Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-12
Boise Butcher Sold Lard" That
Violated a Dozen Sections
Of the Statute.
SPECTATORS CHEER WORK.
Food Trust Investigation Appears TO
Have the Fullest support OF the
People of the Commonwealth.
Especial Correspondence }

- OISE. Feb. ia true bill has
been found against George
Switzer. president of the Boise
Butcher company. for selling
short weight lard. by the grand jury
now In session in this city, called by
order of the district court to investi-
gate the alleged meat milk, coal and
other local trusts formed In restraint
of trade. Verdict was returned with
hut moments deliberations; the jury
simply walked into It's room and right
out again The statute provides as a
penalty In such cases fine of $500
OF Imprisonment in the county Jail
for six months, or both such fine and
Imprisonment. at the discretion OF
the court,
Tho hearing. which lasted all day
Tuesday, was replete with exciting
situations. At a certain interval in
the trial body OF citizens gathered
In the corridor and chcered the court
and the prosecution.
The principal witnesses for the
prosecution were state Pure Food
Commissioner James H Wallis and
State Chemist Claude D. Mason. The
former stated In his testimony that
he purchased a three pound bucket
OF lard from the Boise Butcher COM
pany paying therefor 60 cents for
which he took a receipt. Then
weighed all OF Switzer's lard" con-
tinued Mr.. Wallis, including the 3,
and 10 pound buckets, with the re-
suit that l found that every bucket
to where / was weighing the lard and
asked. How Is 1t eoing% I said to him
1T Is all short weight and there is
not bucket that gives the consumer
the amount of lard he Is supposed to
be getting when he buys it Switzer
said: I don't pretend to give tho
consumer three pounds net l simply
aim to give him package Weighing
three pounds for lard and bucket
both"
Mr. Wallis stated that he had con-
demned 'more than two tons of So
called lard. the greatest part of which
was simply fake-a compound, com
posed of Is per cent beef fat and
only 85 per cent hog fat. Altogether
the buckets of lard as they were sold
comprised violations OF more than
dozen sections of the pure food law,
besides score of regulations made
by the state board of health"
LAW INADEQUATE.
In giving Instructions to the jury.
Judge Fremont Wood of the district
court declared that the antitrust
law. passed by the last session of the
legislature, is inadequate to meet the
present situation This Is the only
act" said the Judge, "called to the at
tention OF the court In any way affect
ing the monopolies in restraint OF
trade, and nm inspection of the act at
once discloses the fact that the legisla-
tion is OF little, IL any, value in reach
ing those trust agreements where both
parties thereto are not Incorporated
companies. therefore instruct you, in
the absence of any direct legislation
on the subject. IL you find that COM
binations have been entered into by
two or more persons In restraint of
trade, such acts would be common law
misdemeanors and indictable under a
specific provision of tho laws of this
state"
Hardly has news been received by
Boise citizens in years with such ac-