The Ordway new era., 1907-11-29
sv,r AGAINST FOOD TRUST.
Instituted BY Attorney General Dick.
son Of Colorado,


characterization to appear in the
district court December I'd. to show
cause why permanent Injunction
should not be issued against them to
restrain further operations Of their al.
legged combine. were served Tuesday
on Denver officers and members OF the
RADIO Retail Merchants Association
and the officials OF the jobbing and
wholesale houses, charged by Attorney
General Dickson with being parties to
an agreement in restraint Of trade.
lille Sheriff Nisbet's deputies
were serving the papers on the men
who. 1t is charged. are responsible for
the exorbitant prices OF foodstuffs in
Colorado. additional evidence was ad-
duced OF the methods employed to
force those who would not do their
bidding out of business.
The latest exposure Of the trust OPP
erations to come to light is the case
OF The Wonder Mercantile Company
of Montrose. S. b. Wonder. president
and treasurer of the concern, In n let
ter to the News. tells the same tale OF
alleged boycotting tactics that has
been related by other merchants be-
fore him. and encloses letter from
the Merchants Biscuit Company. which
shows the close relations between the
grocers and the jobbers.
The letter of the Merchants Biscuit
Company bears the signature of c. a.
Bowman. president and manager, and
ths request. please return" The let
ters follow:
The Wonder Mercantile Co., Mon
trosc, Colo.
"Gentlemen-We have been hoping
for some time past that yourselves and
the association would get together and
settle your differences, but II seems
that is out OF the question.
"Our Mr.. Bridgman was in Montrose
n few days since and reports that our
selling to your firm has cut him out
entirely: do not want you to run out
OF crackers, so take this method OF CIV
ing you due notice that we VIII not DC
able to make you any further ship
ments until the deal is OF. l regret
having to take this stand. but you un'
derstand better than | can explain.
Yours very truly.
THE MERCHANTS BISCUIT CO..
G. a. Bowman, Manager.
Please return"
Wonders letter follows:
ITO the Rocky Mountain News:
I'm your fight on the grocery trust
OF this state. we beg to advise you that
we have been one of the worst victims
OF the trust known as the Grocers AS
sociation. We were first asked to Join
II. After refusing we were then mott
fed we would be compelled TO 10 80.
Still refusing. the wholesale houses
were notified. and in order TO carry On
our business we were compelled to ouy
our goods rs best we could through
third party, being refused goods by the
leading houses of the state for no
other reason than by being commanded
to do so by the local trust.
I'VE were also notified by the secrc-
tary. then Mr.. Gardner OF Denver. that
II we did not maintain the prices Of
sugar as laid down by the association
Il was In position to see that We
could not buy dollars worth OF goods
in the state, etc.
"The local association went so FAR
as to prevent us from being able to buy
IA pound of butter from our local cream
cry or n dollars worth OF goods from
our local commission houses. and used
every effort to prevent us from being
able to buy flour from our local mill;
but fortunately at the mill they struck
a firm with sufficient backbone to run
their own business. and we are sun
able to buy Montrose flour. We enclose
n letter from Merchants B. Co, one oi
the many we received.
This boycott was started on us last
March and they have kept 1t up ever
since so far as they were able. We
are ready at any time to make affidavit
or give evidence in the case. Very re
spectfully, s. b. WONDER.
"Montrose. Colo"