Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-03
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
NAMES GIG FIVE As MEM.
sERs OF TRUST.
IOWA MARKET FULLY
IN THEIR CONTROL.
Armour and cudahy Sole oietators in
Sioux City Tsrritory-Paeksrs Ae.
eused Of Exchanging Confidential In
formation = Collision in Buyinas
Found.

trade commission, in q supplemental
report submitted to congress today,
charged the five big meat packing COM
panies Of the country with a combina-
ton in restraint of trade and with con-
trolling the sale Of live stock and fresh
meats.
1.-THE evidence Of the present day
existence Of a meat combination among
the five big packers is volumlnous and
detailed" the report said. This evil
dence is convincing, consisting as it
| does largely of documents written by
the packers or their agents and includ-
ing the memoranda made by one of the
packers in the combination Of the terms
and conditions agreed upon at verious
meetings Of the packers. The mass OF
evidence relating to combines among
the packers. the report says. are:
"First-That Swift & Co.. Armour
& Co., Morris & Co., Wilson & Co.,
and the Cudahy Packing Company are
in an agreement for the division OF
like stock purchases thruout the United
States, according to certain informa-
ton.
That this national live stock divi-
sion is reinforced by local agreement
among the members of the general
combination operating at each Of the
markets as at Denver where Armour
& Co., and Swift & Co. divided their
like stock.
Exchange Confidential Information.
The local livestock combination
acts as a restraint of Interstate COM
merce in live animals and in the sale
Of meat and other animals products,
sitting competition among the nve
companies, substantially controlling
the prices to be paid live stock pro-
ducers and the prices to be charged
consumers, of meat and other animal
products and giving the members OF
the combination unfair and illegal ad .
vantage over actual and potential
competitors.
+ "Second-That the five companies
exchange confidential Information
which is not made available to their
competitors and employ Jointly paid
agents to secure information which Is
used to control and manipulate live
stock markets.
~Third-That the five companies act
collusivelyi thru. their buyers IN the
purchase Of live stock.
Enter Forsien Field.
"Fourth-That swift 81 Co.. Armour
& Co. Morris &. Co, and Wilson Com
pany, Inc, thruout their subsidiary,
and controlled :. companies in South
America combined with certain other
companies to restrict and control ship
ment. Of beef and other meats from
south America to the United States
and other countries.
"Fifth-That the Ave companies act
collusively in the sale Of fresh meat.
"sixth-That there - a Joint contri-
button to funds expended under their
secret control to mold public opinion
and governmental action and thus to
maintain the power Of their combina-
ton.
"Seyenth-That the agreements. and
fpools hereinfore are reinforced by the
community offhterest. among the nve
companies above named thru joint
ownership. either corporate or indivio7
ual Of various enterprises.
That they together fix live STOCK
co,Iusien il Buying Found.
Collision In buying, the report SAID.
Ss in operation at all markets.
"The buyers begin buying at the
same time" the report stated. III one
holds on the market All hold of. So
strong is the influence OF the big pack
ers in buying that the market Is not
made until their buyers begin bidding.
There exists. Therefore. zach Of the
biz packers = centralized buying sys-
fem 20 simply. contrived and organized
that It controls the smaller details OF
like stock PURCHASES at each of the
markets ana can DO set In motion anu
directed by a single word.
Only few men In each company
need know that there is an agreement
or understanding. The report said the
.pig ave" Jointly employ men at mar
kets to gather market conditions and
thus check leach others operations.
Analyzing conditions at various mar
kets, the report paid that at st. Joseph.
No, Swift, Armour and Morris operate
al Yards controlled by Swift! H II
AT times" It was stated. Swift has
Norris to buy In the market.
Is Deal onaat Sioux City.
At Omaha and Sioux; City, the report
declared. the Cudahy and Armour
plants are the larsest and Swift has 3.
recently acquired = small plant AZ
Sioux City. d I, g t,., :. E .{s,
~ sfsi