Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-01-08
TRUST FIXED PRICES.
Commissioner kinley Makes Report on
Beef Inquiry.

IOTflrT lSSlOHtT FN'I'CJ "dNSo FNSpSl I w
Beef Inquiry.
I. II. Kinley of Kansas City, who
was appointed by the State Supreme
Court to take testimony as special
commissioner in the proceedings insti-
tuted in that court against the pack
ing companies, has filed his report In
part the report says:
"The testimony shows and your
commissioner finds that the Armour,
Hammond Swift and Cudahy packing
companies, together with Nelson Nor.
ris & Co. a co-partnership at st. JOS
eph, Mo. between August 81, 1899,
and May g. 1902, by their managers
and agents who had charge of their
respective coolers at said place, en-.
tered into an agreement and under
standing TO fix and control the prices
of dressed beef and fresh pork slaugh.
tered, manufactured, prepared and Of
fered for sale or to- be sold by said
companies to the retail butchers and
otHtTb VI OF, JbotDH, wv, anu thuN
said corporations, together with Mel
son Morris a. Co, agreed among them
selves and with each other to main
tain and control the prices Of sucn
dressed beef and fresh pork and that
in pursuance of said agreement the
said respondents. between August 81,
..,1I . I, N
butchers of st. Joseph, Mo, said
dressed beef and fresh pork at the
prices so fixed. except where said re-
spondents gave rebates in money or
in pounds of meat.
THE evidence shows that at certain
times privilege of sale of dressed beef
at lower than this fixed or list price
was conceded when meat had been
in the cooler n certain length of time.
81 find that Armour. Swift, Cudahy
and other packers in st. Louis entered
into an agreement and combination
among and between themselves and
with each other to fix, regulate and
maintain certain fixed or list prices on
dressed beef sold to the butchers and
trade at st. Louis, Mo, from their
coolers between August /, 1899. and
May Q, 1902.
1T appears from this testimony that
there were dealing in fresh pork in st.
Louis. in addition to Armour, Swift
and Cudahy, the following who had
packing houses or coolers in St.
Louis: Nelson Morris G. Co. Phillip
Keim, Henry Sartorious, John II.
Baize G. Co.. Louis Grunfelder, Kreig
Packing Co., Wismuth & Sons, Chas.
lille, w. d. Grant and Laux & Sons.
Il find that representatives of all the
foregoing firms and corporations,
about 1899 or 1900, formed a voluntary
association, for the purpose of meet
ing once a week to discuss and fix
the list prices to be charged butchers
for fresh pork, and at these meetings
the representatives OF said firms and
corporations agreed with each other
to maintain these prices, as fixed, un-
der a penalty of paying fine of s.
for each sale under such fixed prices;
that said association employed a sec.
rotary at SO per week and paid same
by assessment"
The report also declares that
Schwartzschild & Sulzberger. though
originally a foreign corporation, final.
ly. after having done business in this
state without warrant, complied with
che Missouri corporation laws, and
that after it had done so it entered
into an agreement with other packing
companies, and with them sold its pro
ducts at n price fixed by those con
Germs and itself