The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-07
TWO FORCES SAID TO
BE AFTER PACKERS
Federal Government and State of ILL
nois Will Try to Prevent For
nation of Trust.
Special to The Globe.

Special to The Globe.
CHICAGO, Aug. 6.-Double- barreled
trouble awaits the packers who are
said to be engineering a deal for the
consolidation of their interests into
gigantic trust. One of the barrels is
represented by the United States gov
ernment and the federal department of
justice has it's finger on the trigger.
The other barrel is represented by the
state of Illinois and Attorney General
Hamlin is the marksman ready to do
execution.
1t developed today that the depart
ment of justice all along the line, from
Washington to New York, Boston and
Chicago is keeping the keenest kind of
watch on the consolidation movement.
Interest in this matter, although pas
sive a month ago, has become pecu-
liarly active. The officials are openly
asking for evidence. They want tan
gible proof, be it big or little, that such
a combination as has been set forth in
the newspapers is really in progress. If
any citizens knows of anybody else in
or out of the/packing business who can
throw any definite light on the subject,
he is heartily invited to report the fact
to the government authorities and they
will do the rest.
The government has two ways of
proceeding to bring the combining
packers up with a sudden jolt. 1t is
agreed that if they are forming the
combination alleged they are violating
the provision of the injunction issued
May 20 by Judge Grosscup and thereby
amenable to punishment for contempt
of court. That is the firse and simplest
way suggesting itself as a means of
foreStalling the combination.
There was some question at first as
to whether Judge Grosscup's decision
was broad enough to warrant this pro-
cedure, but scrutiny of the text Of the
writ of injunction has convinced the
authorities that it covers the case am
ply. The packers are enjoined spe-
cifically from doing the things charg-
ed against them in the government bill,
such as fixing prices arbitrarily, ma
nipulation of market values of live
stock, keeping black list of delin-
quents, etc. But the defendants are
further enioined from-and here is the
inhibition on which the government
officials claim the right to bring the
defendants into court for contempt
"any other method or device, the pur-
pose and effect Of which is to restrain
trade and commerce."
Whether District Attorney Bethea
will bring the matter before the grand
jury or whether that body will take the
initiative itself is not known, but the
eagerness of the government this week
to get hold Of somebody who knows
something tangible is significant.
Backing up the government and
ready to give it any assistance in his
power is Attorney General Hamlin, of
Illinois, who is. watching the movement
of the packers with a view to proceed
ing against them under the common
law when the situation warrants.
Arthur ,Meeker and Attorney L. G.
Krauthoff, representing Armour & Co.,
have gone to New York. What their
mission Is is problematica1, but it is
supposed they have gone to attend a
conference somewhere in the East for
furtherance Of the consolidation plans.