New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-31
Attorney General Seeks to
Stop Operation of
Combine
COMPLAINT NAMES
WEXLER AND DINKlNS
Alleges Americans Guar
antee Mexicans $l0,-
100000 Credit

Steps 70 prevent further operation IN
the United States Of the so-called Mexi-
can "sisal trust" which, according 70
the Department Of Justice, has mulcted
American farmers Of millions of dollars,
were taken yesterday when Joseph r.
Cox, special deputy of Attorney General
Gregory, visited the Offices OF the COM
bine at 100 Broadway and served notice
of suit
The complaint fled in the Federal
District Court was directed against the
Comision Reguladora del Mercado de
Henequen, Of Yucatan, Mexico, and the
Pan-American Commission Corporation
of New Orleans. 1t specifically charges
Sol Wexler, Of New York, and Lynn h.
Dinkins, of New Orleans, incorporstors
of the Pan-Americsn Commission, and
Menalio Marin, Nicolas Perraez and Juan
Martinez, officials of the 'Regulsdora,
as the Mexican organization is known,
with conspiring in violation OF the anu
trust laws to restrain interstate ana
foreign trade in sisal and 10 increase
the market price OF the fibre throughout
the United States.
"Tbe combination STACKED" states
Attorney General Gregory in the com
plsint, 'was formed late in 1915 70 mo-
nopolize the field and increase the price
Of sisal in the United States. Slsal is
produced as an article Of commerce only
in Yucatsn. and is the only hbre avail
able for the manufacture OF blnoer
Irvine, Of which from 250,0OO,OOO to 8OO,-
100000 pounds is required annually
for harvesting the grain crops oil the
United States.
"To enable the Comision to pur-
chase the entire output of Mexico and
sell il on terms and at prices fixed by
the combination, the Pan-American
Commission Corporation, organized and
controlled by American bankers, IS sup
plving 10 the Comision in the United
States a continuous credit of SlO,OOO,-
600 and otherwise assisting the
Comision. For this service the corpora
ton receives a minimum compensation
of S450,000 a year in addition 20 the
regular rates of interest on loans made
TO the Comision.
when the combination was formed
the price of sissl at New York was 81
cents a pound. As result of the COM
DlDdtlon the price Ndo btth auf al "a
until IL is now 1914 cents. This price,
II maintained, means probably an in
crease TO the farmers of more than
S25,000.000 in the cost of twine for the
1917 crops over the cost Of 1875
"The Comision entertains no fear
for the outcome Of this suit" said Mr..
Marin last night 1--WE have never
adopted or put into practice, nor have
we ever sought to adopt, any artificial
means to control the market of hene-
quen or 10 affect its price. The rise in
the price of sisal has been the normal
result OF the worlds demand for all
kinds of fibre, which naturally had
greatly increased as the result of the
European conflict
Jerome S. Hess. of the firm of Hardin
& Hess, 40 Pine Street, attorneys repre-
senting the Comision, expressed his
belief that the United States courts had
no jurisdiction over the "Reguladora,"
which, he said, was nothing but a
league of Yucatan farmers with few
representatives in the United States"