The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-12
SUIT AGAINST
 THE SNUFF TRUST Many Defendants Are Named
 In Bill of Complaint
PROPERTY TO BE ATTACHED
Several Tobacco Companies Are h. voIved In the Suit-Jackson Has Made a Remarkable Increase
 In Taxable Values.

Jackson, Miss. October H. -(Special) Flowers. May and Whitfield, attorneys of this city, have filed with the chan cery court of the First district of Hinds county a bill entitled, "The State of Mississippi, ex rel, R. V. Fletcher, att torney general, Vs. The American Snuff company ct al." The bill of complaints also names the following as defend- ants, viz: The Corr-Williams Tobacco Co of Jack son, Martin J. Condon, J. Peterson, Otis Smith, John H. Bowers, E. D. Christian, F. w. Summers, J. T. Fisher and -. Griffin. The American Snuff company is a corporation, says 3the bill, chartered under the laws of the state of New Jersey and domiciled at Jersey City in said state. The Corr Williams Tobacco company is cor poration chartered under the laws of the state of Mississippi and domi- ciled at Jackson. The other defend- ants named, with the exception Of Fisher and Griffin, are the officers of the American Snuff company, and re- side in the city of New York; the said Fisher is division manager for the American Snuff company in Mississippi and other territory: the said Griffin resides at Meridian. in this state and is d travelling salesman of the Ameri- can Snuff company. The bill declares that the American Snuff company owns or controls and fixes the price of the output of the following factories, which are about all there are in the United States. producing 95 per cent of the snuff in the country: They are w. F. Garratt & Sons. Philadelphia; Burton X Condon, Nashville, Tenn; Stewart. Ralph & Co.,, Clarksdale, Tenn; George w. Kelm Co, Helmetta. N. J.; G. W. Gail, Baltimore, Md. P. Lorillard x Co.,, Jersey City, N. J.; Standard Snuff com pany, Nashville, Tenn.
 Continuing the bill charges that upon information and belief the said de- fendant the Walter Fisher Tobacco company, was established at Jackson as a trust and combine for the purpose of enabling it to maintain it's arbitrary control over the snuff trade in this territory; that jobbers of snuff in the state of Mississippi are compelled to handle the said commodity upon very small margin; that in order to compel the said jobbers in snuff in this territory to continue to handle the said commodity upon such slight margin of proit, the said trust estab- lished the said WalterFisher Tobacco company in order that it might have a house and place of business under its own control. through and by which 1t could handle and control the trade in this territory, and thereby keep out all competitors and force the jobbers in snuff in the state of Mississippi to continue to handle it on a small mar gin or not handle it at all. and thus leave all the jobbing trade to the house controlled by the said American Snuff company. r+
 The complainant prays that writs of attachment and garnishment issue to 1a IotTi inA American Snuff company, in this state; that an injunction issue at once re- straining thu defendant from doing fur ther business in tae state of Missis- sppi: that the American Snuff com pany be adjudged and decreed to be a trust and combine and that the Wal ter- Fisher Tobacco company be ad- judged to be a branch house of the said American Trust company; that the American Snuff company be adjudged and decreed to be and to have been do- ing business in the state of Missis sippi thruogh it's agents and through the Walter Fish CT Tobacco company; that the said trust and combine be ad- judged liable to the state of Mississippi in the sum of 5000 for each day it has been doing business in the state of Mississippi as such illegal trust and combine: that all of it's roperty which may be levied upon be decreed subject to the payment of the said penalty, which at s5600 per day for both the American Snuff company and the Wal ter-Fislfer~ Tobacco Co. would amount to the sum of s1,S25,000 for the time they have been doing business in the state of Mississippi.
 Growth of Jackson.
 According to figures furnished by City Clerk Lusk Jackson has made a remarkable increase in taxable values during the year, the total being now s9,635. .407. as against $S,579,S90 one year ago, or an increase of $1,055517. Of this realty is credited with $6,4S5,- 79S. personality $3.197 ,609.
 The tax levy for the year, as for several years past, is IS mills on the dollar so that Jackson will have revenue of $l73,32o, which is double what it was six or eight years ago.
 To this sum will be added nearly $1O000 for privileges $10,000 fines in the city court and 5000 for street taxes so that the actual revenues are nearer $200,000 than ever before ex- perienced here.
 Values have increased gradually in Jackson for several years, and if the assessment was made at market prices instead of on three-fourths basis, and there could be any way to induce prop erty owners to give in what they really own in the way of personality, the fig ures here would be doubled easily.