionment to the appropriate committee chairmen.

The committee on foreign relations and trade has during the past few weeks held several meetings for the purpose of discussing matters of interest to all exporting packers. This committee constitutes a simple and entirely prac tical means of handling in collective fashion questions concerning export which are properly of collective interest and nature.

PACKING-HOUSE QUERIES ANSWERED.

The committee on packing-house practice has during the past few months answered a large number of queries coming from members on all sorts of subjects. In addition to performing the duties of a service bureau for the benefit of the members, this committee is at present working along three distinct lines the conservation of product, the increased use of machinery rather than manual labor, and a standardized system of apportioning manufacturing costs-all of which are of real, vital interest to the industry.

The traffic committee took an active part in the distribution of coal during the recent shortage of that essential. While it is entirely fair to say that the institute as a whole, and indeed the industry as a whole, had much to do with our industry's being awarded by the United States Fuel Administration sufficient coal to permit us to operate that part of the packing-house business which is essentially slaughtering in its nature, it is also well to remember that a subcommittee of the institute's standing committee on traffic worked tirelessly night and day in conference with the railroad officials who had direct charge of the matter of the distribution of coal. In more than one instance the activities of this subcommittee permitted the continuous operation of plants which would undoubtedly otherwise have been closed because of lack of fuel.

Mr. WELD. I think that is a pretty fair account. Possibly the institute paints its accomplishments in a little more rosy terms, though I do not know. But, of course, there is nothing there but what it is perfectly legitimate to do; and when we are misrepresented before the country we are certainly going to do all that we can to counterbalance that misrepresentation and try to get the public to understand our business, and we are going to send stuff to the newspapers and write letters to newspapers in answer to hostile editorials. Swift & Co. does that, as well as the institute. I guess the other packers do; and we are going to keep right on doing it, indefinitely; and some day we are going to change this sentiment; we are going to make the people see the light somewhat, and some day their consciences are not going to let them say we are responsible for the high cost of living, that we manipulate prices, that we have a monopoly, or that we artificially force up the price of pork loins notwithstanding the price of hogs is going down, or that we force up the price of dressed lambs faster than the price of live lambs, or any such misstatements as that. We are going to do all we can to counteract such unfounded agitation, and we are going to keep right on doing it.

Mr. ANDERSON. I have had this article in my possession a long time, and I have only read it now because of your apparent disposition to minimize the scope of this propaganda.

Mr. WELD. I did not mean to minimize the scope of it. Mr. ANDERSON. And trying to make that it was costing little. Mr. WELD. I did not mean to try to minimize it, because we are doing all that we know how to do, and we are going to keep right on doing it; and there is nothing about it that we are ashamed of; we are proud of what we are doing. We have got the nerve to come out and fight back against these misinformations and misrepresentations of our industry.

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