The Jersey City news., 1902-04-26
WAR On
THE TRUST
Great Beef Combine to Be
Attacked in New York
and Chicago.
DAMAGING EVIDENCE
Attorney General Has Proof
That Packers Have vio-
lated the Law.
M'DERMOTT'S BILL
Dealers Will Send Committee
to Urge Its Passage
Through Congress.

Residents of Jersey City will be graft
fed to know that simultaneous attacks
on the Food Trust are to be made IN
Chicago and in New York. Attorney
General Davies, who spent yesterday IN
New York getting proof, has practically
completed his hunt for evidence, and as
soon as he can confer with two or three
more persons will ask that a referee be
appointed to hear witnesses in proceed
ing similar to that which he took against
the Ice Trust.
Mr. Davies will go to Washington Mon
day to see Attorney General Philander c.
Knox and obtain from him whatever evil
dence he may have against the trust.
The evidence on which proceedings will
be begun to break up the trust will
show
An agreement exists between six big
packing houses to control the price OF
all beef products.
This agreement is for the purpose of
throttling competition and regulating and
occupying the entire field to the exclusion
of Independent concerns.
BY this agreement a system of black
listing of small dealers is enforced and
the retailers are subjected to the most
rigid exactions of the trust.
Proof of the agreement will be submitted
in the form of letters passed between
different members of the combine relating
to the enforcement of the understanding.
Former employees of the trust have also
made afidavits describing its operations
and telling in detail how the combine
works Retailers who have been made
the victims of the trust will tell how
they have been squeezed and browbeaten
by the combine.
The evidence upon which United States
District Attorney Bethea in Chicago and
Attorney General Davies in New York
will begin action is practically identical.
Mr.. Davies will proceed under the Don
nelly Antitrust law, a State act while
the Federal authorities will act under the
Sherman Antitrust law
1t is not improbable that dozen actions
against the trust will be started stimuli
taneonsly. United States District Attor-
pey Bennett is expected to begin an ac-
ton for violation of the Antitrust law
in New York He will act upon the same
evidence secured by Mr.. Bethea in Chi
cago. 1t was stated yesterday that in
structions had been received by District
Attorney Burnett to begin action. He
sible, however, that action here will be
deferred until after the question has been
tested in Chicago.
Attorney General Davies spent a busy
day in New York City yesterday hunting
evidence. He was up by seven o'clock
comforting at the Hoffman House with
men who had Information to impart
about the trusts methods He was on
the go up to midnight, when he returned
to Albany confident that he had his case
in excellent shape.
II have got some good evidence" sald
the Attorney-General, "and that is about
all / can say. l want 70 get all the evi-
dence can before taking any step, so
that the case will be just as strong as
possible.
Il will not take action until after 1
have conferred with the three gentlemen
composing the Tammany investigating
committee. l understand that they have
taken affidayits from persons who know
about the methods used by the packers IN
the alleged trust They have written me
that they have sufficient evidence on
which to base an action, and 1 want 1t
before starting.
II had hoped to meet them today, bu-
they had other engagements and asked
y
have spent the day seeing others. i never
like TO discount my cases in advance.
and whether 1 consider the evidence !
have conclusive or not 1 prefer not to
say
The price of beef remained stationary
yesterday, but the packers intimated thai
there would be rise by Monday. Butter
took another big drop, tuhlbiing down two
cents a pound, which makes a nine cents
decline IN less than a week. The price of
egs remained practically the same.
Absolute proof that the butter market
has been engineered was given yesterday
In a card distributed in the commission
trade. Under the caption, rs % There
Butter Combine?, it gives the quoted
market prices for butter and milk for
April A. Is and 16.
The comparison showed that while milk
was only 4 of a cent higher, butter was
1S cents a pound higher
The anxiety of the trust to get rid of
its huge stock of stored butter was great
er than eyer yesterday. That it had re-
ceived a saIutary lesson was evident by
the almost panicky way in which it ran
for cover.
1t IS expected that the committee will
decide to send a delegation to Congress
to urge the passage of a law taking the
duty off all imported meats.
Retail prices in this vicinity yesterday
were as follows
Porterhouse steak, 20 cents a pound;
slrloin "a cents; round steak. q cents;
lamb chops, p cents; leg OF lamb, ~
cents. pork chops. Is cents roast pork.
1g cents; lard, 1871 cents; sausage. Ii
cents hams. IS cents bacon 20 cents;
butter, 23 cents; eggs, 19 and 20 cents.
TO CURE GRIP IN TWO DAYS
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