The San Francisco call., 1910-05-25
EASY TO prove
EXISTENCE OF
ILLEGAL TRUST
Combination to Restrain Trade
May Be Inferred From the
Acts of Members
Fish MOnOpOlists Laugh at the
Grand jury and Continue to
Divide Catch

On the eve of indictments. the West
ern and PaIadini fish companies are
showing their contempt for the grand
jury and District Attorney FIckert.
Yesterday was the third day tnis week
in which the two companies have al
ternated at deep sea fishing in order to
keep up the market price. PaladinFs
pair Of trawling tugs worked SUNDAY
while the Westerns lay idle. The
Westerns worked Monday and the or
der was reversed again yesterday. In
each case the company working has
divided its catch with the other. show
ing the existence of definite agree
ment between the two. the ring leaders
of the fish trust
CONCESSION TO RETAILERS
The Western and other wholesalers
In the fish trust hung out notices YES
terday that they would not hereafter
accept unsold fish from fruit stands
and butchers doing only Friday fish
business The new rule is a conces-
sion to the retailers. who organized
lately in protest against this form of
discrimination. The trust had allowed
men handling only Friday sales to re-
turn unsoId fish at a rebate, while the
regular retailers had to keep what
they bought regardless of their luck at
selling.
John T. Lamb, hshman of 1049 Gold
en- Gate avenue and president of the
retailers association. said yesterdav
| that the retailers were heartily with
The Call in its fight against the trust.
THE best thing for business is
large sales and small profits" Lamb
commented. That is what we want
If we got Ash cheap we could sell it
cheap and reap the benefit of an in
creased demand"
PRICES ARE DROPPED
The retail men are getting small
soles at So box and the large for
''tenderloin' at $3.50 a box. sand dabs
at the same rate. The boxes run about
so pounds each. This is a material
reduction over the prices before the
| fight against the trust was begun
Senator George W. Cartwright of
Fresno. author of the antitrust law
which bears his name, is in San Fran
cisco. with rooms at the Stewart. He
has been back only a few days from
Boston. where he represented Cali
| fornia heirs in the famous Russell
estate litigation. But in this time he
has become acquainted with the evil
I'll
over to District Attorney Fickert
The antitrust law" said Senator
Cartwright yesterday. has its defects
in verbiage- 1t was shot through sac
ramentO I'm a hurry. In fact. it was
called by number and not by title
during the last busy hours of the ses-
sion. so many voted ignorantly for
it who had not been particularly hos
tile to the big interests az sen--- sssaes.
1t naturally contains obscuritiss that
we should have changed had we felt
confident other and more dangerous
amendments would not have been put
through also.
ITS INTENT Is CLEAR
But the intent of the law IL clear
and 1 don't think courts viii quibbIe
over the flaws. which are really not
important.
ours is the easiest OF all anti trust
laws to prove conspiracy under. The
agreement or contract to limit the mar
ket and prevent composition can be in
ferred from the acts of the defendants
alone II the defendants used unfair
methods against independents and con-
troIled the market in a manner to in
dicate an agreement, they may be held
guilty of criminal conspiracy.
From what L have read. believe
fish trust.
CHANCE FOR INDEPENDENT
'sThe new independent company is be-
| ginning business here at an opportune
time, for the people are quick TO rscog-
! nize their friends. The butcher who
| fought the meat combination in Sacra-
| mento had almost TO turn customers
away from his doors after the con-
spirators were convicted Fish ought
normally TO be your cheapest food. as
II no doubt will be IN the end. Imagine
YOU. with the ocean on one side and
the bay on the other. paying the same
prices for fish that we pay in Fresno.
It Is unthinkable-yet IT is fact
Senator Cartwright is confined to his
bed with a temporary illness. but ex-
pects to return south in few days
e
IABoRER ADMITS sANxRu7rcx-Georss B.
sanford. labores Of Oakland. Hled petition
| in bankruptcy yesterday in the United States