The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-01-04
Declares the Evidence Shows That
the Companies Agents Hold
Regular Meetings.
SECRETARY PAID A SALARY.
Houses Which Violate the Rules
and Sell Below Agreed SEIZED
ule Are Subject to Sys-
tenn of Fines.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
jefferson City, No., Jan. :.-The report Of
Special Commissioner I. H. Kinley, who was
appointed to take evidences. in the custer
| proceedings to determine the existence OF .
beef combine In Missouri, was fled with
the Supreme Court late this afternoon. It
finds that a combine did exist among GER
tain Of the packing-houses to maintain and
control the price Of beef in the State.
The houses named as being in the COM
bine are.
The Armour Packing Company, Nelson
Morris and Company. Swift and Company.
the Hammond Packing Company. the Cud-
ahy Packing Company. and the schwartz-
child and Sulzberger Company.
Not all Of the companies. however. opera
ting in st. Joseph. Kansas City and ST.
Louis are found to be in the combine.
The Henry Krug Packing Company, OF
st Joseph was found not to have been in
the combination and consequently the re-
port will release it from legal proceedings.
AGENTS MET.
It is set forth that the prices were fixed
by representatives Of the companies. who
held regular meetings at agreed times and
places for the purpose OF arranging = sched-
ule Of prices. which the butchers were to
pay and did pay. n that notice was often
given to the butchers that 1t would be ex-
pedient to make purchases before q certain
date. as on that date an advance In prices
would be made.
1t Is stated In the findings that such adj
vances always took effect upon the dates
that it had been stated they would 70 into
force.
Another finding Is that the representatives
OF these companies agreed to submit to the
payment OF q fine for each sale made by
them under the price agreed upon, and that
the secretary keeping the records Of these
meetings was paid. his compensation COM
ing from an assessment Of the companies
which were parties to the agreement.
The finding says the testimony does not
show that the companies sold diseased
meats. To this Attorney General Grow Will
object when the report is argued. The data
fixed for argument Is January n
MEAT SOLD IN sr. LOUIS
In regard to meat sold in st. LOUIS, tia
report says:
Il find that Armour. Swift. Cudahy and
the Hammond Packing Company. between
August q. 1899. and May 8. 1899. at st.
Joseph. are guilty Of having been parties
to a combination and agreement and con-
federation and conspiracy to tx and regu-
late and control and maintain the liked or
list price on dressed beef and fresh pork
sold through their respective coolers in 81.
Louis to the butchers trade and consuming
public at that place. and that they did %
ask. sell and receive the price 90 0xsd
from said butchers for such dressed best
and fresh pork sold to them.
They cannot plead that the managers Of
their coolers IN city solicitors who carry
on the business for them did It without
their knowledge and consent. The local
agents Of the dressed beef companies did Il
and all knew it and their knowledge II tia
knowledge of their companies and their
acts are the acts Of their companies :.
1T appears from the evidence. and / find.
the corporations who are the defend
ants at st. Joseph. 81. Louis and Kansas
City sell and offer to the trade at each point
from ffty-ive to eighty per cent Of the
dressed beef handled, and from fifty to
sixty per cent Of the dressed pork"