Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-11
THE BEEF TRUST.

The action of the federal grand jury
in finding indictments against men
prominent in the meat packing bust
ness for violation of the Sherman anti
trust law, occasioned no surprise. The
efforts of high officials and others in
the employ of the combine to avoid ar
rest, as well as certain things that
have leaked out during the three
months in which the inquisition was
being held, left little doubt as to the
result.
The jury was composed of good. con-
scientious men, who performed their
duty without prejudice and in a man
ner to receive high praise from pre-
siding Judge Bethea.
The indictments, which allege con
spiracy in restraint of trade, contains
ten counts, the most important of
which are as follows
First, competition in the buying of
cattle at the stock yards in differ
ent cities was to be prevented and
destroyed by the defendants, who re-
Quired their purchasing agents to re-
frain from testifying against each 9TH
er.
Second, some partition as to the
sale of the above commodities in for
eign and domestic markets was to be
prevented and destroyed by the de-
PENDANTS fixing nOn-cOmpetitive and
unreasonable prices for such cOmmo-
dities, and requiring their represen-
tatives in the different markets to fix
prices by agreement from day to day,
according to what the market would
stand.
Third the supply of the above COM
mOdities was to be curtailed and re-
stricted whenever necessary to main
tain the prices so fixed
Fourth, the United States was di-
vided up into territories between the
defendants in gwen market; If one
packer sold more than his percentage
during given week he was obliged
to pay an ante of so much per hun
dredweight. according to the territory
in which the matter occurred, to a
pool to cover the excess of sales and
this fund was divided among the pack
ers who fell short on their sales"
1t is more than six months since the
government decided to institute an
investigation, the result of which the
public is familiar.
The above counts cOnCisely embrace
the indictment formed in the minds
OF most people everywhere, and par
ticularly among the stockmen of the
west. who have studied the methods
and are familiar with the operations
of the combine, and who have, along
with the consumers, suffered thereby.
1t remains to be seen what kind of
a defense the men indicted can put
up in court, but they will have the
best legal talent money can procure
and will exhaust every resource and
technicality to avoid conviction. Even
should they escape it will not con.
vince the American people that they
are not guilty. 1t is probably the
worst trust in the United States in its
effects on both the producer and the
consumer, farther reaching as regards
the actual necessities of life. The pow
er to fix prices for meat on the hoof
and on the block at the same time is
a dangerous one, but it has been ex-
ercised by the trust to it's own profit
alone by making competition impossi-
BILE.
Both the producer and the consumer
have a common grievance against the
trust and all will hope that those in
dicted will get their just deserts.
The cattlemen and woolsrowers OF
Montana will watch this prosecution
and the outcome with a great deal
of interest. While fiocllmasters have
their wool clip to rely upon, they are
still concerned in having a good mar
ket for their mutton. The cattlemen
have only one product and are there
fore more deeply interested in getting
all it is worth.