The Mena weekly star., 1912-01-11
MET EVERY WEEK
 TO FIX PRICES
Government Scores by Introducing Letters Establishing Fact That Business Was Apportioned on
 Non-C Competitive Basis

Chicago, Jan. 2.-Documentary evidence that the price of meat was fixed and the business appor- tioned on a non-competitive basis by the packers at their weekly meetings, was introduced by the government today at the trial oi | ten Chicago packers before Fed eraI Judge Carpenter.
 Special Counsel Pierce Butler read several letters received by W. ID. Miles, manager of the Armour Packing Company at Chicago, Tn Hume, 1897, in which amounts of beef to be shipped to certain east ern markets were given and the price to be charged, based on a margin of 30 cents on the uniform cost estimate used by the packers, was named.
 The letters also flatly refuted the statement of Henry Veeder on the witness stand that no meet ings of the packers were held be- tween April, 1897, and January, 1898. when a statistical bureau" was maintained to compile records of meat shipped and prices ob- tained at different points. Miles, who severed his connection with lthe Armour interests in 1903, will, lit is said, be one of the star wit lnesses for the government.
 l One of the letters, dated June 29,
 1897, read in part:
 Dear Sir-This afternoon it was agreed that each party will not ship the current week in excess of
 his proportion of a total shipment lof 100 cars, basing each such pro-
 portion on the average weekly
 shipments to Boston for the eight
 weeks ending June 26, 1897. It was
 also agreed that parties in interest
 would endeavor to obtain for the current week margins of 50 cents.
 "pittsburg: It was agreed that
 each party in interest would moi
 ship in excess of 90 per cent of the
 average weekly shipment for the
 four weeks ending June f2, 1897. | Several similar letters were in- | troduced by the government, and it
 was pointed out that they were all
 Unsigned and in the form Henry
 Veeder testified the packers letters
 were written:
 Letters Were a Surprise. After Attorney Butler had ques-
 tioned Henry Veeder, secretary o1
 the packers pools, regarding the
 details of the combinations from May, 1893, to July 1, 1902, when the
 witness said the last fresh meat pool dissolved and he severed his connection with the packers, the : government attorney sprang a sur-
 prise on the defendants by reading
 the letters and offering them ir
 evidence.
 Does the reading of these let ters refresh your memory in re- gard to an arrangement at tha' ) time covering the shipment o } beef and the fixing of the margin price?" asked Attorney Butler. No, although I do not question the genuineness Of these letters
 said the witness. They indicat' , that if there was an arrangement : it was of a temporary character Memory Was Tricky. Were many packers meeting held between April, 1902, an,
 March, 1903, at which the suppl,
 of fresh meet was discussed?"
 Not to my knowledge" replie,
 the witness.
 Did you ever know of any pack.
 CTS meetings held on the eightl floor of the Counselman building : lduring this period?"
 : T believe there was meeting 5 but I am not sure of the dates" Were they in regard to the sup ply and price of meat?"
 Not in regard to this country They had to do with foreign trade as I remember"
 Henry Veeder was on the stand when court adjourned, and he vii , resume his story tomorrow morn , ing.