The San Francisco call., 1910-03-06

would refuse 10 sell me sole and sand
dabs if they found out L was buying g
from the POrtoIa.-E. BONFIGLI
Disclosures 6ama ging 70 the local
fsh trust were made yesterday morn
ing al the hearing before the state
Senate committee which is investigat-
tnE the high cost of living.
That blacklist existed against
those retailers patronizing the PortoIa
fsh company, an independent concern
which was finally driven from business
by the trust was established by the
testimony of several retailers.
The testimony of A Paladini. the
millionaire wholesaler. was so much
p variance with the testimony Of the
retailers on material points that At
torney General L. 5. Webb threatened
DO send him TO San Quentin for perjury
II he did not tell the truth.
senator Z. Z Wolfe. chairman of the
committee. and ". NJ Madden, attor-
ney for Paladini. had another exciting
tilt in which Wolfe demanded for the
last time that Madden refrain from
coaching Witnesses while testifying.
EXISTENCE OF BLACKLIST
C. To1anelH. the first retailer called
yesterday, overcoming the fear Of the
combine which was visibly affecting
several of the retailers who had been
subpenaed. told of the existence Of a
blacklist against those retailers who
y bought fish Of the PortOla company.
'aladiui called me into his store"
, TofaHelif, and said, You are on
the blacklist I asked why, as I had
PAID mE bin the day before. II is not
Tor that said. Paladini. de showed
me the list Ny name. my brothers
name. Lamb, Scahda and Milani were
on it, When ] asked what it was Pala-
diui said Z was on the blacklist be-
cause 7 bought from the Portola COM
pauv and had not bought salmon from
lim. he never refused me fish entire
ll. lie said. some one told me not to
give you fish this morning. I asked
whom he meant. He said. The bunch
tHe Western nsh company-but we are
good friends and 1 won't leave you
without lsl.-
-I told the Portola company we were
unable 10 Eet sole and sanddabs be-
cause we bought some fish from them.
one day the Portola people said il
would be all right for me TO buy of
them again as matters had been fixed
mp When 1 did buy Of them again
Pl.adini called 10 me and said Can't
sou keep away from there and avoid
r-0uDley Just then q member Of the
Western nsh company came in and
Pa-adiui said j would not go 10 the
Portola company any more. The West
ern hsh company man then said that
would be all right
TROUBLE WITH WHOLESALERS
p. Bondgr. retailer In the Cali
fornia market, admitted that he had
had trouble with the other wholesalers
after he had bought from the Portola
company. lie had also heard that
ether retailers could not secure sand
DADS and sole. the fish controlled by
PaIadini and the Western. because they
had patronized the PortoIa It was
while the witness was giving the COM
mittee valuable information along this
line that Attorney Madden sought to
check the witness by requesting that
the question be read again. as he did
not believe BOnhgli understood it.
senator Wolfe accused Madden of
trying 10 coach the witness and
warned him not 10 interrupt again.
The witness admitted that he had been
unable TO buy sole and sanddabs from
.the combine while he was patronizing
b. Portola. He did have the Portola
q Use he was afraid Paladini and the
Western would refuse TO sell him sole
and sanddabs if they found out he was
stiIl patronizing the Portola. He knew
they had cut off other retailers for this
offense.
Peter Tofanelli testified that while
lie was buying from the Portola man
in PaladinI's store told him that he
had seen the witness name on the
blacklist and suggested that he see
Trapani of the Western fish company
about it,
PALADINI Il EVASIVE
A.. Paladini. on being recalled, again
denied having refused to sell TO pa
irons OF the Portola company or hav-
ing dema nded that the Portola lease
be cancelled by Catania- He reluc-
iautlr admitted that his launches were
Instructed to limit the catch of out
side 6sh 10 200 boxes so that the mar
ket would not be glutted. He was very
evasive about the blacklist.
do YOU remember showing the
blacklist to TofanelIi?" queried Attor-
nev General Webb.
4 gave him his fish" replied Palad-
ini evasively.
do you know there is a crime in
this state called perjury? If you swear
falsely We viii land you in San Quen-
tin If we can" said Webb, after sew
eral unsuccessful attempts TO secure
satisfactory answers from the witness.
Yes, sir said Paladini
Mr. Paladini. as your attorney ! ad-
wise you not to answer as to this black
list" said Madden. Paladini then
pleaded a bad memory to all important
Nliestions put by Webb. He DID recall,
however. that the price Of sole had
been cut as low as so cents by himself
nd the Western when an independent
company was operating. The price i'm
mediateIy went up a soon as the COM
petition was removed.
ADMITS THE BLACKLIST
When Wolfe took Paladini in hand
again the witness admitted that there
wax a blacklist but insisted it was