The Sentinel=record., 1911-12-22
DENIAL MADE
 BY PACKERS
ATTORNEYS ENTER GENERAL DE- MAJ TO ACCUSATIONS IN THE
 ANTITRUST SUITS.
Claimed That Operations of indicted Maanates Did Not Constitute Restraint ot the Meat
 Trade.

Chicago, Dec. 2l.--Denysg every material allegation made by the gov ernment against the ten Chicago packers on trial before United States District Judge Carpenter for viola ton of the criminal sections of the Sherman law, Attorney George T.. Buckingham today outlined the case of tine defendants in his opening state ment to the jury. The defense met defeat when Judge Carpenter at the opening of court denied motions to eliminate counts two and three from the indictment and to have the jury disregard statements made by District Attorney Wilkerson in his opening ar gament regarding certain acts of the defendants prior to the 3-year period covered by the indictment.
 Attorney Buckingham described in detail the method of buying selling and accounting used by the packers and declared the unusual nature of the business made some such system absolutely necessary. In outlining the packers defense Attorney Dueking- ham made salient statements in re- ply to their charges of the govern ment among which were:
 
 That the business operations of the packers do not constitute an undue and unreasonable restraint oi trade under the Sherman law as re gently interpreted by the United States Supreme court in the cases of fine Standard on and tobacco com i,anies.
 That the public has been benerit ted rather than injured by the opera. tions of the packers.
 That the governments proof of the allesed combination must be con- fined to the three year period sub sequently to 1907.
 That the profits Of the packers do not exceed ten per cent on the actual money invested.
 That the profits on sales of meat do not exceed three per cent.
 That no agreement on the purchase price of cattle or on fine sale Of meat ever existed among The defendants.
 That the weekly meeting of packers held prior to 1912 for the sole pur- pose of preventing the over stocking of the market witn perisnable fresh meat and not to fix prices or sup press competition.
 That there are nearly 300 independ- ent concerns in daily competition with indicted packers.
 That the defendants supply less than seventy per cent of the meat used in this country.
 That the high cost of meat Is the iSNuit oi fdltcty VI CtuhOhiiS Ndhn es and mot due to any combination among packers
 That the National Packing Company was organized in good faith to trans act a legitimate business and not to perpetuate any system for the fixing of prices or the control Of the pro duet.
 Attorney Buckingham addressed the jury as the representatives of four of the defendant packers. Louis F.. Ed ward and Charles H. Swift and H A. Fowler.
 Pointed paragraphs in his statement were:
 Tt is specifically denied that the cost system now in use was invented for the purpose of enabling combina- | tion between the packers.
 "We deny the charge that the dt- rectors of the National Packing Com rany made any agreements about any business except that of the Nation al'
 The old trade arrangement, whose object was to prevent the oyer-accn. mutation Of meats as perishable ar ticles in thd various markets was euded by agreement prier .c June, 1902. The indictment charges the National Packing Company was or. ganized for the purpose of perpetual. Ing this old arrangement This is alphabetically denied. 7
 Attorney NJ. w Borders. represent ing the Morris group of defendants ] will speak tomorrow morning.