Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-19
LETTERS PROVE 'PAC|
Evidence Against the Beef Trust
Secured From the Packers
Record.
Letters From and to Agents
Show an Agreement
Existed.
Complaints That the Compact
Was Broken by Parties to
the Bargain.

ANSW 1OIh MAY " He iAeit w
says
when District Attorney Bethea OPP
ems the legal battle against the pack
ers constituting the socalled beef
trust in Chicago next Tuesday he vii
be armed with damning evidence from
the books of the packers themselves
Most convincing of all, perhaps, will
be series of letters written by Ar
mour & Co. to their agents in various
parts of the country. These letters
! are thickly sprinkled with evidence
that there has been an agreement be-
tween the packing concerns to main
tain prices. They are filled with com.
Iplaints that other firms have broken
| the agreement and cut prices.
THE terms of these documents leave
no other conclusion than that the
packers had combination, such :,
combination as is commonly known an
a trust. The evidence is there in blacl
and white over The signature of Ar
| NOR & Co., per Jones or E. j. Madden.
one of their officials. The letters not
only allude to agreed prices but they
state in unmistakable terms that Ger.
tain parties have agreed not to make
contracts under specified figures
The letters contain instructions to
agents of Armour & Co. not to violate
the agreement by cutting rates. They
give notice that Armour & Co. will
get after other packing firms for the
delnquencies of their agents, who
have been detected in violating the
terms of the agreement.
In short, these letters are thickly
strewn with evidences of collision ana
combination. Copies of them will be
furnished to District Attorney Bethea
that he may ask the court to order
Armour & Co. to produce the originals
or their letter press copies.
'"Thruout the letters other concerns
are referred to by code words, but
District Attorney Bethea will be fur
Inishedgwith evidence to show to whom
the cabalistic words refer Other
packing houses are referred to by such
words as piacular,' 'phosphoric' and
philomath.' The following is said tc
be key to such code words
"Piacular--I4ibby, Mcneil & Libby.
hoSPiiotlS- -ANSlSOH MOTIFS & GO.
"Phidtia-Cudahy Packing Company
"Philomath-G. II. Hammond & Co.
-Schwarzschild & Suls-
berger.
"Piaculous-Swift & Co.
Here is one of the letters in which
tight agreement to cover the Albany
business is planned:
Jan. 80. 1902, Private. Mr.. J. D.
Smith, Care Armour & CO., Albany, N.
Y. Dear Sir-Suppose you know in a
general way that the Albany territory
has been about as mean as any in the
country on smoked meats. The situa-
ton there all last summer was ex-
tremely bad. and we think the trouble
largely has been due to the utter lack
OF confidence in each other among the
different western interests represented
there, SO that whenever we have at
tempted to work together on prices
there has always been trouble and ar
rangements have gone to pieces in pref
ty short order. We are informed now
by Piaculous that they are in position,
thru their Albany, Troy and Cohoes
houses, to make a tight agreement
down there, and we would like you to
look the situation over carefully, of
course talking it over with Mr.. Van
Pelt. especially, and let us know what
you think about entering into deal of
this kind. 1t would obviously be nee
essary to have the other western peo-
pie In, but Piaculous are inclined to
think there would be no object in talk
ing in any of the local people; on the
contrary think that it would likely be
better not to do so. We feel ourselves
that If an agreement of this kind could
be consummated it would be Of much
value to Armour & Co., as 1t would
serve to hold prices to a reasonable
basis, enabling us to get some value out
or our goods, and, of course, we would
expect nothing else than to be able to
obtain our full share of the business on
an equal basis with competitors. Let
US hear from you on this matter at your
convenience, and at the same time
suggest any one you may have In mind
who would be good man to act as ar
bitrator in case the deal is made. Very
truly yours,
JONES, Armour & Co."
In the following letter instructions
are given for the handling of outside
parties:
Feb. IL, 1902. Mr.. ]. j. Conron, care
OF Armour & Co., Scranton, Pa. Dear
Sir-We have yours of the 10th, report-
ing on conditions in the Allentown seq
ton, and note you say you are entirely
safe in stating that 40 per cent of the
trade in this district is going to outside
parties, such people as Dodd & klinck
doing a nice bushes there, as well as
one Cincinnati packer and certain New
YORK and Philadelphia jobhers. Now.
II this is the case, it would appear to us
as tho You We're holding prices too high
IN that section and simply inviting out
side competitors to come in there and
do the business and we recommend
therefore, that at the next meeting vm,
reduce your present limits to the extent
OF at least Il cent a pound. Very truly
yours,
JONES, Armour & Co."