The San Francisco call., 1910-03-10
NO MERCY SHOWN
BY FISH COMBINE
Witnesses Testify That Monop=
oily Has Been Enforced With
Relentless RigOr
Dealers Compelled TO Patronize
Trust or Do Without Sup-
ply for Trade

A. MeSsina. retail fish dealer, cor
rObOrated the testimony of Frank
FaraOne that Frank BeIIantf of the
American fish and oyster company was
in trouble with the hsh combine be-
cHuse he sold fish at less than the COM
bine price.
A. Anea. manager of the Oakland
branch of the Western fish company,
was told that he would be haIed before
the bar ef the senate when he took the
advice of his counsel, W. Vi. Madden,
and refused 10 answer the questions
put by senator Wolfe.
Clifton J. Catania told Of the coer-
Give tactics of the Western fish COM
paHy and s. PaIadini in forcing the
Porfola fish company out OF business
and told about the bOycotts levied by
tho trust.
state senator WEIGH said that some
of the members of The committee had
very little confidence in the chief dep
uty FISH commissioner. {. 4. NOgelsang.
Such were the important develop
ments yesterday before the state SEN
ate committee. which is considering the
ligh cost of living. The investigation
is nearing the end and the committee
now has an abundance of evidence
showing how the fish trade has been
restrained TO the disadvantage Of poor
persons who find fish almost a luxury.
A. " essina. retailer. the last wit
ness Of the day. gave the most impor-
tant testimony Of the day when he cor
TobOrated that OF Frank Faraone,
which had been fatty contradicted by
Frank Beilanti Of the American fish
and oyster company. Bellantfs posi-
tiOn. as 2 result OF this corrobOratiVe
testimony. is anything but a pleasant
one.
BROOK No COMPETITION
Like Faraone. Messina had been in
the habit OF buying sfish direct from
the north. He testified yesterday that
he too had been told by the Interna-
tiOnal fish company, an ally of the
combine. that it would be impossible
70 supply him with local deep sea fish
II he continued TO buy direct from the
north. He also said that Frank Bel
lanti one day upbraided him for having
displayed tags showing that Bellanti
had sold the witness fish > cents under
the combine price. Messina said Bel
lsuti was mistaken in the party. AS
he was leaving the store he met Fara-
one. who said that the tags had been
stolen from him.
A Anea. manager of the Western
fish company's branch in Oakland. de-
MED that he had refused to sell TO
any one who had pstronized the Por
tola company. but his testimony was
cut short by his attorney. W. NJ. Mad
den, who advised him not TO testify
along this line. Chairman Wolfe an
81
that the witness be taken before the
bar OF the senate and punished for
contempt
FORCED TO TERMS
Clifton J. Catania testified that when
the Portola company rented a part Of
his store Paladini refused him fish
on the ground that Catania was selling
fish 10 the Portoia company. He was
directed To rapani. manager of the
Western fish company. and was told
that he could have no more fish unless
the Portols company were elected.
Trapani agreed TO pay the rent. ac-
cording 10 the witness, but after the
PortOla company had moved out Ira
.uani did not pay the 500 claimed by
i4e witness. Catania told Of having
been boycotted several times by the
combine.
Waiter IT, Mack. secretary of the
Western fish company. attributed the
= gh cost Of fish TO the retailers. It
was while he was asserting that the
Chinese shrimp fishermen were using
set nets I'm violation Of the law and
that crabs were being Ia ken during the
closed season that Senator Welch re-
marked that some Of the members of
the committee had very little conf
dence in Chief Deputy Fish Commits
sloner Charles Nogelsang.
incidentally II came out that oil had
2 lnost exterminated mussels from the
bay. while crabs. shrimps and striped
bass had also been affected by oil on
the water.
Edgar T. Gleeson told OF having seen
smeIt dumped back into the bay from
boats at Meiggs wharf because the
market was fully stocked.