The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21
MEAT PACKERS GUILTY
Commissioner Says the Existence Of
the Beef Trust is Proved
The Testimony Introduced by the Mis-.
soori Attorney.aenerai In oustor
Procedure 10 Sustained.

Jefferson City. MOI. 81. Kinley, the
Special Commissioner who was up.
pointed by the State Supreme Court
to take testimony In the custer suit
Of Attorney.Ge General Crow against the
meat packers for violation Of the anti
trust laws. has fled his report Of the
facts as developed from the testimony
taken.
The Commissioner finds the com
panies guilty Of fixing and maintain.
ing prices, but says the contention
Of the Acknowledgement that impure
meat was sold is not sustained. Dir.
Crow announced that he would file an
exception to the report on that point.
The case will be heard on the report
on January &c.
The Commissioner states that he
finds that the Armour. Hammond.
Swift and Cudahy Packing companies.
with Nelson Morris & Co.. at st. Jo-
seph, between August 81, 1893. and
May 0, 1902. by their managers and
agents. who had charge Of their cool.
ers, entered into an agreement, con.
federation, combination and under.
standing between themselves and with
each other to fix, regulate and control
the prices Of dressed beef and fresh
pork" .
He also finds that the managers and
solicitors Of the companies would ad.
wise their customers thnt they had bet.
ter purchase dressed beef before GER
tain times as the price would be az
vanced on q certain day. and that the
price for such beef and fresh pork
would be advanced on that day.
It was proven In mhny instances. the
report states, that the cooler man
ayers and agents Of the dressed beef
companies to secure trade or induce
purchasers would agree to give rebates
In money or in pounds Of meat. In
the latter instance the bills for such
meat would be made out to the butcher
at the fixed price. and subsequently
the rebates were given. rs agreed. and
the purchaser requested to maintain
secrecy In regard to them.
In one or two instances where Il was
discovered that rebates had been given
by Of the companies. the solicitors
Of the company were proven to have
stated in conversation with a Gus
toner that 1t would cause the com.
pany which he represented to be fined.
It was also shown. says the report.
that when meat had been hanging q
certain length of time in the coolers.
1t was conceded by some person. SEEM.
ing to have authority among the pack.
ers. that the beef might be sold ut
less than the fixed or agreed price.
Ali Of these facts. declares the Com.
missioner. tend almost ~conclusively to
show that this agreement to fix. con-
troll, regulate and maintain the prices
at which respondents could sell dressed
beef to the butchers were made by
these cooler managers for the COM
panies.
The report. therefore. finds that the
Armour Packing Company. Nelson
Morris G Co.. Swift & Co., the Ham.
mond Packing Company. the Cudahy
Packing Company and the Schwartz.
child & %Sulzberger Company are guilty
of entering into an agreement to fix
and maintain prices for the sale Of
dressed beef and pork In Missouri.
The Henry Krug Packing Company.
Of st. Joseph. was found not to have
been In the combination. and conse-
quently the report will release 1t from
legal proceedings.