Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-09
PETITION FOR AN INJUNCTION.
Parties Defendant Charged With
Combining to Control Pro.
prietary Medicine Prices.
Claimed That Trust Through Anlilia-
lions Has Membership of Near
ly Twenty Thousand.

Washington. May 9.-The attorney
general today made public the follow
ing statement:
The government has today filed in
the circuit OF the United States for
the district Of Indiana petition for an
injunction against certain associations.
corporations and individuals, comprls-
ing what is commonly known as the
Drug Trust OF the United states The
parties defendant specifically named
IN the bill have voluntarily combined
together 10 control the prices at which
proprietary medicines and drugs shall
be sold to the consumer through the
retail druggists In violation of the
Sherman antitrust law.
"rhe parties 10 the combination in
clude the Proprietary Association OF
America the National Wholesale Drug
gists association and thel National AS
ISOLATION Of Retail Druggists.
The National Association of Retail
Druggists Is also an uuinc0rporated as
ISOLATION composed of delegates from
affiliated local associations OF retail
druggists located In the various states
of the United States and it Is claimed
that this association. through It's al
flatIon has a membership Of about
20,000, or nearly all the retail drug
gists IN the United States. who pur-
chase and sell patent medicines. chem
kals, drugs and proprietary articles to
the consumer.
Each of these three associations
have officers who are charged with the
transactions OF the business OF the re-
| spectiye associations These officers are
made party defendant to the suit as
| well az certain other individuals, firms
and corporations who are members u
| the respective associations.
The bin charges In substance that
| these associations, their officers. dele
gates and members are al engaged in
a common undertaking. to-wit The
business Of manufacturing. buying and
selling patent medicines and drugs and
proprietary articles throughout the
United states. That these associations
and the members thereof have entered
into conspiracy 20 arbitrarily iiS and
regulate the price at which SUCH arli-
cles shall be sold to the consumer and
that they have established rules and
regulations to enforce such an unlaw-
fpl agreement by restricting the pur-
chase and sale OF such commodities 20
those members of the several associa
tons who shall NE up to and observe
the rules and regulations thus arbirar-
lily prescribed by the respective associa-
tons
There Is but one ultimate object ot
the conspiracy, VIZ; To fix the price
which shall be observed by all retail
druggists in selling to the consumer
the various commodities manufactured
by the several members OF the propri-
etary ASSOCIATION. The plan by which
such objett is effected Is in brief as
follows.
No retail druggist can obtain goods
from wholesale druggist or "A m1nu-
facturer OF q proprietary medicine un-
less such retail drugf list becomes
member OF the National Association of
Retail Druggists and in order 20 be-
come such member he must agree to
observe the established price at which
such proprietary medicines shall be
sold To the consumer"
An injunction il prayed FOR prohibit
Ing these associations from acting in
concert for tho purpose Of maintaiuiug
prices and the individuals, firms ami
corporations who are members W the
respective associations from acting to-
gether for the purpose Of maintaining
uniform prices 10 the consumers
throughout the United States.