The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-18
Attorney General Begins Action
in Kansas.
Charges Swift and Armour With
Being in Trust.
BIG SUM is ASKED.
State Claims a Total Penalty OF
$4,000.
Amounts to 500 a Day Since
April 2.

Attorney General Jackson today
filed suit in the district court of Wy
andotte county against the Armour
Packing Co., Swift & Co., ]. H Hage-
land, P. L. Storm, W. L Crush, A. w
Bear. Ed Aaron and Oscar Miller. all
engaged in the meat packing business,
in which these defendants are charged
with entering into a trust to increase
the price of their products. The petit
tfon alleges that these packers through
a combination of capital. skill, expert
ence and acts with each other have
unIawfuIly entered into a trust to Gre
ate and carry out restrictions in trade
and commerce in agricultural pro-
ducts, poultry, eggs, butter and other
comm oditieS of food and to carry out
restrictions in the full and free pur-
suit of the business of buying and SELL
ing said products, and to increase the
price thereof, and to prevent competi-
tion in the sale of the same in said
county.
The defendants are further charged
with fixing a standard figure whereby
the price of said products should be
fixed for sale to the people of Wyan-
dotte county. 1t is alleged further in
the petition that defendants wrong
fully entered into an agreement with
each other in which they bound them
selves not to sell any OF these products
below certain standard price. That
the Kansas City Fruit and Produce ex-
above mentioned and therefore operat-
ing as trust contrary to the laws Of
the state
The petition alleges that this un-
lawful combination has existed since
April 2, 1909, and that according to
the law they have forfeited to Wyan-
dotte county and the state the sum
OF 800 per day each up to this time
for their violations of the said law
the total sum of these fines now being
$2S.00O for each of said defendants.
The petition closes with a plea for
judgment against each of the defen-
dants in the total sum of $4,000 and
the costs in the case.
An Important Suit.
This is the most important suit that
has been filed in the Kansas courts in
a long time The Increased cost of
living has forced itself upon public
men in all walks of life Not only
the politician is discussing this ques-
| ton, but the preacher. the lecturer,
the college professor, the editor, and
last, but most important of all, the
consumer. which is to saw the head
Of the family who works in town for
wages.
! The grocery bill has doubled in the
past ten years Butter. eggs, meat.
| lard and all the necessaries have
climbed mountain high in price and
have roasted up there, showing no
signs of coming down
The national government has order
ed an investigation into the causes
for the increased cost of living and
congress is conducting similar inves-
tigauon- The politician lays the
| blame upon the combinations and
trusts, the trusts lay the blame on the
| increased cost of labor and raw pro-
ducts The farmer, whose products
have all doubled in price. declares
that the produce trusts, the meat
trusts and the grain exchanges are
getting most of the profits. 1t is a
serious question.
If the blame can be laid at the door