Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-07-03
cANTALoUPE PROBE
United States Department of Justice
Has Begun Investigation of West
ern Cantaloupe Exchange

Through the visit of government
investigation to this section of the
Arkansas Valley the fore part of this
week the cantaloupe growers have had
their interest aroused in the investiga-
ton that was recently begun by the
United States Department of Justice
of the Western Cantaloupe Exchange
on the grounds that it is a trust, oper-
ating in restraint of trade, and con-
trolling prices.
Enterprise readers will be interested
in the following report of the cause
and effect of the government probe, as
published in The Packer on Saturday:
Chicago, June 26.-That the present
investigation of the Western Cantaloupe
Exchange by the government may SIM
ply be cloak for efforts to secure in
formation about the account sales rem
dered to- California growers by members
of the Exchange, is the opinion express
sed by a large number of the trade here
this week. While none of the members
of the Exchange has anything to hide or
is giving the matter any concern, still
they regard it as peculiar that the most
important feature of the investigation
has been the demands of the district
attorney for records of all cantaloupe
transactions back as far as 1910,
especially copies of account sales.
Members of the trade here are per-
fectly willing that the government
should have these, but they suspicion
that other interests, which have at
tempted to harass the cantaloupe oper-
ators in the recent past, are back OF
the investigation the government is now
making, and they figure that the party
or parties in mind are anxious to get
complete records of the cantaloupe
deals during the past few years for the
purpose of furthering their efforts to
trouble the men in the cantaloupe deal.
The interests who are suspicioned are
working very close with the COVER
ment authorities on the cantaloupe case,
and while the trade does not for a
minute think the investigators are
knowingly aiding private interests in
getting the information which may be
so greatly desired, they feel that the
action which the government has been
encouraged to take may unwittingiy
aid private interests in attaining an
other end.
Inasmuch as the grand jury term will
likely close soon, and the time in which
it has heard testimony regarding the
Exchanges operations has been short,
it is barely possible that no indictments
will be handed down during the present
term, although the matter may be push
ed to head and action begun on it be-
fore the close of the month.
1t was reported late this week that
the Exchange members had arranged
to get their side of the question heard
before the grand jury decides on indict'
ments and it is believed the whole
matter may be effectually wiped out
before any undeserved stigma is PLACED
against the names of the concerns in
volved.
The Exchange is non-profit organi
cation without capitalization; it wa:
organized for the distribution and sale
of cantaloupes. Article VIII of the
agreement between the shipping com
panies and the Exchange reads: ''NC
price agreements are or shall be agreed
upon by any of the parties hereto upor
said cantaloupes or any part thereof
On the contrary all shipments hereunder
shall be free from all agreement, limita
tions and restrictions as to price oil
otherwise, except in the matter ot
equitable distribution, according tt
terms hereof, viz: To make the supply
equal the demand in the several markets
of the United States.
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