Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1906-05-17
after DRUG trust
Investigation Shows That All
Their Methods Are Crooked
ATTORNEY GENERAL EXPLAINS
Government Has Filed Petition for
Injunction Against Combination
Composed of Proprietary Associa-
tion Of America, National Whole
sale druggists Association and Ma
tional Association Of Retail Drug
gists.

pists.
Washington. Special-The Attor.
nev General made public ;he Following
statement
1.-The government has fled in the
Circuit Cour. % the Umited States
for llc district Of ludiano petition
for am mlunctiou against eertain as
sociations. corporations and indiv;>
duai>. comprising what is sor1mcnly
known ais the drry trust Of tho United
Statc~. Wnc parties det,L.hsns speciii-
c;lly named iii tie bin havc volun-
tariIy combined together te control
the prices ;,i whi.u proprietary medi-
c:ncS ;u.d drugs s'.all be sSM to the
consumer through The retail druggists
il Violation of the SncrsStn anti
;,Glst law.
= !nc l"ctics to i,ln combination in
cluIc lie ropricia-v !ssCeiation of
America. the National Wholesale
DRUGGISTS Association o, Resaft Drug
.,stS.
An injunction is prayed for pro-
hIbIiIu" these associations frem act
in: IN concert ior the pnrpose of
maintaining prices, and Inc indivi-
| duaiS. firms and corporations who are
acmhcrS of the rcspcciivc associa-
Npls from acting together for tho pur-
pose Of ma;ntaning uniform prices
to the consumer throughout the Unit
cd States.
The bill charges, in substance,
that these associations, their officers,
delegates and members arc MI engag-
cd IN i common undertaking to-wit
the business of manufacturing. buy.
ing and selling patent medicines and
drugs and proprietary articles
throughout the United States; that
these associations and the Acmbers
thereof have entered into a cOnSpir-
acy 10 arbitrarily iiX and regT,latc the
price NJ which such articles shall be
sold to the consumer, and that they
have established rules and regulations
to enforce such an unlawful agree
| mcnt by restricting the purchase and
sale of such commodities to those
members of the several associations
who shall live mp to and observe the
rules and regulations thus arbitrarily
prescribed by the respective associa-
tlOnS.
Conspiracy S Purpose.
'Thcrc is but one ultimate object
of the conspiracy. viz: TO fix the price
which Shall be observed by all re-
tail druggists i'll selling Ia the cou-
Sumer the various commodities manu-
iacutrcd by the several members of
the proprietary association. The
plan by which such object is effected
is, i'll brief, as follows: No retail
druggist can obtain goods from
wholesale druggist or IL manufacturer
oi Il proprietary medicine unless such
retail druggist becomes q member of
thc National Association of Retail
Druggists, and iif order 10 become
such member he mus agrco To- Oh
serve The established price at which
such proprietary medicines shall he
sold 10 the consumer.
" If such retail druggist, after be-
coming member of the Naliona'. Ae-
socation OF Retail Druggists, cuts
prices in the sale Of such articles
60 ;hc consumer. he is Immediately
placed upon the list Of what is known
~ aggressive cutters. and thereafter
such retail druggist ~ unable 10 OBJ
member of the Proprietary Associa-
tI"u, ar from any other wholesale
druggist who i member of the
Wholesale DRUGGISTS Association. any
nf the commodities which may be
hamiactr'cd and sold by them or
any "i 'l.cN.