Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-22
Corporation, Instrument Through
Which Combination Acts.
COMPETITION is ELIMINATED
Number of Independents Bought and
Operated by Company.
CORPORATIONS ALSO INDICTED
BI@ Meat Concerns in Illinois, Colo
rRdO, New York and Michigan
Charged with Violating
Anti-Trust Act.

CHICAGO March 21-Eight weeks after
It had begun its investigation for alleged
violations Of the Sherman antitrust law,
the federal grand jury today returned in
dctments against the National Packing
company and ten subsidiary concerns.
Immediately upon the announcement OF
the indictments before Judge Kenesaw M,
Lands, the government filed a suit seeking
the dissolution Of the National Packing
company. The latter action is known as
suit in equity, and besides those indicted
sixteen firms and individuals are made de-
PENDANTS
In a statement issued o. behalf of the
National Packing company. Ralph Crews,
it's general counsel, tonight gives some ink
ling of the determination to fight the gov
ernment to the limit. His statement fol-
lows:
The company was organized in March,
1908, for the purpose of economic 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. Its organiza-
tion was directed by the best counsel OBJ
tainable. who then believed and now be-
lieve. that its organization and the opera
tion Of its subsidiary companies in no way
act, and in this respect it Is practically
similar to nearly all the large corporations
Of the country The total percentage OF
the business done by the. corporations con-
trolIed by the National Packing company
forms but a small part of the whole pack
ing industry. This proportion could not
constitute a monopoly in any sense of the
word
DiscInIm Trade Restraint.
Instead Of operating TO restrain the
trade OF its subsidiary companies, as al
legged in the Indictment, It is a fact that
the companies ell have shown a healthy in
crease since the formation Of the National
The company is operated BY its officers
purely as al competitive and independents
factor in. the trade.
''1lhe indictment today returned and the
bill in equity .oday filed by the district at
torney are directed at the organization and
operation Of this company, The operations
have at all times been frank and open and
we are confident that the courts Will sus-
tain our contentious with respect to their
legality"
The indictments include not only the Ma
tional Packing company, but the Armour
Swift and Norris companies, the st. Louis
Dressed Beef and Provision company and
/ the individuals who dominate and control
/ these concerns.
The indictments include the National
/ Packing company and the ArEour, Swift
and Morris companies. TN
1t Is apparent from the bill and the
Indictment that the government regards
! the National Packing company as the
] irstrumentality through which the packers
have been evading the antitrust law and
J by means of which they have been making
their combination effective.
1t is admittedly the opinion Of the de-
partment of justice and the grand jury
which, at Judge Landis' direction has
been investigating the meat industry for
the last two months that if the National
Packing company is broken up the alleged
evils of this combination win be remedied.
List of Defendants.
The defendants to the bill are the Ma
tlonaI Packing company, G.. H. Hammond
company Hammond Packing company,
Omaha Packing company, Anglo-American
Provision company, Fowler Packing com
pany United Dressed Beef company, St.
Louis Dressed Beef and Provision company,
western Packing company Colorado Pack
I ing and Provision company, New York
Butchers Dressed Meat company, Continen-
tai Packing company, Armour and com-
/ pany. Swift and company Morris and
company, Edward Tilden, Louis F. Swift
Edward F. swift. Charles II. Swift, L. A.
Carton. Frank A. Fowler, J. Ogden
Armour Arthur Moeker. Thomas ]. Con-
nors, Edward Morris, Thomas E, Wilson
and L. II. Heyman.
The bin charges that prior to May TO-
1902 Armour and company, Swift and com
pany and Morris and company were par
/ ties to an unlawful combination 20 fix
prices and restrain trade in fresh meat;
that on that day suit was brought by the
United States under the sherman anti
trust law TO prevent their violations Of
the law and that as. result OF that suit
Judge Crossoup on February IS, 1902, filed
CONTINUED on second po.s0