The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-01-06
MEAT PACKERS
BEFORE JURY
SAYS POOL DID
NOT FIX PRICES
Witness Veeder Goes Deeper Into
Packing History, But Denies the
Main Point - Witnesses Confront
ed with Letters.

Chicago. Jan. Methods declared
to have been used by the packers to
control the price of fresh meats and
appoGtion the business on noncom.
petitive basis were further revealed to-
day by Harry II. Veeder, In the trial of
the ten Chicago packers charged with
criminal violation of the Sherman an.
thrust law The witness produced no
documentary evidence, however, de-
claring that all records of the old pack
ers' pools had been destroyed as far
as he knew.
When confronted with letters sent
out by the packers referring to the
shipment and price of fresh meat in
periods in which he said there was
no pool in existence, the witness appar
entity grew nervous, but declined to
deny the commences of the docu.
ments.
L would not say whether those let
ters we're or not sent out from my Of
flee" Mr.. Veeder said.
The government read number OF
new letters and kilograms purporting
to have been sent out by the combina-
ton while NJ. Veeder was secretary.
Prices Were Discussed.
The witness testified that the price
of meat was discussed at meetings of
the packers where acted as secretary;
the Instructions were sent out from
his office regarding the uniform sys.
TEN of figuring the cost of slaughter
ed animals, based on instructions rece
ived from the packers at the weekly
meetings.
The witness also gave from memory
the percentages used in the distribu.
ton of business in territory "a under
the packers agreement OF 1898, as
follows:
Armous n Co. > so.
Armous Packing company, ;. 50
Cudahy & Co., :.
G. II. Hammond Il Co., IL 90.
Morris a. Co, IL.
Schwarzschild & Sulzberger. 4 30.
Swift a. Co., 49,
He said other percentages were us.
ed in other territories.
The basis on which this system of
calculation was figured, he said was
known as the maximum weight meth.
Cd
/ Regulated Only Market Territory.
! on cross examination Veoder fatty
denisy the governments contention
that the old packers pool between 1898
and 1902 attempted to fix the price OF
fresh meats OF the price to be paid for
live stock.
He declared that the only object OF
the combination was to regulate the
amount of fresh meat to be shipped
into the different markets.
! The witness said that each of the
agreements made by the packers in
| the period described contained a pro
vision that no effort should be made
to fix prices.
The defense also brought out that
under the agreements each member
of the combination frequently over.
shipped the maximum percentage al
lowed The object of this was to re,
flute the charge that the operation of
the combination had the effect of re.
straining trade in fresh meats.
Dropped Shipping Feature in 1902.
The witness said the meetings OF
packers, held on the sixth floor of the
Counselman building, subsequent ia
1902 had nothing to do with the ship
ment of fresh meat to any part of the
United States.
Special Counsel Butler read q list
of the packing companies consolidated
in the National Packing company IL
March, 1908, and asked II they were
ever members OF any prior pools. The
witness said they were not.
Were there any other provisions
in those packers agreements except
those prohibiting the fixing of prices
for the sale of fresh meat and the
purchase OF live stock?"
Il don't remember any other pro
visions"
WAS there anything in them de
claring that competition should be free
and untrammeled?"
81 don't remember that there was
The witness said that all the pack
ers' agreements were for definite