The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-07
CHICAGO PACKETS HIT.
Bill Will Be Filed in Federal Court
 by End of Week.

| Washington Special to Chicago Record 1 Herald.
 l One of the strongest bills in equity ever ] filed in Federal Court will be; thai
 against the six Chicago packers. Attor- ney General Knox said today he expect i ed the bill would be filed by the end or 1 this week Today Mir. Knox had a fur. | ther conference with William A. Day ano | the bill was read and discussed at some | length. The Attorney General is well sal | isfied with it and has no fear that it will | not answer all requirements lie expects 1 to strengthen it in some particulars. MT. | Day will not return to Chicago for some l days yet, but it is hoped the bill VIII be ready for filing before the eno oI ths week. | The charge that the packers have re- | ceiyed secret rebates from the railroads IS l perhaps the strongest feature of the pii' | It is the one on which the Attorney Seh, eral places greatest reliance. Omclals or the Department of Justice claim there Is abundant evidence to support the claim that many railroads have been giving re- bat to the Chicago packers. The gov ernment aready has injuncticns against fourteen railroads restraining them from pa wing such rebates. Now It Is DeheVed the courts will grant an injunction re- 'straining the shippers from receiving the
 rebates. ..
 has evidence to support the claim that
 the six Chicago packing houses wh1ch
 will figure in the bill of equity have re-
 ceived about $3,000,OO0 year in the way
 of rebates from the railroads It IS pc
 lieyed that with injunctions against the
 railroads and injunctions against the
 packers the business of paying rebates
 can be wholly broken up This dohe' ,ne
 Attorney General and his assistants be-
 lieve they will have rendered the public
 the greatest possible service for these
 rebates have given the combinations an
 unfair advantage over all others in the business, enabling them to stifie compe-
 tition. .,
 road companies the Department of Jus
 tice expects to prove that the six pack
 CTS have entered into an unlawful compl-
 nation as to the prices at Wnlcn thelr
 goods should be sold in various parts of
 inc co,jntry There Is no lack of evidence
 on this score it is stated, and no fear
 that the court will decline to grant an
 injunction against this practice By re-
 strainine the railroads and the packers
 as to rebates and the latter as to pre-
 arranged prices in the market. it is hoped
 that the so-called meat combination can
 be thoroughly broken up and he forced
 to conduct it's business on basis more
 in accordance with law and the public
 good.
 Your correspondent is able to state the
 following important facts:
 F'irst-Neither directly nor indirectly
 have the Chicago packers made any over
 lures to the government for peace or set tlement out of court If any such over tyres were made thoy could lead to no result.
 Second-No protests or appeals from bankers or business men have been re- ceived at the Department of Justice. Third--The Department of Justice does not contemplate any criminal prosecutions against railroad managers or packers save in the contingency that such per sons fail to respect the orders which the courts may grant.
 Fourth--No other trusts or combine t!ons are in danger of prosecution at this time. Tha administration Is not hunting for opportunities to prosecute. When complaints alleging violation of law are received tka government will investigate them anl pr rosecute wherever the evi- dsnce warrants. but no complaints in- volving the need of such action are now in hand.