Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 49 Part 1.djvu/975

 930 Fede ral Tra de Com - mission to investigate and report u pon desig- na ted su bjects. Post, pp. 1256, 1566. Extent of recent agri- cultural income decline. Financial po sition of princip al marketing, etc. , corporations. 74 TH CONG RESS. SESS. I. CH. 778 . AUGUST 27, 1935. Whereas it is charged that monopolistic, oppressive, and unfair methods and practices of various middlemen, warehousemen, proc- essors, manufacturers, packers, and handlers are in whole or in part responsible for the conditions above described, and that wasteful and uneconomic methods have contributed toward bring- ing about these conditions; and Whereas it is charged that said various middlemen, warehousemen, processors, manufacturers, packers, handlers, and others have vio- lated the vario us antitrust la ws of the Unite d States, that they have burd ened, re stri cted and res trai ned inte rsta te a nd f orei gn commerce and adversely affected the volume and price of farm products moving in intrastate and foreign commerce; and Whereas it is charged that many lines of processing, warehousing, and/or dealing in farm products are so dominated by a handful of large concerns as to impede the free flow of interstate and foreign commerce to the detriment of both the farmer and the consumer; and Whereas it is charged that through the payment of high and exces- sive salaries and other devices said middlemen, warehousemen, processors, manufacturers, packers, and others escape just taxation by the United S tates, that sai d salaries tend unduly to dim inish the tax revenues of the United States and tend to burden and restrain interstate and foreign commerce in farm products, and to divert and conceal the earnings and profits of the concerns paying said salaries, and that by various devices those receiving said salaries escape their just share of Federal taxation; and Whereas it is believed that the Congress should consider whether new legislation should be enacted or existing legislation amended on any of the s ubjects hereinb efore described and in aid th ereof should be infor med on all of s aid subjects : There fore be it Resolved by the Senate and H ouse of Representatives of the United S tates o f Ameri ca in Congress assembled, That the Federal Trade Commission is hereby authorized and directed to investigate and report, at the next session of Congress- First. (1) The extent of the decline in agricultural income in recent y ears, including the amount an d percentage of such decline; (2) The extent of the increases or decreases in recent years in the income of the principal corporations engaged in the sale, manufac- turing, warehousing and/or processing of the principal farm prod- ucts, and of the other principal sellers, manufacturers, warehouse- men, and/or process ors of the prin cipal farm pro ducts, as compa red with the decline in agricultural income, including the amount and percentage of such changes; and (3) The proportion of total consumer cost of representative products manufactured or processed from the principal farm prod- ucts which is represented by the proceeds received by (a) the farmer, (b) the manufacturers, processors, and warehousemen, and (c) the distribu tors and such p rincipal farm products and su ch representa- tive products manufactured therefrom. Second. The financial position of the principal corporations engaged in the manufacturing, processing warehousing, distribution, and marketing of the representative major products manufactured from such principal farm products, including- (1) The capitalization and assets of such corporations and the means and sources of the growth of such capitalization and assets (2) The investment, cos ts, profits, a nd rates of ret urn of such corporations; (3) The salaries of the officers of such companies; and