The San Francisco call., 1910-05-26

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he went to buy some fish from Inguglia
last December, and found he had been
tracked there by Alioto. The market
managed by Alioto was next to that of
the Oakland branch of the independent
Portola. Alioto had seen Larson place
an order with the Portola for 100
pounds of salmon, sold at prices much
lower than the trusts. After a con-
versation in Italian between the two
managers, Larson was told by Inguglia
that he could not buy fish IL he went
to the Portola.
Larson promised to cancel his order
for salmon, but thought he would trick
the trust by having the Portola de-
liver the order at his home. The Por-
tola's wagon was tracked by one Of
Alioto's men, however, and the next
time Larson went to buy from the trust
he found he would have to pay IS for a
81 box of fish. But he finally got his
name off the blacklist by giving his
word to buy only of the trust.
FINED $50 BY TRUST
Francisco Bellanti, manager of the
American company, was once fined $50
by the trust for lowering his prices in
the case of A. Messini, a retailer at
Hayes and Octavia streets. He told
Messini frankly of his punishment and
said he could not thereafter sell at less
than the trusts prices
Domenico Cereghino, head of the CAL
ifornia company, was an active black
lister. He told Frank Faraone, a re-
taller that Trapani threatened to cut
off Faraone's supply of soles and sand
dabs unless halibut was bought from
the trust instead of Seattle.
The task of getting conclusive evil
dence against the fish trust was taken
up by The Call early in April by per-
mission of District Attorney Fickert
and Attorney General Webb, who had
no fund for this purpose at their dis
posaL
The senate's investigation had. in the
previous month, brought out damaging
information against the trust, but did
not leave much of 1t available for pros
ecution. 1t was shown that the agent
for the fishers at .fishermens wharf,
Nicolo Storlesi, was on the payroll Of
the Western and Paladini. and that
Storlesi had Disseminated against In
dependents.
The shameful destruction of fresh Ash
at the x. L. Q. works, exposed by
the senate committee. becomes i'm
portant through the new witnesses
found by The Call. Conspiracy is shown
in the statement made by Paladini to
peddlers that he would send ali of his
reduce the price 1 cent
The further the investigation was
carried by The Call the clearer became
the view that the entire situation was
controlled through the deep sea fishing
tugs operated by the Western and Pala-
DIM. Two shippers and an engineer,
Captains Sand and Johnson and Charles
Whitlock, were found who exposed the
agreement between the two compa nies
as to the limiting OF catches and the
division of fish. 1t is only law of trade
that the old fishers should try to drive
out the independent company by price
cutting. which they did last July. But
their methods of going after the inde-
pendent shows conspiracy.
The result of their victory was a re-
inforced combination. The Paladini and
western companies were able to dictate
to dealers through their monopoly OF
the deep sea fish, soles and sand dabs.
This monopoly was the means of coerc-
ling retailers The small men who bought
of the late Portola company early last
winter, or even from Seattle, Santa
Cruz or San Pedro fishers. were refused
soles and sand dabs by the trust
Among the retailers placed on the
trusts blacklist for buying of the Por-
tola were:
| A. Ravaone. Lincoln market.
Faraone Brothers Bay City market.