The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-20
SUIT OF CUSTER.
Attorney General of Missouri
Starts Legal Proceedings
To Break Up the Reef Trust in
That State.
FIVE BIG COMPANIES
Are Named as Defendants in the
Information.
Forfeiture Of Rights and Con-
fiscation Asked For.

Jefferson City. Mo-, June 20.-Attor-
/ ney General Elliott W., Major began
custer proceedings against five meat
packing companies today by filing quo
Warranto informatio in the supreme
court. The companies attacked ware
the Armour Packing COMPANY. Morris
d Co, Swift & Co, Hammond Packing
company, and St Louis Dressed Beef
and Provision company.
The Armour, Swift and Morris conn
pan1es are charged with viola ting the
antitrust law and conspiracy and the
Hammond and st. Louis Dressed Reef
and PROVISION companies, as subsidiary
companies of the National Packing
company, with conspiracy to control
the business in Missouri
| Inc hVe companies are named in two
petitions which ask that the corpora
| t1ons be excluded from all corporate
| rights, that their licenses be forfeited
and that all or such portion of their
| property as the court may deem prop
| er, be confiscated or in lieu thereof. a
| fine be imposed.
| Armour. Swift and Morris are
charged with having entered into a
conspiracy in 1909 to control the prices
to be paid by dealers. in live stock,
poultry. butter, eggs. dairy and agri-
! cultural products, to control the prices
to be paid by retail and wholesale
dealers for dressed meats and to con-
CoI the prices 10 De PAID by all retail
and wholesale dealers for butter, eggs,
poultry, game, dairy and agricultural
products and by-products from the
business of slaughtering live stock
1.-THE companies" the petition says,
entered into a trust to unlawfully
which dealers should sell and offer to
| sell the consumer and others all
| dressed meats and eggs, poultry and
| other products and to control the
prices to be paid for such articles,
| when so regulated, and to unlawfulIy
limit the trade in an products with a
view to lessen, restrict, limit and de-
stroy trade and full competition in the
purchase and sale of meat products,
poultry, butter and eggs.
| ''That in pursuance of an unlawful
! trust the corporations have met and
! agreed upon and fixed from week 10
week and day to day an agreed price
paid and to be paid by all persons for
| lire stock and products which should
| be purchased, sold or offered for sale
| in Missouri; that prices at which the
| products were to be sold were unlaw-
| fully fixed by means of which competi-
! ton in the purchase and sale of wheat
products has been lessened, restricted
and destroyed
The Second Count.
The second count of the petition
charges that the three packing com
panies conspired to destroy trade and
| competition in the purchase and sale OF
| meat products, live stock, poultry, but
ter and eggs by fixing a price to be
paid by all the members of the alleged
agreement and conspiring to control the
| business of buying, selling and dealing
in packing house products.
Continuing the petition says:
/ Through these agreements trade
| commerce and competition in the pur-
chase and sale of packing house prod
| uctS have been restrained and the COM
panies have obtained control of and
| monopolized, to the exclusion of al
others, the business of buying, selling
| and dealing in commodities and prod
Ucts of packing houses
The alleged absorption of the Ham
mond and ST. Louis Dressed Beef an6
Provision company by the Nationa
Packing company is said in the petition
of the attorney general to have taker
/ place in September, 1902 The Ham
mond and st. Louis companies art
charged with having entered into ar
unlawful agreement with others en-