The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-23
CHICAGO PACKERS
MAY CO TO PRISON
Government Has Completed
Plans for Investigation and
Indictment of Big Men.
BELIEF IS THAT FINE
WOULD DO NO GOOD
Evidence Has Been Carefully
Gathered by Secret Service
Men; Firms Involved.
BY Leased Wire TO The Tribune

BY Leased Wire to The Tribune
CHICAGO, Jan. 22.-Leading Chi
cago meat packers may be found in
contempt Of court. in addition to being
made the objects of indictments by the
federal grand jury, which convenes
Monday, according 10 reports in the
federal building today.
Aside from the criminal prosecutions
that may follow the inquiry Of the
grand jury, it is possible that Judge
Grosscup may take official notice of
+evldence presented and fine or imprison
the officials of the companies involved
if it shows they violated an injunction
issued by him several years ago, in
which they were forbidden to combine
to restrain trade and control prices OF
meat.
The criminal prosecution will be
directed with view, not to securing
fines, but to sending certain packing
barons to prison.
Convinced OF the existence OF a COM
bination In violation Of the Sherman
antitrust law, Attorney General Wick
ersham has directed that evidence be
presented TO the federal grand jury
when it convenes next Monday Secret
service operatives have been gathering
the evidence for months.
Four Firms Involvd
Four of Chieago's biggest firms are
concerned in the coming prosecutions.
They are Swift e. Co, Armour G. Co.,
Morris & Co., and the National Pack
ing company. The last named company
is controlled by the other three and is
believed by government Investigators
TO be the agent through which the mar
ket is dominated and prices are con-
trolled
In addition to criminal action against
the companies and their officers. a suit
in equity is to be instituted asking the
dissolution of the National Packing
company as combination in restraint
of trade.
The penalty for violation Of the Sher-
man law is a fine of $4,000 or imprisoG-
ment for not more than one year or
both. Federal authorities believe that
the mere imposition of the fine would
have little effect and therefore will ask
the imposition of the prison sentence.
If convictions arc secured, following
the expected federal indictments, sew.
eral of Chicago g most prominent citi-
Zeus may have to go 70 prison. Men
whose names are n power in the imam
cial and business world and whose
families have had much TO do with the
building of Chicago will be among those
who may be imprisoned for year,
Government Is Ready.
The government S programme of ac-
ton against the four biggest concerns
Of packing town is practically COM
pleted. The evidence by which it is
laws have beon violated already is in
hand. Many OF the documents which
will be submitted in proof of the
charges are In the possession of the
department Of Justice and have been
for more than year,
The four concerns against which the
attack is aimed are transacting an an
nual business In excess OF Sfoo'0oo'oO0-
That the price of meat 10 the consumer.
has increased out Of proportion to the
greater price paid 10 the farmers, the
difference going into expanded dlVl-
dends which competition fails TO cut
down, is contention of the govern
mont
Armour & Co.. Swift & Co, Morris g.
Co. and the National Packing company
are the houses named. The business
which these houses transact yearly. as
revealed by the public statements re.
ouired by the state Of Massachusetts,,
was as follows: Swift. S25O.n00, 600;
Armour, S940ooo, ,0o0; Morris, $ll0.000,-
600; National Packing company. $780,
100000; total, SI00,ooo,0oo.
Plans of Attack.
The attack which the agents of the
contemplate presents three
possible courses as follows. Criminal
prosecution of the packers for alleged
violation of the federal antistrust laws;
punishment, III case of conviction.
would be $4,000 fne or imprisonment
not exceeding one year
Civil suit against the National Pack
ing company. attacking It's right TO con-
tinue business in alleged violation OF
the antitrust laws; dissolution of the
would be tho punishment
sought.
Inauguration of proceedings in con
tempt. on the charge that the injunction
imposed by Judge tirosscup Eve years
ago forbiddiug fixing prices or re-
straining trade, had been disobeyed; |
would be whatever the
court saw fit to impose.
Heads Of the beef trust made n few
declarations:
T. Ogden Armour--"l am satisfied |
that the price OF meat is too high, but |
il is caused by the high wages which |
we have To pay
Edward Tildon-''Thc price Of meat
is not eAorbi,ant, The most of this
talk of trusts is sheerly dcmagogic. |
don Il see how the government can take
any action against the National Pack
ing company.
Louis T. Swift High price of meat |
is due to the high price of grain, Farm.
nrs arc not feeding their grain to stock
but are holding it and selling it at very
high figures.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. Jan 22.-Pat-
rick Cndahv Of Omaha one of the big
rest Of the beef baronS. today said:
"Tbe farmers arc the cause of the
present high prices. Tho farmers lost
money during tho 1907 panic by feed