The state herald., 1907-12-20

GRocERs' TRUST ENJoiNEp.
Judge George W. Allen at Denver Is.
sues Temporary Injunction.

SUES Temporary Injunction.
Denver.--Judge George w. Allen of
the District Court Thursday granted
temporary injunction against the
grocers' trust upon the ailidavits and
arguments of the attorney general of
Colorado.
In announcing his decision Judge
Allen said that eff the retail grocers
of the state have no more moral cour-
lge In conducting their business than
20 be made the catspaw for raking the
chestnuts from the fire for the manu-
lacturers of food products by combin
ing to maintain uniform prices. and
at public expense, the courts would
do them service to put them out OF
business"
With no intention of prejudging the
defendants, he stated that in his opin'
ion Colorado, held In the tolls of gl'
gantic food trust, needed some aid
from her untrammeled courts of good
conscience" Exceptions were made
to the courts findings on behalf of all
the defendants.
The judge went on to say:
in the great commercial centers OF
the country there have been estab.
lished manufactures and there have
been established producers and ven
dors of the various manufactured ana
produced articles of the country, and
they involve the necessities of life,
and 1t has come 10 be that each OF
those great manufactures or produc
ing Institutions, sometimes by them
selves, and sometimes by n similar
combination, as this, among them
selves. They manufacture the goods
they produce the article. and at that
commercial center. in their own Office
they establish the price that the pub
lie shall pay for the article they man
ufacture and produce. and II appears
and nothing more clearly demonstrates
IL than the evidence in this case, that
they practically accomplish their pur.
pose, to-wit, TO fix price upon the
manufactured article. irrespective Of
the question of supply and demand
and on basis simply of profit &c
them; and it appears. as is demon
stratod by the testimony in this case
that they succeed In sending their
manufactured and produced articles
throughout the country, among the
H'blitt dHu 'buhh'i Ailf l'blNh W l'Nl-
chase their commodities and pay the
price which they arbitrarily fix at these
great commercial centers. And how
Is II done? By and through the com
binations, the associations of these In
nocent grocers In the city uf Denver
and other commercial contcrs of tho
state Of Colorado. and every other
commercial center throughout the
United States, combining together and
serving as the agencies of these great
trusts, as the people term them and
condemn thcm-Is the purchnglnp
agents, the selling agents. the middle
men between the manufacturers and
the producers who fix the price, and
the people who are Obliged TO purchase
the articlos-the necessities of life
and pay the price which the manu-
facturer or the producer fixes upon
the same.
''Hcnce. say. these defendants do
not realize the part that they perform
In building mp this great trust In this
country: that II affects all tho pro
pie of this country. and which nll the
people. without exception. critlclsc
and condemn. when trnnsnctlng bust
ness in such u way as TO do an In
Justice to the innocent. unonlclatinr
and non-parttnklng public"
There ls sufficient In this case. mp
pcaring from the evidence. to Justify
this court In granting this temporary
Injunction, generally. as prayed for In
this complaint, II | understand the
prayer. There are possibly some In.
dlylduals made defendants In the ease
that may not ap"ear 10 have done such
things that would oniItle the plalniin
TO the writ AGAINST them; but tho
court is satisfied that the members
Of these associations ought TO be en-.
Joined from trnnsncting the business
In the manner admitted ms appears
from the testimony in this case"