Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-08
Asserts that Armour, Swift, Oudahy and
Morris Control that Market.
uNEoRM PRICE FIXED BY FIRM;
Weekly Meeting of Cooler Managers De-
oides the @. o. D. Schedule Lists.
TELLS OF SALE OF CONDEMNED BEEF
Another witness Testines that In
crease of Price of Meat IL out
of Proportion to that of
Cattle.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, May THE ex-
istence in st. Louis of uniform and fixed
meat prices ana the secret rebate In addi-
tion to the G. o. d. list, was shown by tes-
timony taken at this mornings session Of
the beef trust inquiry. Attorney General
Grow said today that the objections raised
by the packers attorneys at Tuesdays ses-
sion Of the beef trust inquiry does not per-
tain to the validity of t,e antitrust law.
but only to the law auincsizing the inquiry.
The two statutes are separate.
The antitrust law has been tested twice
IN the supreme court and is unassailable,"
said Attorney General Grow.
Maurice Prendiville. a St. Louis Union
market meat dealer, was the first witness
examined today. In answer to questions by
the attorney general Prendiville testified
that Armour. Swift, Nelson Morris and
Cudahy had fixed agreement regarding
prices.
THE packers bought pork on successive
days" said Prendiville. $50 that each can
buy at his own price. There is very little
independent buying in the East ST. Louis
stock yards. The big packers keep others
out by telling the cattlemen that II they sell
any cattle TO the independent buyers they
must sell to them.
Best Grade Goes East
"a better grade of cattle is sent east than
that sold In st. Louis. The ordinary retail
butchers cannot get hgh-class beef. The
best beef is sold to butchers at IL cents in
the carcass"
Ibid you ever get a rebAte?' was asked
of Prendiyille.
-Four or Ave months ago got rebstes on
pork from Nelson Morris. At one time the
cooler managers told me that they had an
agreement to sell at less than SO hum
dred. They would evade the agreement by
selling some cents lower"
els there an arbitrator in st. Louis p
asked Attorney General Grow.
Tho cooler managers meet every
Wednesday afternoon and hx G. o. d.
list and on Saturday they bold another
Injecting. l do not know who fixes prices
Cor them. but they are fixed the last OF
each week fof. the week following.
( when man does not sell his cattle In
East st. Louis" continued the witness,
land ships them elsewhere, the packers
send a dispatch ahead Of him, instruoting
the buyers to offer only so much. Meat
this year is much inferior to that sold last
year. The number of cattle sold and killed
IN East st. Louis this season has been
unusually low. Most OF the meat has been
placed In storage"
William Tamme Of st. Louis, formerly
city salesman for Swift. testified to q uni
form price at which salesmen OF all COM
panies we're instructed to SELL Attorney
Ernest C. Dodge has charge OF the @. o. d.
list, which is made up every week, the
witness declared.
Price Out of Proportion.
Tamme said that the increased price Of
meat was out OF proportion to the price Of
cattle He said 100 butchers In st. Louis
had gone out of business and that the
Mound City Packing company and the North
St. Louis Packing company had also retired.
At the afternoon session there was addi-
tional testimony as to the combination OF
packers. tho giving OF rebates and the nx-
ing Of uniform prices in st, Louis.
; Several OF the witnesses told Of the sale
OF condemned beef. some of which was made
into sausage. T. z. wertz. Frisco rail-
road man at Monnett, was the last witness.
He grew up In the packing business under
his father, at Quincy. ILL.,. and up to year
ago was for several years manager Of a
branch house OF the Swazchud & Suls-
berger people at Topeka, Kaa. He told OF
the existence Of a combination between the
various packing companies to Ak the price
lof meats, and related the incident In which
he lost his position for selling lard at a half
cent less per pound than the combine price
Printing Injunction Bill.
CHICAGO. May Limited States District
Attorney S. II. Bethea returned to Chicago
today after his conference with Attorney
General Knox relative to the investigation
OF the so-called beef trust.
II was announced that the bill for in
junction against the big packers is being
printed at Washington and that It will
probably be hled here Friday. when Special
Attorney Day is expected to arrive with It.
Indications are that the scope OF the in
qulry has been broadened materially.
It has been ascertained that the bill will
ask not only for a dissolution Of contracts
entered into by and between packers but
that goods In transit be seized II II can be
shown that contracts exist whereby rail
ways are allowing packers illegal rates.
Quo warranto proceedings or an applica'
tion for a writ OF custer against the meai
packing companies composing the "Bil
Four" will be the next step In the fight o.
the state of Missouri on the beef trust
The result OF the proceedings. II successful
will be to debar the companies from car
rying on business In the state.
Attorney General E. c. Grove considers
the testimony Of the St. Joseph butchers OF
rebates and concessions at Tuesdays ses
sion Of the supreme court inquiry con
elusive evidenee of the existence and gu
premaey of the trust in Missouri.