New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-27
TO FIGHT BEEF TRUST.
cO<EERENCE IN CHICAGO OF W. A. DAY
WITH DISTRICT ATTORNEY
BETHEA.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE J


Chicago ApriI 26-Lke generals arranging
the details of coming battle, representatives
of the government who win engineer the nght
against the so-called Beef Trust and the lawyers
who guard the packers interests from the legal
standpoint met in separate conferences to-day
at the same hour They met in secret in buiio-
ings not three blocks apart. Judge w. A Day.
the special representative of the Attorney ten
erals office, during the day was cioseteo with
United States Attorney Solomon bethea. Ing
two were busy for several hours comparing 'he
evidence gathered all over the country, par 'icu
Iarly in the East. Judge Day brought with MIN
what is said openly by the federal officers to be
strong evidence secured in NewYork and other
Eastern cities concerning the methods or the
meat combination Mr Bethea had, besides this'
the testimony gathered in Chicago ana the "es'.
While all this mass of proof was being dis
cussed in the office of the federal attorney III
the Monadnock Building the counsel for the
packers who were gathering in the Counseiflah
Building over in La Salle-st.. were comparing
reports from their scouts. who have been pusy
for twenty hours trying to discover just "hat
kind Of hand the government holds
The meeting was held in the office OF A. ID
Veeder who acts as attorney for Swift d Co.,
and the others on hand were James F. Meagher,
for the G. II. Hammond Company; Louis C.
Krauthoff, representing Armour & Co; Judge
Thomas A Moran. for the Cudahy Packing
Company: II. NJ. Wolfe. for Nelson Morris &
Co. and a representative for Schwarzchild
Sulzberger This conference lasted far into the
afternoon.
Judge Days arrival and his announcement
that the entire subject of the investigation Of
the so-caled Beef Trust In the hands of
Mr. Bethea. and that all the resources of the
had bea MIS- cd at disposal TO
Investigate its methods. and. II found unlawful,
TO prosecute to the full extent OF the law. sim
plified the situation somewhat. the more so as
he also made IL plain that no bill had yet been
drawn up TO restrain the so-called combination,
and that none would be filed until the Attorney
General at Washington had approved such a bill
as in view of the evidence. Mr. Bethea and
Judge Day might prepare
Another government official connected with an
investigation into the alleged Illegal methods
of the packers is In Chicago to-day. He is c.
L, Prouty one of the Interstate Commerce
commissioners who has just come from the in
vestigation being conducted at 81. Louis He
saws there is no doubt combination exists be-
tween the big firms and the railways. Mr.
Prouty said:
The packers get 100000 a year rebates from
the railways. This has been established. and the
Interstate Commerce Commission intends 70 find
and how they get this large sum- IL
Is paid TO five of the packing concerns ON the
full Capitalization OF these companies the amount
would represent per cent so that II they
merely transacted business without making any
thing at all, the rebate would pay them a hand
some return on their capital.
NJ Mr. Prouty says the cases brought by Judge
Day. acting as attorney for the commission. In
which an injunction Is asked to restrain the
railways from granting rebates will be argued
on June % In the mean time. he says. ac-
ton Will be taken against the packers. After
ward II is intended TO start an inquiry as to the
relations existing between the transportation
companies and their customers.
James Bradburn, the witness who was exam
iued by Attorney Bethea, does not believe the
government will establish trust among the
packers.
From the questions asked me-" said Mr..
neys a fishing expedition
Mr.. Bradburn for twenty years connect
ed with the stock yards. part of the time as
buyer for the Armours He admits the pack
ers hold weekly meetings for the regulation of
business and says that credits extended TO
favored butchers Mr.. Bradburn makes no Sc
cret of the fact that the packers agree 10 regu-
late the supply of meats to different markets.
He will be a witness when the case is reached.
He says he present when the late Philip
Armour asked to enter combination to
fix prices, and heard the packer say: Perhaps
/ ought to be in JAIL but l am not going TO do
anything to pat me there"
SOME REASONS WHY BEEF IS HIGH.