Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-06-21
CONSPIRACY TO CONTROL
PRICES is CHARGED

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, June 90
Attorney General Elliott Major began
custer proceedings agains i've meat
packing companies today by filing quo
wRrranto information in the supreme
court The companies attacked are Ar
nour Packing company, Norris & Co..
Swift & Co. Hammond Packing COM
pany and St Louis Dressed Beef and
Provision company.
The Armour. Swift and Morris COM
panies are charged with violating the
antitrust law and conspiracy and the
Hammond and St. Louis Dressed Beef
and Provision companies as subsidiary
companies OF the National Packing COM
pany with conspiracy TO control the
business in -slIssouri-
WOULD FORFEIT LICENSES.
The five companies are named in two
petitions which ask that the corpora
lions be excluded from all corporate
rights. that their licenses be forfeited
and that all or such portion OF their
property as the court may deem proper
be connscated, or in lieu thereof a fine
be imposed
Armour, Swift and Morris are
charged with having entered into q con-
spiracy in 1909 TO control the prices to
be paid by dealers in live stock. poultry.
butter. eggs. dairy and agricultural pro-
ducts, TO control the prices to be paid
by retail anu wholesale dealers for
dressed meats and to control the prices
to be paid by all retail and wholesale
dealers for butter. eggs. poultry, game.
dairy and agricultural products and by
products from the business OF slaugh-
tering live stock
COMPETITION DESTROYED.
The second count Of the petition
charges that the packing companies con-
spired to restrain trade and destroy COM
petition In the purchase and sale of meat
products. live stock. poultry. butter and
eggs by fixing price TO be paid by all
the members OF the alleged agreement
and conspiring to control the business of
buying, selling and dealing In packing
house products
The alleged absorption OF the Ham
mond and St Louis dressed beef pro-
vision companies by the National Packing
company Is said IN the petition of the at
torney general 10 have taken place in
September, IS02. The Hammond and St.
Louis companies are charged with ha1-
ing entered into unlawful agreement with
others engaged In meat packing for the
purpose OF restricting competition and
The National Packing company, the in
formation fled In the court today al
leges, was chartered In New Jersey In
isoa with q capital stock OF S5.0 900 to
engage In meat packing and selling and
to hold stock OF any other corporation.
GOOD FAITH NOT SHOWN.
The National Packing company" the
petition says, was not organized In good
faith for the purpose OF engaging in the
business authorized by its charter, but
as a corporate scheme to effect an un-
lcwful trust among the Hammond and st.
Louis Dressed Beef and Provisions COM
panies and numerous other corporations.
individuals and partnerships engaged In
the same business IN Missouri and
throughout the United States with view
TO lessen. restrict. limit and destroy trade
and 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"
CONTROL OBTAINED.
1t is charged In the petition that the
National Packing company obtained con-
troll of the Hammond and st. Louis COM
pauics which nao previously Oeen en-
gagged in Missouri as legitimate competi-
tors and that the National has ever since
voted the stock OF the companies. collect
M the dividends and used the companies
IN furtherance OF the alleged unlawful
trust
The Hammond and St. Louis companies,
through. the National Packing company,
the attorney general charges, have be-
come members Of the alleged trust and
have been guilty OF abuse of privileges
donated by the state OF Missouri