The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-09-24
The DECISION
Declaring the Kansas City Live Stock Ex-
change Violation of the Sherman Anti
Trust Law Causes Excitement.

Declaring the Kansas City Live Stock Ex-
change q Violation of the Sherman Anti
Trust Law Causes Excitement.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Sept. 21.-The
decision rendered by United States
Judge Foster, declaring the Kansas
City Live Stock exchange a violation of
the Sherman antitrust law, caused
great deal of suppressed excitement
ut the stock yards here Monday. Just
what effect the decision will have on
the methods of business at the yards in
the future is a matter of conjecture.
Some members of the exchange say
the dissolution of the exchange will be
a severe blow to the live stock interests
If it stands the tests of the higher
courts. They say that the business as
carried on under the rules of the ex.
change has been reduced to a scientific
basis and guarantees to every patron
an honest deal
President John c. Mccoy said:
Eve are in the hands of our lawyers,
and until we see them we do not know
what action will be taken by the ex-
change. One fact, we do not know now
the full import of the decision and. are
in no position to say what we can do. :"
Judge Foster defines the interstate
law and says:
st is indisputable that all the live
stock shipped to these defendants for
sale from states other than Kansas or
Missouri, after it has entered the cur
rent of commerce between the states,
continue and remain subjects of such
commerce until the transportation is
terminated and the property becomes a
part of the general property of the
state. 1t is also well settled that
while this property is the subject
of interstate commerce, no state,
municipality or other power but con-
gress can impose taxes. restrictions, or
regulations upon it, except so far as is
proper in the exercise of police regu-
lations for the protection of the health,
morals, and person of the citizen, and
except for proper charges and regula-
lions for the use of local instruments
as aids or incidents to such commerce,
such as docks, bridges, wharves, eleva-
tors, ferries, pilotage, etc"
The case was that brought by the
United States district attorney nearly
year ago when Greer, Mills & Co., a
Chicago-Kansas City firm, was driven
from the exchange. The firm was sus-
pended for the non-payment of fines
aggregating 81, 900, and sued for an in
junction.
The association is located on the
Kansas-Missouri line, in the immedi'
ate vicinity of. the Kansas City Stock
Yards Co.'S yards. The decision de-
clares that the exchange is clearly a
combination whose purpose is to re-
strict, control and monOpolize the buy
ing and selling of live stock at the Kan
sas City yards, and continues:
1.-The methods and aims of many Of
these exchanges and boards of trade
are not altogether beneficial to tbs
business and commerce of the country
1.-The crying complaint of to-day anC
the great menace to the welfare of the
people is the tendency of wealth tt
monopolize and control by trusts anC
combines the products and industrie
of the country, and it must be confessed
by every thoughtful observer tina
many of the so-called stock and produc
exchanges are among the most poten
instrumentalities for the accomplish
ments of these purposes by speculator
and adVenturerS"