WHY THERE IS NOT MORE FOOD 89 



the other. Ultimately the packing-houses became 

 in effect a combine of four or five great firms. The 

 shipments of meat to Em-ope and the Eastern cities 

 required refrigerator-cars, and the railroads per- 

 mitted the packers to take over this business, the 

 railroads hauling the cars as they do coal-cars and 

 cars owned by the fast-freight lines and express 

 companies. Soon the refrigerator-car lines, owned 

 by the packers, acquired control of the transporta- 

 tion of meat. Then they entered other fields. The 

 cars are used for the transportation of fruit, vege- 

 tables, and perishable produce from California and 

 Florida. The packing-houses became interested in 

 other kinds of food, and to-day they are in sub- 

 stantial control of the distribution of the perishable 

 food supply of the country through their control 

 of the transportation and the cold-storage terminal 

 warehouses which they own all over the coimtry. 



The railroads are not only directly connected with 

 the packing-houses through interlocking directorates 

 and common ownership; it is to their advantage 

 to encourage long-haul business. It is to their in- 

 terest to bring food from as great a distance as 

 possible. And they co-operate wdth the packers to 

 discriminate against the supply of cattle by local 

 farmers. They make it difficult for Eastern farmers 

 to secure transportation. They shut them out of 

 the local market. This discouraged local cattle- 

 raising. Far more effective was the control of the 



