The Sentinel=record., 1911-12-20
PACKER JURY
 COMPLETED
CASE OF THE TEN CHICAGO MEAT PACKERS NOW READY
 FOR TRIAL IN U. S. COURT.
Counsel for Packers Surprise Court by Acceptino Full Jury While Additional Panel Of Venre
 men Are Being Drawn.

Chicago, Dec. 10.-The jury which is to try the ten Chicago packers charged with violation of the crimn- al provisions of the Sherman anti trust law, was completed today and the opening statements Of United States District Attorney James II. Wilkerson was begun.
 In outlining the case, MT. Wilker- son bitterly declared the defendants, through the National Packing Compa ny. had continued the old pooling practices of the packers and had actually put into effect the most powerful engine for the suppression of competition ever devised in the industrial world.
 Judge Carpenter had scarcely ceas- ed directing the summonng of a new panel Of veniremen when counsel for the indicted packers declared they were satisfied with the twelve men in the box. The government attor- neys also were content, and before the noon adjournment the oath was administered to the jury and the decks were cleared for the actual beginning of the legal battle, which is looked upon as one of the most momentous of the many in which the porations. When MT. Wilkerson be gaii his opening address all Of taai: defendants were in the courtroom and each listened intently as step by step, the theory of the prosecution and the facts on which it is based were presented.
 Tracing the history of the meat industry in it's relation to the men under indictment and going into great detail in his description of various phrases of the deeds, which inc de- clared marked a conspiracy to yio. late the law of the land, Mir. Wi.k- erson laid special emphasis on the following points:
 That the combination represented by the ten indicted Chicago meat packers the most powerful engine for the Suppression of competition in fixing of prices ever known in the history of the industrial world.
 That the system is so ingeniously devised and so closely guarded that the men in the lower grades of em- ployment are made to believe the cor porations in the combination are act nal competitors.
 That the indicted packers, or their predecessors have dominated the meat industry of the country and fix ed prices since 1880.
 That the real purpose and design of the National Packing Company, which was organized by members of inc eombinaeon March IS, 1903 is to continue the work accomplished by the old pool"
 That the key to the system is the uniform method used by the mem. bers in figuring the test cost of their product.
 That this test cost, arrived at by adding the killing charge to the price of cattle On the hoof, and dedueting allowances for hide and fat is in ex- cess of the real cost and gives the packers larger margin of profit than their own figures indicate.
 That the country was divided under the old pooling system into different divisions and each member of the pool allotted certain perceatage of the business and that a similar system Is stiii in existence.
 That system Of forfeits was paid to members who failed to get their percentage of the business of the dif- ferent divisions and these forfeits Were in the nature of fines o1 those members who exceeded their allot- ment.
 That formerly the representatives of the combination met every Tues day in the office of Chicago lawyer and fixed the prices of meat.
 That since the organization of the National Packing Company the direc- tors of that organization held meet ings at which the price of the product Is fixed.
 That a specially devised code ot trade terms was used at the meet ings where prices were made.