Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-05-07
THE BEEF TRUST
INQUIRY
The Operations Of tho Trust Are Exposed by
Witnesses at Jefferson City,
Missouri.
HOW THE PRICES ARE FIXED
Tho Increase In the Prices Of Meat Is Out Of Proper
tIon 10 the Increase In the Price of Cattle
CattIemen Must Sell to the Trust or Be
Boycotted.

st. Louis, May IA special to the
Post-Dispatch from Jefferson City
Mo-, says: The existence in St. Louis
of uniform and fixed meat prices and
a secret rebate in addition to C. o. D.
list was shown by testimony taken
in this mornings session of the beef
trust inquiry Attorney General Grow
said today that the objection raised by
the packers attorneys at Tuesdays S
session of the beef trust inquiry does
not pertain to the validity of the anti
trust law, but only to the law author
izing an inquiry. The two statutes are
separate 1.-THE antitrust law has
been tested twice in the supreme court,
and is unassailable," said Crow
Maurice Prendiville, st. Louis Union
Market meat dealer, was the first wit
ness today. He testified that Armour,
Swift, Nelson Morris and Cudahy had
fixed agreement regarding prices.
"The packers buy cattle on successive
days" said Prendiville, $50 that each
can buy at his own price. There is
very little independent buying at the
East st. Louis stockyards. The big
packers keep others out by telling the
cattlemen that If they sell any cattle to
Independent buyers. they must sell all
of them"
did you ever get rebate?" was
asked Prendiville.
-Four or five months ago, I got re-
bates on pork from Nelson Morris At
one time the cooler managers told me
they had an agreement not to sell at
less than Sc hundred, but they would
evade the agreement by selling for
some cents lower"
"Is there an arbitrator in st LOUISE"
asked Attorney General Grow.
"The cooler managers meet every
Wednesday afternoon and form a c. o.
D. list and on Saturday they hold an
other meeting. do not know who fix
es the prices for them, but they are
A~ad the last of each week for the fol-
l~~-i-g."
"'Vhnr man does not sell his cat
tie In East st. Louis" continued the
witness. "and ships them elsewhere.
the packers send a dispatch ahead of
him. instructing buyers to offer only so
much. The meat this year Is much in
ferior to that sold last year. The num-
Der of cattle sold and killed in East st.
Louis this season has been unusually
large. Most Of the meat has been
placed in storage"
VIM. Tamme of st. Louis, formerly
city salesman for Swift, testified to the |
uniform prices at which statesmen of
the companies We're instructed to sell. |
He said the increased price of meat is
out of proportion to the increase in the |
price of cattle. He said that 100 butch |
ers in st. Louis had gone out Of busi-
ness, and the Mound City Packing |
Company and the North st. Louis |
Packing Company had also retired.
A recess was taken until 1880 y m. |
when the final session will be held.
QUO WARRANTO PROCEEDINGS.
BILL.
st. Louis, Mo-, May IA special to
the Dispatch from Jefferson City
says: Quo warranto proceedings or an
application for a writ of custer against
the meat packing companies compos-
ing the "Big -Four" will be the nextl
step in the fight Of the State of Missou-
ri on the beef trust. The result of the
proceedings, If successful, will be to
debar the companies from carrying on
business in the state. Attorney Gener-
al E. G. Crow considers the testimony
of the st. Joseph butchers on rebates
and concessions at the supreme court
Inquiry conclusive evidence of the ex- 7
istence and supremacy of the trust in
.3s;s