The San Francisco call., 1910-01-01
TO BREAK
THE FISH TRUST
Suit Filed Alleging Conspiracy
to Fix Prices and Throttle
ALI Competition
Local Firm Demands Heavy
Damages and the Right to
Carry On Its Business

The inner workings of the so called
| fish trust" whereby high prices for
sea food are fixed and maintained and
| competitors are squeezed out of bust
ness by an alleged system of espionage
and intimidation, were revealed in a
suit for damages begun yesterday by
fthe Portola fish company, consisting Of
g. Gigi, A. Puccini and A. Fianzi
The trust is stated in the complaint
to comprise the following firms:
! The Western fish company A. Pala
DIM; the American fish company, of
which j. Piomba and J. Tarantino are
members; the New San Francisco fish
company, the international fish COM
pany, Biagini & Co. and the California
| fish company.
CONSPIRACY ALLEGED
BY associating themselves in an al
legged confederation and conspiracy
for the purpose of controlling and
monopolizing the entire business of
the sale, purchase and delivery of fish
In San Francisco and in the immediate
vicinity, for the fixing OF prices and
Tor enhancing prices, for their own
profit and gain. without regard to the
cost of supply or demand" these firms
are accused of having utterly ruined
the business of the Portola fish COM
pany at 525 Merchant street. Damages
In the sum of $4,000 are demanded
and the court is asked to restrain the
trust from continuing the unlawful
conspiracy and from in any way inter-
fering with the plaintiff company.
Prior to opening. November O. the
plaintlns interviewed A. Paladini to
ascertain if they would encounter op-
position, it is alleged. and were told
that the trust would assist the plain
tiffs in the maintenance of their busi-
ness to the extent of supplying them
with fish for their customers. Instead
OF doing so the members of the trust
are alleged to have "maIiciousIy and
wickedly conspired to force the plain
tiffs out of business by refusing to sell
them any fish.
SYSTEM OF ESPIONAGE
system of espionage was started to
ascertain from whom the Portola com
pany received fish and to whom they
sold ii. Persons selling the plaintiffs
hsh or mussels We're notified that they
would be boycotted if they did not de-
sist. and as a result of these threats
and intimidation fishermen refused to
sell to them
Dealers of fish in Alameda and Oak
land also refused to sell to the plain
tins because, it is asserted of similar
threats. Spies were employed to fol-
low the wagons OF the Portola COM
pany In order that fish bought in
spite of these precautions might not be
ruined, the company was compelled to
deliver to its customers lin obscure
places and at unusual places and with
the utmost secrecy" This has dam
aged the company's business 500 a
day, it is complained
1t is alleged that five days after the
Portola company started business J. d.
Cereghino of the California fish COM
pany called on G.. Gigi and informed
him that the trust had determined to
put his firm out of business. but sub
mitted proposition to him whereby
he and his associates were to be reim-
bursed all they had expended, and Gigi
was to be given a salaried position for
the trust al Eureka. Otherwise, it was
threatened. Gigi would be driven from
San Francisco and his business de-
stroyed
LANDLORD FRIGHTENED
This line of attack failing of its ex-
pected result December % a represen-
tative of the trust called on the Por-
tola company's landlord Joseph Ca
tania, who is also in the fish business,
and told him if he did not oust the
plaintiffs before January 10 the trust
would cease to sell to him. Catania
implored the plaintiffs to remove to
save him from ruin. but this they re-
fused to do.
The Portola fish company had lost
the major part of it's trade because of
these acts of the trust, it is asserted,
and has been dana ged in reputation
and business $4,000 Devote. Rich
srdson & Devote drew the complaint
for the Portola fish company.