Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-03-22
GOVERNMENT FILES SUIT
TO DISSOLVE COMBINE
Equity Action Beginning in Chicago
includes Sixteen other Firms ana
irdividuals-Bill Declares Violation
of the Sherman Aet.-eeners! Coun-
sci e. Corporation Issues Statement.


weeks after it had begun its investi-
gaticn fof alleged violations OF the
Sherman law. federal grand jury TO-
day returned indictments against inc
National Packing Company and ten
subsidiary concerns.
meliately after the announce
ment OF the Indictment by Judge Ian
dis, the government filed a suit seek
ing the dissolution of the National
Packing Company The latter action
is known as a suit in equity. end be-
sides those indicted sixteen firms and
individuals are made defendants.
In a statement ISSUED on behalf OF
the National Packing Company. Ralph
Crews, its general counsel tonight
gives some inkling of the determine
ton to fight the government to the
limit His statement follows:
Makes Statement.
THE company was organized IN
March. 1905. for the purpose of econ
omic operation of certain subsidiary
corporations, named jointly with it IN
the. indictment returned today by the
federal grand jury for the Northern
district of Illinois. IT'S organization
was directed by the best counsel OBJ
tainable who then believed that its
organization and the operation on its
subsidiary companies iii no way trans
gressed the provisions of the Sher-
man act. and. in this respect it is SINH
lar to nearly all the large corpora
tiOns of the country.
The total percentage of the bust
ness done bv the corporation con
trolled by the National Packing Com
pany forms but a small part of the
whole volume of the packing inquiry
This corporation could not constitute
a monopoly in any sense of the word
Instead of operating TO restrain the
trade OF its subsidiary companies. as
alleged in the indictment. ii is a fact
that the companies have all shown
healthy increase since the formation
OF the National. The company Is
operated by its officers purely as q
competitive and Independent factor
in he trade.
Frank and Open.
The indictment returned today and
the bill in equity filed today by the
district attorney are directed at the
organization ant operation of this
company. These operations have at
all times been frank and open AMI
We are confident that the courts VIII
sustain cur contentious with respect
to their legality"
The defendants TO the biz a:e the
National Packing Company. G. II.
Hammond Company. Hammond Pack
ing Company. Omaha Packing Com
pany. AnclO-Amcrican Provision Com
.pany. Fowler Provision Company.
United Dressed Beef Company. st.
Louis Dressed Beef & Provision Com
pany. Western Packing Company.
Colorado Packing & Provision Com
pany, New York nutchers' Dressed
Meat Company. Continental Packing
Company. Armour & Company. Swift
& Company. Morris & Company. Ed
ward Tilden. Louis p. Swift. Edward
r. Swift. Charles ". Swift. l. - Car
ton. Frank A. Fowler. j. Ogder Ar
mour. Arthur Mccker. Thomas J. Con-
ners. Edward Morris Thomas Z. VIII
son and l. n. Heyman-
The Charges
The bill for dissolution OF the al
legged trust. charges that prior TO
MAY 10. 1902. Armour & Companx
swift & Company and Morris & Com
pzny we're parties TO IN unlawful
combination to FIX prices and restrain
trade IN fresh meat: that on that dsy
suit vas brought BY the United states
under the sherman antitrust law 20
prevent the violation 81 the law. and
that a. . result OF that suit. Judge
Grosscup. on Fcbrrary -. 1909 dicd
An opinion ststiu- he would grant an
injunction IN accordance with the
prayer 81 the governments bin. The
fnai order IN the case. however. vas
not entered until April .. lgog IN
the meantime. March IS 1899. the "a
ti0nsl Packing Company Sas organ
led. all Of the stock - which rss
owned b.. The hrmou-. swift ami Nor
ris inforcfts. The parties 90 sbc orlxi-
nal ALLEGED combination.
ON tac date o. ;hc organization ~
Oh. stats there ser t1rrcd over %
The Nsii0ual Packing Company b. . o.