The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-16
DENVER JUDGE GRILLS COMBINES
AND ENJOINS MANY MEMBERS OF
GROCERS TRUST In THAT CITY

not only unlawful, but it is morally
wrong, and the court, If il has the power
Will put a stop to it.
THE court speaks of these matters be-
cause il believes that the attorneys for
the defendants, in their arguments, have
gone into the question of business NOR
aiity, and discussed the manner and
method of the treatment of the cOnsum-
ers, the purchasers of goods, at the hands
| OF this combination. and into the ques-
ton of ethics among the business men,
as well as the question of duty concern
| ing the manufacturer and the conStitu-
tional rights of individuals to sell their
goods at whatever price they please. The
latter is true, provided II is an Individual
effort under an individual determination.
But the courts take notice of the poten-
cy OF numbers and the determination of
numbers I'm unison, in a general chorus,
to determine the prices of the necessities
of life 1t is not left to the determination
Of the individual himself The individual
may fix price on his own goods and
he may sell his goods at that price or
keep them upon his SHELF and the law
will not say no; but the minute that in
diVidual takes another into his counsel
and agrees with him and then with a
goOdly number associated I'm the same
business. or other kind of business. until
il magnifies and reaches a majority of
the people of the community, and that
aggregation of individuals fixes the price
of commodities and requires the fndivid-
ualS of the communities TO purchase at
that price or go without the article-the
moment that that occurs and that APP
pears to exist that the law says 1t IS
unlawful 1t is a violation of the law and
should be punished.
Injunction Is Granted.
There is sufficient in this case. sp-
pearing from the evidence to justify this
court in granting this temporary injunc-
ton, generally, as prayed for in this COM
plalnt If ! understand the prayer. There
are possibly some individuals made de
PENDANTS in the case that may not appear
to have done such things that would en-
title the plaintiff to the writ against
them; but the court is satisfied that the
members Of these associations ought to pc
enJOined from transactng the business i'll
the manner admitted as appears from the
testimony in this case"
Effect on Price.
Whether or not it was the Injunction
that sent the prices of food products i'm
Denver downward may best be Judged by
the fact that the prices of a large num-
Der of staples did go down Immediately
after Judge Allen rendered his decision
last Thursday. Merchants are advertis-
ing their wares at greatly reduced prices,
II appears. from the revival of COMPETE
ton. Prices quoted I'm Denver are so very
much lower than they are in Salt Lake
that a few items NAV be taken by Way
of comparison There is a striking con-
trast in the prices of meats that prevail
in Denver since the decision and those
that obtain in Salt Lake. For example
prime rib roast is quoted at 10; in Salt
Lake il is quoted at 1919 to 10 cents. The
highest grade hams are offered in Den
Yer at from 10 to Is cents. in Salt Lake
they are 17i2 to 20 cents. In the matter
of veal the Denver prices are also much
lower There veal steaks are sold at
three pounds for a quarter and veal
roast at s and 10 cents. Veal chops sell
at two pounds for IS cents. Salt Lakes
latest quotations on veal are 10 to 20
cents. Here pork costs Is to ia cents;
in Denver pork roast sells at s cents;
pork steaks, three pounds for % cents.
In Salt Lake the price of butter is 35
cents the pound: i'm Denver it is only %
to 211s cents. Ranch eggs in Denver are
30 to 81 cents, with prices quoted at 20
and q cents for state eggs. Lettuce in |
Denver is held al to ) cents; in Salt |
Lake the price is and 10 cents, mostly 10 |
cents. Spinach In Salt Lake is So cents; |
in Denver il is cents.
Higher All Around.
The list might be heightened materially, |
but the comparisons made show that Salt /
Lake prices are away and beyond the /
prices prevailing In Denver Denver has |
always been and still is used by many
as the city coming nearest in circum- |
stances and conditions to Salt Lake, but |
IN the matter of lower prices for food /
products Denver certainly has the better 1
Of Salt Lake by large margin.