The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-21
AttOrney-General of Missouri
Would Drive Out Unlawful
Combine.
CHARGES CONSPIRACY
in RESTRAINT OF TRADE
Biggest Packing Companies of
the United States Named
in Petition.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, June 90
Attorney-Gen Elliott w. Major be-
gan custer proceedings against five
meat packing companies today by fling
quo warranto informations IN the su-
preme court. The companies attacked
arc Armour Packing company, Morris
& Co., Swift s. Co., Hammond Packing
company, and ST. Louis Dressed Beef
and Provision company.
The Armour, Swift and Morris com.
panies are charged with violating the
Hammond and st. Louis Dressed Beer
and Provision companies, subsidiary
companies of the National Packing
company, with conspiracy to control the
business IN Missouri.
The five companies are named in two
petitions which ask that the corpora
tions be excluded from all corporate
rights. that their licenses be forfeited
and that all or such portions of their
property as the court may deem proper
be coniiscated, or an lieu thereof fine
be imposed.
Armour. Swift and Morris are
charged with having entered into 4
to be paid by dealers in live stock,
poultry. butter, eggs, dairy and agricul-
tural products to control the prices TO
be paid by retail and wholesale dealers
for dressed meats and to control the
prices TO be paid by all wholesale and
retail dealers for poultry, butter, eggs,
dairy and agricultural products and by
products from the business of slaugh-
tering live stock.
Details of Conspiracy.
"These companies the petition
says, entered into a trust to unlaw
fully regulate, fix and control prices
to sell to the consumer and others all
dressed meats and eggs, poultry and
other products and to control the prices
to be paid for such articles, when so
regulated, and unlawfully to limit the
trade III all products with a view to les
sen, restrict, limit and destroy trade
and full competition in the purchase
and sale Of meat products, poultry but
ter and eggs
''That In pursuance of an unlawful
trust the corporations have met and
agreed upon and fixed from week to
week and day TO day an agreed price
paid and to be paid by all persons for
be purchased or offered for sale in Mis-
souri,; that prices at which the prod
ucts were to be sold were unlawfully
fixed by means Of which competition in
the purchase and sale of ment products
has been lessened, restricted and de-
stroYed. ~
The second count of the petition
charges that the three packing compan-
les conspired to restrain trade and de-
stToy competition in the purchase and
sale of meat products, live stock, poul
try, butter and eggs by fixing price
to be paid by all members Of the al
legged agreement and conspiring TO con;
troll the business. of buying, selling and
dealing in packing house products,
Continuing, the petition says:
"Through these agreements, trade,
commerce and competition in the pur-
chase and sale of packing house prod
ucJs have been restrained and the com
panies have obtained control OF and mo-
nopolized to the exclusion Of all 9th,
ers, the business of buying, selling and
dealing in of commodities. products or
packing houses
The Swallowing Process.
The alleged absorption of the Ham
mond and ST. Louis Dressed Beef and
Provisions companies by the National
Packing company is said IN the petit
tIon of the attorney general to have
taken place in September, 1902. The
Hammond and st, Louis companies are
charged with having entered into an
unlawful agreement with others en-"
gagged in meat packing for the purr sc
| of restricting competition and prevent
| ing lawful trade.
The National Packing company, the
information filed IN the court today
alleges, was incorporated in New Jer-
sey in 1902 with a capital stock of
$15 100000 to engage in meat packing
and selling and to hold stock Of any
other corporation.
"fThe National Packing company"
the petition says, "was not organized
in good faith FOR the purpose of en-
gaging in the business authorized in
to affect an official trust among the
Hammond and st, Louis Dressed Beef
and Provision companies and numerous
other corporations, individuals and
other partnerships engaged in the same
business in Missouri and throughout the
United States with n view to lessen,
restrict and destroy competition in the
purchase and sale of all packing house
products in which the Hammond and
st. Louis and other companies were
dealing, and for fixing the prices and
for limiting the amount and quantity of
packing house products sold and offered
for sale in Missouri and throughout the
United States.
Good Faith Denied.
"That the power and purpose to pur-
chase and hold shares Of any other
corporation and to exercise the rights
and privileges Of owners of such stock,
was not inserted in the charter of the
National Packing company In good
faith"
it is charged in the petition that the
National Packing company obtained
control OF the Hammond and st, Louis
, companies. which had previously en-
gagged in Missouri as legitimate competi-
, tors and that the National has ever
since voted the stock Of the companies,
collected the dividends and used the
companies in furtherancc Of the al
legged unlawful trust.
The Hammond and st. Louis com