Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-12-20
PACKER'S 5 JURY
ALL COMPLETED
DECKS CLEARED FOR hyTTION IN
TRIAL OF TEN INDICTED
MEAT PACKERS.
OPENING Statement Severe
PROSECUTOR WLKERSON OUT
LINES THE CASE U. S. Gov
ERNMENT WILL MAKE.
The TRIAL Will Be LONG.
Estimated That From Four TO Six
Months Will be Used In Reach
ing Verdict.
The trial Will Be LONG

CHICAGO, Dec. 10. - The jury
which is to try the ten Chicago pack
ers charged with violation OF the
criminal provisions Of the Sherman
antitrust law, was completed today
and the opening statement of United
States District Attorney James H..
Wilkerson was begun.
In outlining the case, Mr.. Wilkerson
bitterly declared the defendants.
through the National Packing COM
pany, had continued the old pooling
practices Of the packers, and had ac-
tually put into effect the most power
full engine for the SUPPRESSION of corn
petition ever devised in the industrial
world.
Decks Cleared For Action.
Judge Carpenter had scarcely
ceased directing the summoning of a
new panel of veniremen when counsel
r for the indicted packers declared they
were satisfied with the twelve men
in the box. The government attorneys
were content before the noon ad.
journment and the oath was admins
tered to the jury and the decks cleared
for actual beginning of the legal bat
tie which is looked upon as one of
the most momentous of the federal
power has clashed with.
When Mr. Wiikerson began his
opening address all of the defendants
were IN the court room and each lis
tened intently as step by step tho
theory OF the prosecution and the
facts on which 1t is based were pre-
sented
A Detailed History.
Tracing the history Of the meat in
dictment and going into great detail in
his description Of various phases and
the deeds, which he declared marked
a conspiracy to violate the law OF the
land. Mr.. Wilkerson laid special em-
phas.s on the following points: That
the combination represented by the
ten indicted Chicago meat packers is
the most powerful engine OF the sup
preston of competition and the fixing
of prices ever known In the history
of the Industrial world; that the sys-
tenn Is so ingeniously devised and so
closely guarded that the men in the
lower grades of employment are led
to believe the corporations In the COM
biuation are actual competitors.
Fixed Prices Since 1880.
That the indicted packers or their
predecessors have dominated the meat
industry Of the country and fixed
prices since 1880.
That the real purpose and design
of the National Packing company
which was organized by members OF
the combination March IS, 1908. Is
to continue the work accomplished
by the old companies.
That they are using uniform meth
DDS in the test cost of their product.
That this test cost, arrived at by add
ing the killing charge to the price OF
cattle on the hoof and deducting al
lowances for hide and fat. is In ex-
packers a larger margin of profit than
their own figures indicate.
A Division System.
That the country was divided un-
der the old pooling system Into dif-
ferent divisions and each member of
the pool allotted a certain percent
age of the business and that q similar
system is still in existence.
That n system of forfe.ts 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 on those
members who exceeded their allott-
ment.
That forty-three representatives oil
the combination met every TUESDAY
i'm the office of a Chicago lawyer ana
fixed the price of meat. That since
the organization of the packing COM
many the directors of that organiza-
tiop hold meetings at which the price
was fixed.
Only Blind.
"The evidence which will be pre-
sented," said Mr.. Wilkerson. VIII
show that no other conclusion can be
reached than the National Packing
company was used for the purpose OF
killing operations of the old pool
and for that alone.
at gives pretext for these gentie-
men getting together and discussing
their own business, In terms OF the|
business of the National Packing
company and the National Packing
company operated in the place OF the
old system of fines which were tsed
in the days of secret meetings
MFR. Wllkerson ridiculed the claim
which he anticipated the defense
would make that the National Pack
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