The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-01-25
TOSUE BEEF TRUST
Action TO be Taken Against
Allied Packers.
UNDER THE SHERMAN ACT
Department of Justice Announces
That Criminal Proceedings Will
Be Instituted Against Four
Large Concerns,
UNDER THE SHERMAN ACT

Washington. Jan. 22.-Right In line
with the general movement against
high prices of foodstuffs. and particu-
larly meats. announcement was made
officially that the department OF JUS
tice Is about to begin proceedings
against the beef trust. The depart
ment. Il was said, would proceed
against Armour & Co., Swift & Co..
Morris & Co and the National Pack
ing Co.. all Of Chicago.
According to information given out.
the National Packing company Is con-
trolled by the three other concerns
named. These companies It is alleged.
control the price Of beef through their
control of the National Packing COM
pany The proceedings Will be begun
as soon as possible. The federal grand
Jury will meet in Chicago on Monday.
and at that time the government Will
begin the examination of Witnesses In
the case
The prosecutions Will be criminal.
II was said that II was not known
whether proceedings in equity to dis
solve any alleged combinations In re-
straint Of trade would be instituted.
The institution OF civil proceedings. II
was explained. would depend largely
on the ir'ormatlon divulged by the
witnesses examined by the grand jury.
The determination to go after the
beef trust, II was made known. came
after an investigation lasting more
than six months. which the depart
ment conducted among the packing In
terests OF Chicago. Just about six
months ago. after an investigation of
alleged Relating by Morris & Co. AS
sistant Attorney General Wade II.
Ellis started a wholesale probing OF
the beef industry in Chicago. The In
vestigation has been going on under
different men employed by the depart
ment Of Justice ever since that time.
These men have Just forwarded their
report TO Washington. and the action
is based on such reports. The action
will be taken under the Sherman anti
trust law.
In response to resolution OF the
house OF representatives. adopted on
March Z. 1904. James X. Garfield. af-
forwards secretary of the Interior I'M
der President Roosevelt but then the
Of corporations. trans
mitted to that body through Victor II.
Metcalf. then secretary OF the depart
ment Of commerce and labor. an ex-
haustlve report on his Investigations OF
the alleged trust.
According to that report. Armour &
Co. is an Illinois corporation. with a
capital OF s2OO00.00O held closely by
OF the Armour family; Swift
g. Co. Is an Illinois corporation. with
a capital OF ss5.OO0.OOO, held by over
5000 stockholders, and Morris & Co
is a Maine corporation. with 100000
capital. owned by the Morris family.
The National Packing company. says
the repor' Is New Jersey company
with a capital Of sl5000.0O0. which
was organ yed In 1903 and took over
the stock of half dozen or more
packing concerns.
"The control of most OF these COM
panies." says the report, had a short
time previously TO the formation OF
the National Packing company been
acquired By Armour, Swift and Morris
interests respectively. and the direc-
tors OF the National Packing company
are all officers or directors of the three
above described"