The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-03
THE ANTI-BEEF ARGUMENT

Summary. of the Bill to Be Filed at
Chicago by the government.
Ne,c York. Sun Special servioe
Chicago, May 3.-William A. Day, spe-
ciaf attorney of the department of justice,
left for Washington yesterday, to submit
to Attorney General Knox the bill for in
junction against the companies compris-
ing the packers trust.
While the lawyers were busy finishing
the bill word came from the stock yards
that by the middle of the month IL, 900
men, or one third the working force at
the yards, will be out of their jobs. This
includes not only the regular summer lay
off of men but also several thousand extra
as result of the present beef agitation.
Every packing house in the yards will re-
duce the number of its employees. In
fact, the process has been going on for
over two weeks past. This action has
been taken by the packers in spite of the
fact that beef continues to rise in price
and canned meats will shortly follow.
The completion of the bill marked the
close of the preliminaries to the injunc-
| ton suit against the packers, and makes
| it possible for the bill to be filed by next
Tuesday or Wednesday, All now depends
on the action of Attorney General Knox
| If he has no changes to suggest, his ap-
proyal will be telegraphed to Chicago and
and District Attorney Bethea will file
| copies of the bill Immediately. If the
attorney general has any considerable
amendments to make to the bill, 1t will
| be necessary to send it back to Mr.
| Bethea for corrections before it can be
| filed.
Mr. Day will arrive in Washington to-
night He will have all day Sunday to go
over the bill with the attorney general.
but the task may take more than one
day. The bill comprises about sixteen
| nd ic 90
! companied with many affidavits, with the
contents of which the attorney general is
acquainted.
! The bill is brought in the name of the
United States Of America. The principal
allegation is to the effect that Armour &
| Co.. Swift & Co.. The G. H. Hammond
i Packing company, the Cudahy Packing
| company and the Schwarzschild & Sulz-
berger company are engaging in an illegal
i combination in restraint of trade, and the
PRAYER of the bill is that they be per-
i manently restrained by injunction.
In support of the main allegation of the
| bilr 1t is alleged that a secret agree
ment controlling the price Of dressed beet
exists between the six packers named
i that meetings are held at stated intervals
i at which the market price of dressed beef
tor the entire United States is raised OF
/ lowered at will This allegation is sup
ported by affidavits Of former employees
of the packers, telllng OF Cne existence o.
the trust agreement; by the secret code
, book of the Cudahy company, giving the
q Interpretation of messages often sent tt
employees Of the house. and by other evi.
dence.
The second allegation in support Of the
4 general allegation is that the packers
have combined to force the railroads tt
1 reduce shipping rates In their favor II
discrimination against the small shippers
! thus throttling competition and restrain.
ing trade.
&, The third allegation is that bfacklis
/ is maintained by the packers and that an.
:. retailer who Is b1acklisted by one finds i
Impossible to buy beef from any house il
Il HE combine, thus forcing the retailers t
buy beef from any house in the combine
II thus forcing the retailers to conform t
< certain arbitrary rules OF trade laid dow
4 ~ the packers.
The fourth allegation Is that the pack