The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1912-01-04
IS EXPOSED
SAYS BEEF BARoNs MET WEEK.
LY TO APPoRTIoN TERRITORY
AND FIX PRICES.
PACKERS ARE OYERRULED
Declares Letters Hid Names of Com.
psnies.-Combine Disbanded Be-
tween 1896 and 1893 and
Then Resumed.

Chicago, III. - Direct evidence
that a packers pool was in existence
from 1898 to 1896 and that it, after
~suspending operations for two years,
resumed control of the country's fresh
meat business was given in the pack
ers' trial by Henry Veeder, who ad-
mitted that he acted as secretary OF
the organization.
1t was the first positive testimony
offered by the government regarding
the existence of the old pool which
met under the name of "postofice box
No. 247" every Tuesday to fix the
price charged for fresh beef, agree on
the price to be paid for cattle and al.
lot among its members the amount OF
meat to be shipped into the different
centers of distribution.
Between 1898 and 1896, the mem
bers of the pool were Armour & Co,
Armour Packing Company, Cudahy &
Co, G. II. Hammond & Co., St. Louis
Dressed Beef company, Morris & Co,
and Swift & Co, according to Henry
Veeder. In 1898 Schwarzschild &
Sulzberger entered the combination.
He testified that a record was kept
Of the amount of meat shipped to the
different branch houses and weekly
statements were sent to the members
showing the cost, average price re-
ceived and the margin of profit OF
fresh beef in the different cities.
Attorney for the defendants made
an unsuccessful effort to prevent the
witness from answering questions re-
garding the inside workings of the
packers pool, but Judge Carpenter
over-ruled every objection and direct
ed the government to proceed with
the presentation of it's case.
Veeder described the geographical
division of the country used by the
packers as follows: Territory ALI
east of the Mississippi river and north
Of the Ohio river except Illinois;
Territory B-All south Of the Ohio
and Potomac rivers and east of the
Mississippi river except West Vir-
ginia; Territory C-Chicago; Terri
tory D-St. Louis and all of Illinois
except Cook county and all of Iowa
except Council Bluffs.
He said this division had been in
existence ever since he knew any
thing about the packing business.
Mr.. Veeder said that the state of
Colorado was known as Territory e.
Other sections Of the country were
not included in the alphabetical list.
Continuing the witness said:
THE companies at these meetings
were identified by letters. Armour &
Co. was known as A, Armour Packing
company as b, Cudahy e. Co. as G.,
Hammond & Co. as ID, st. Louis Dress
ed Beef company as e, Morris & Co.
as F, and Swift & Co. as G..
I'm 1898 Schwarzschild & Sulzber-
ger Joined the meeting and were des-
ignated by the letter G, and Swift &
Co. became known under the letter H.
The meetings were held on the
sixth floor Of the Counselman build
ing. There were nine or ten rooms
used for these meetings. There were
40 signs on the door.
"All the firms who attended the
meeting paid their proportionate
amount of the rent and other expenses
which was determined by the volume
of business done in fresh beef in ter
ritory A"
In response to a question Mr.. Vee-
der replied:
Il received two statements every
Monday from each of the firms. One
showed the total shipment in territory
A made by each firm for the week.
The other statement gave the prices
received for the fresh meat sold by
each firm. | tabulated these figures
into one statement for use by the
packers at the Tuesday afternoon
meetings"
The witness said that he prepared
a weekly statement showing the cost,
average selling price and margin Of
profit on all beef sold at each point
in territory A. These percentage
statements, he said, were mailed to
representatives Of each firm Monday
night in envelopes marked Per-
sonal."
Every Tuesday afternoon after the
weekly meeting l would send a letter
to each member notifying them Of
their allotment in pounds to be ship
ped in territory A during the current
week"
Can you give us the form of those
letters?"
They read about like this: Dear
Sir-Your shipments into territory
A for the coming week will be 80
per cent of your maximum allotment,
Or 5000, 900 pounds"
RATE REDUCTION REAFFIRMED.