The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-12-21
PRICE AGREEMENT
CHARGED TO PACKERS
L NlTED STATES ATTORNEY
CLAIMS ALL FIGURES ARE
AGREED ON THROUGH THE
NATIONAL PACKING CON-
I'ANY.

Chicago. - Prosecutor Wilkerson
continued today his opening state
in federal court which is to Try the
to-. indicted packers. lie so impress
CO thai body that when he closed the
defense changed its plans and will
follow with an opening statement,
rot waiting for the government $
evidence TO be introduced
Chicago. THE jury which is TO
ry the ten Chicago packers who
arec harged with violation OF the
criminal provisions OF ;he Sherman
antitrust law, was completed yes
terday and the opening statement Of
United States District Attorney
James II. Wilkerson was begun.
In outlining the case, Nj. Wilk-
crson. in Il speech rep,cte with bitter
inNectives, declared that the defend
ants. through the National Packing
company. 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.
When MIR. Wilkerson began his
opening address. all the defendants
we're in the court room and each lis
tened intently as. step by step, the
neo;y OF the prosecution and tho
facts upon which it is based, We're
presented.
Tracing the history OF the meat in,
ciustry. in its relation to the mel
under indictment. and going into
great detail in his description o.
phases OF the deal. which he declar
ed marked cons piracw to violate
: the law OF the land. Mr.. 'Wilkel sol
laid speci;l emphasis on the follow
] ing points.
That the combination represented
by the ten Chicago meat packer
under indictment is the most power
lul system for the suppression o
!. competition and the fixing o! price
4 over known in the history OF the in
\ dustrial world.
= = That the system they devised j
d so ingenious and so closely guarde
IS that the men iii the lower grades o
,t,l of 1jn nJ..it ~
!. the combinations are actually con
J, pctitors.
d That the indicted packers or thei
l. predecessors have dominated TIL
II meat industry of this country an
If fixed prices since 1889.
y. That the real purpose and desig
el of the National Packing compan.
~ which was organized by members {
:. the corporation March is. 1903.
D to continue the work accompishe
by the old pool
III That the key to the system is ii
uniform method used by the mel
T. bers in fixing the test cost OF IL
u product.
ae That this test cost, added TO Il
re
~ Killing charge. through the pri
OF cattle on the hoof and deductil
II. allowance for hide and fat is in g
il ~ ,t A., ,, s., 49,, ,,i, !,
nix
nc packers a larger margin OF pro
nd than their own figures Indicate.
ng That the country was divide
l's under the old pooling system,
to
nd to different divisions and each me-
he Der OF the pool allotted Il ccrta
al. percentage of the business and til
similar system is still in eNisten
NO That system of forfeits was pa
he to members who failed 10 get tn
ELF percentage OF the business and Il
ai- similar system is still in existen
to
That system OF forfetis was p;
iss to members who failed to get th
ef percentage of business of the diff
ent divisions and those forfetis w
'ell in then ature of fines on those ME
we bers who exceeded their allotment