The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-08-01
BEEF MONOPOLY AZ
THING OF THE PAST.
Wickersham Accepts Trusts
Plea Of Dissolution.
CIVIL SUIT IS DISMISSED
Packers Assure Attorney General Ae.
tive Composition VIII Be Revived
and There VIII 6e No Further
Restraint OF Trade.

| Restraint OF Trade.
Washington, July 27.-The beef
trust, which the government has
fought for ten years, is no longer in
existence in the opinion of the depart.
ment of justice, -.
Attorney General Wickersham has
accepted the plan proposed by the
packers for the voluntary dissolution
of the National Packing company,
holding concern owned by the Morris,
Swift and Armour packing companies,
Civil Suit Withdrawn.
The attorney general decided also
that the department OF justice will
not institute the civil dissolution suit
which it had threatened to file next
Thursday.
Here are the other things he did:
Accepted the assurances Of the
packers that active competition will
be revived. .. .
Informed them that as soon as II
develops competition is being re-
strained further prosecution will be
started.
Called their attention to an injunc-
ton order affirmed by the Supreme
court of the United States In 1905
prohibiting the Morris. Swift and Ar
mour packing companies from combin-
| ing to restrain trade.
Settled at Conference.
These things were done at con.
ference held by Attorney General
Wickersham, United States District
Attorney James Wilkerson of Chicago
and Attorney Ralph Crews, counsel
for the packers.
Following the conference II became
known that the officials Of the depart.
ment Of justice consider that they
| have accomplished more progress
towards the actual dissolution Of the
| beef trust than they have made In
the case Of any other trust since anti.
trust prosecutions came into vogue.
The reason for this dates back to
about 1902, when the government
started its activities against the beef
trust. After hard fight the govern.
ment was successful in 1903 in getting
an Injunction against Morris, Swift
| and Armour. The Injunction was is,
sued by Judge Peter g. Grosscup OF
the United States circuit court al
Chicago. The packers thereupon took
1t up to the United States Supreme
court and the Injunction was afirmed
Fights National Company.
Inasmuch as II Is considered impos
sible to draw up an Injunction order
gency, this did not deter the packers
from devising a scheme by which they
could accomplish their restraint OF
trade without violating the injunction
order. They went ahead and organ.
ICED a number Of plants throughout
the country. They did not engage
their own companies in competition
with 1t and neither did they compete
with each other. The Injunction did
not cover the National Packing com,
pany. The government then went
after the National Packing company
and II Is this concern that the depart.
ment of justice has been fighting for
years. A few months ago 1t failed IN
its efforts to criminalIy prosecute the
oficials Of the company, the packers
winning the case The government
then announced that It would Hgft
the company, II the proceedings took
forever.
In accordance with this plan it was
prepared to Ale a civil suit on August
and informed the packers that this
would be done unless they decided in
the meantime to surrender
Injunction stiII Exists.
The situation Of the so-called beef
trust today, in the opinion Of otficiais
of the department of Justice, Ia prac.
tically the same as 1t was ten years
ago, with one ditference-that the in
junction order issued by Judge Gross.
cup Is still hanging over the packers.
The department of Justice mas in.
formed the packers that II will pro-
coed under this Injunction order with
out delay, If the discovery Is made
that it ls being violated An ordinary
sentence for violation of the order
will be $4,000 hne and Imprisonment
for one year for each OF the packers
found guilty.
In the opinion Of officials Of the dc.
partment Of Justice the only way the
packers can again operate as a trust
rs by adopting some roundabout meth.
cd to escape the injunction order.
such as they did when they organized
the National Packing company. The
discovery of such a plan will imme.
diatsly bring about further prosecu-
ton.