The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-26

it's organization in 1908 has been used
as the clearing house for the alleged
combination.
That the packers adopted a test cos
and margin system which was used II
the purchase Of cattle and the sale Of
fresh meat.
That the allowances made for by.
products in figuring the test cost wer,
inadequate and the ''cost'' used by ths
pankers was fictitious and higher thar
the actual cost.
That the representatives Of the diff.
ferent companies in New York, Bos.
ton and other eastern cities exchanged
information in regard to prices and
shipments and telegraphed the figures
to their superiors in Chicago.
That the violation of the Sherman
law by the packers has been continu-
u and practically uninterrupted
since 1893.
A Chronological history of the gov
ernment's investigation and prosecu,
ton of the men alleged to control the
fresh meat industry of the country Ii
as follows:
July l. 1s08-Injunction issued BY
Judge Grosscup restraining the pack
ers from entering into a combination.
Feb. 20, INSTRUMENTATION OF alleg-
ed combination begun.
July /, 1905-Sixteen packers anG
four corporations indicted.
Dec. 81, 19O5-Cases called for trial
March 81, 1906-Judge Humphrey
renders the Immunity bath decision
freeing the indicted packers.
II E non IN ono -Tyryn1ff ro kfnS1 AaIx~- ~,
by federal grand jury but soon discon-
tinued without indictments being re.
turned.
Dec. Is, 1909--Investigation resumed
by the federal grand jury.
March 81, acknowledgements return.
ed against the National Packing Co
and ten subsidiary concerns and bill
in equity filed asking that the Nation
al Packing Co. be dissolved.
June "a, acknowledgements agains
the National Packing Co. quashed By
Judge Lands and a special CRANE
jury called to renew the investigation.
July IA, 1910-Special grand jury i'm,
panelled and inquiry begun.
Aug. II, 1910-Thomas G.. Lee, man
ager of the dressed beef sales depart,
ment of Armour & Co., indicted TO,
perjury and Alfred r. Urion, chic
counsel for the company and thret
employees charged with destroying
stenographers notebooks containing
important information wanted by tn,
government.
Aug. 70, 191O-Attorney Urion dis,
charged with a reprimand and the 9th,
er respondents held for further hear
ing.
Sept. II, acknowledgements returned
charging ten packers with conspirac!
in maintaining a conspiracy in r
straint of trade.
Dec. s, 1s11-Trial of the ten pack
ers begun before Judge Carpenter.
Longest on Record.
The trial was one of the longes
criminal trials in the history of tn
federal courts. 1t began Dec, 6. 1911
and the jury was sworn in Dec. Is
The first witness was called by tn
government Dec. rs, The government
put forty-nine witnesses on the stan,
and introduced 1,448 documents u
evidence. The record of the case con
tains 5,000,0o0 words.
1t is estimated that the trial cos
the packers 100000, and the govern
ment about $100,0 00.
The first witness called by the gov
eminent was Albert HI. Veeder, tn
dean OF counsel for the packers an
personal legal advisor of the late Gus
tavus f. Swift, f~ounder>of Swift & CO
He gave a graphic description Of tn
old packers pool which met ever
Tuesday afternoon prior to 1902 an
gave the details of the method b
which the fresh meat business OF tn
country was controlled. He declare
that no attempt was made to n
prices and divide territory after tn
old packers pool vas dissolved in 100:
He also told of the attempt of tn
Armour, Swift and Morris interests I
combine the packing industry into