Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-01-10
Attorney General Moody's Ora:
phic Picture Of The Situation t
in the United States.
UNcOYERS AN UGLY OCTOPUS
Shows How :. Few Men, Controlling
!, 60 Pee Cent. of Fresh Meat Industry
Of Country. Raise ..or Lower Prices
at VIII, Operating Secretly ard per
aiciously. 2
(Ey Associated Press.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. Jan G-At.
torney General Moody today resumed
his argument on behalf OF the govern
nieMt before the Supreme Court of the
United States i'll the case Of Swift
and Company VS.. the United States.
cclayaonly known as the beef trust
case. begun last Friday
Mir Moody declared the inquiry nae
narrowed down 10 Only TWO qucs-
tiohG for the determination ct the
cou:t-Whether the commerce in the
case was commerce among the States.
and if so, whether the agreements con-
st!tntc monopoly Of any part OF it.
Secret Meetings.
'Conspiracy." said Mr.. Mooly, Sis
rendered effective By periodical, sec.
rel meetings throughout tie country
h~ the agents and attorneys Of the
defendants. At these meetings uni
form prices are agreed upon. due nc
tice is .iven Of the prices 50 agreed
upon and the defendants adhere 10
the prices thus fixed That such an
agreement relates to and restraints
cuclclerce. according to well settled
rule Of this country is 50 plain that
cannot permit myself to argue it.
The Question at ISSUE
The only question was whether the
commerce it resirains was Interstate
scG-nn. ercc and on this point Mr.,
Moody said of4the conduct Of the de-
PENDANTS: 55I F 85 q. n
! Controlling sixty per cent. of the.
fresh meat industry Of the whole
ccurtrv, they sit down at their
slauSltering and packing establish
meEts and, with the aid CT telegraph.
through tire iHst1umentality of count
less agents and attorneys spread
throughout the country, clothing their
transaction and sheltering their ,ais-
CONDUCT by ciphers and secret codes.
love" OF raise and when thus lowered
or raised. fix and maintain absolutely,
i. among themselves, the price of
every pound CT one Of the great neces-
sitics' Of life as IL enters and follows
the channels c,f interstate commerce.
This unlawful restraint Of commerce
a'loEg the States
Frcm Pasture to SaIesroom.
In conclusion Mr.. Moody said:
These defendants are engaged in
interstate commerce. They buy their
raw material. which IS gathered to-
sarher from all the cattle raising
States and territories Of the union,
duu SeHt4 70 tne. great i've stock MIR
kels CT the country. After they. have
transformed that material into tie; tin-
lshed product they sell it throughout
the limited States. The combination
which they nave entered into is de
signed to restrain all their business
trarsactions, exclusive OF manufacture.
W the suppression of all competition
there on. both in their purchases and
their sales. but the fixing and main-
tanning OF uniform prices for their pro
Duct and so far as possible, uniform
prices for their raw material; and BY
obtaining such unlawful ADVANTAGES
as tend to create a monopoly in g. ne
cess;ty Of life"
Concludes Case For Packers.
Mr.: Miller. concluded The case for
tfc, packers. On the point as to wheth.
er he understanding between the
packers, effects restraint Of trade as
prohibited by the Sherman act, he ar
sued That tie present case presents an
analogy 70 the Addistore Pipe case.
Tor in that case there was a division
q territory among manufacturers. No
suc!- effort was made in the case of
the packers.
j. z "a 10