The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-21
Attorney General of Missouri
Begins Custer Proceedings
Against Five of the Larger
Meat Packing Companies.
PROCEEDINGS UNDER
CONSPIRACY CHARGE
Details Given in the Petition as
to How the National Pack
ing Company the Parent
Concern, Fixes Meat Prices,
BAD FAITH OF PACKERS
r EFFERsON CITY, mo-, June 20
TIIfoff

II JEFFERSON CITY, NO., June 70
Attorney General Elliott w
y Major began custer proceedings
against five meat packing companies
today by filing quo warrantO infOrma-
panics attacked are Armour Packing
company, Morris a. Co., Swift q CO.,
Hammond Packing company and 81.
Louis Dressed Beef q Provision COM
The Armour, SwIth and Morris COM
panies are charged with violating the
Hammond and st. Louis Dressed Beef
a Provision companies, subsidiary com
pnnies of the National Packing com
Pany, with conspiracy 10 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 Of such portions OF their
property as the court may deem proper,
be confiscated, or. In lien thereof. n fine
be imposed.
Charged with Conspiracy.
Armour. Swift and Morris are charged
with having entered into conspiracy
in 1909 to control the prices to be paid
by dealers I'm livestock, poultry. butter,
eggs, dairy and agricultural products,
TO control the prices to be paid ~ retail
and wholesale dealers for dressed
meats. and to control the prices to be
paid by all wholesale and retail dealers
for poultry, butter, egBs, DAIRY and
agricultural products and byprOducts
from the business OF Strengthening I've
stock
These companies.' the petition says.
entered into n trust to unlaNfully reg
ulate. fix and control prices at witch
dealers should sell and offer to sell to
the consumer 1nd others. all dressed
meats and eggs, poultry and ether pro-
ducts. and to control the prices to De
paid for such articles. when 50 regu-
a -. 1fu1fr a rrnhn
in all products with a view TO lessen.
restrict. limit and destroy trade and
full competition I'm the purchase and
sale of meat products, poultry. butter
and eggs.
Prices Fixed.
That I'm 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
! livestock and products which should be
purchased. or offered for sale In Mis-
souri,: that prices at which the products
were to be sold were unlawfully fixed.
| by means of which competition In the
purchase and sale OF. meat products has
been lessened, restricted and destroyed
The second count Of the petition
charges that the three packing com
panies conspired to restrain trade and
destroy competition in the purchase
and sale Of meat products, livestock,
poultry. butter and eggs by fixing a
price to be paid by all members OF the
alleged agreement. and COnSptring to
control the business of buying. selling
and dealing in pac<inE-house products.
Continuing. the petition says:
| Through these agreements. trade,
| commerce and competition in the pur-
chase and sale Of packing-house pro-
ducts have been restrained. and the
companies have obtained control of and
monopolized to the exclusion of all
others. the business OF buying, selling
L and dealing N al commodities. nrOnnctg
/ Of paCking-hOUses.
The Holding Company.
! The alleged absorption of the Ham
/ mOnd and st. Louis Dressed Beef &
| Provisions companies by the National
| Packing company is said in the petit
| tion of the attorney general to have
| taken place in September. 1909. The
| Hammond and St. Louis companies are
| charged with having entered into an
4 unlawful agreement with others en-
/ gagged I'm meat packing for the purpose
| Of restricting competition and prevent
| The National Packing company. the
| information filed in the court today al
| leges. was Incorporated in New Jersey
/ in 1892. with a capital stock OF $4,000
600 to engage in meat packing and sell
ing and to hold stock of any other cor
/ pOratiOn.
| good faith for the purpose OF engaging
| in the business authorized in it's char
] ter. but as n corporation SCneme to cf-
/ feet an official trust among the Ham
| mond and st. Louis Dressed Beef &
/ Provision companies and numerous
/ other corporations. individuals and 9TH
| er partnerships engaged in the same
| business in Missouri and throughout
i the United States. with a view to
( lessen. restrict and destroy competition
/ in the purchase and sale of all pack
| ing house products in which the Ham
mOnd and st. Louis and other COM
panies were dealing aud for fixing the
| prices and for limiting the amount and
! sold and offered for sale in Missouri
and throughout the United States.
Not In Good Faith.
That the power and purpose to pur-
| chase and hold shares Of any other cor
poration and to exercise the rights and
| privileges of owners OF such stock. was
| not inserted in the charter OF the Ma
tional Packing company in good faith ''
II 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 com
\ petitors, and that the National has ever
| since voted the stock OF the companies
| collected the dividends and used the
| companies in furtherance OF the al
legged unlawful trust.
The Hammond and st. Louis COM
panies. through the National Packing
company. the attorney general charges
| have become members of the alleged
/ trust. and have been guilty of abuse OF
privileges not granted to them by Mis-