Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-03
Federal Trade Commission
Reports That Through Com
binations and Agreements
Market Is Controlled
CLAIM BUYERS ALL
ACT IN CONCERT
Five Big Companies Also Are
Charged With Acting in Col
lusion in Selling Products
to the Consumers
tsv MORNING JOURNAL srsc,AL LEASED w,#sl

tsr MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL. LEASED wIEGi
Washington, Dec. 2.--The federal
trade commission in supplemental
report, submitted to congress today
charges the five big meat packing
companies of the country with
combination in restraint of trade
and with controlling the sale Of
live stocks end fresh meats.
Evidence is cited at length to
support the charges. Swift and
company Armour and company,
Norris and company, Wilson and
company, Inc, and the Cudahy
Packing company are named.
''The evidence of the present day
existence of a meat combination
among the five big packers is vol
luminous and detailed" the report
said This evidence is convincing,
consisting as it does largely of docu-
ments written by the packers or
their agents and including the men,
oranda made by one of the partiei-
! pants in the combination of the
terms and conditions agreed upon at
various meetings of the packers"
The principal conclusions to be
drawn from this mass of evidence
relating to combinations among the
packers, the report says, are:
Armour and company. Morris and
company, Wilson company, Inc, and
the Cudahy Packing company are in
an greement for the division of live
stock purchases throughout the
United States, according to certain
fixed percenta ges
Divided Fifty-Fffty.
''That this national livestock di-
vision is reinforced by local agree
ments among he members OF the
general combination operating al
each of the principal markets as az
Denver, where Armour and swift
divide their livestock fifty-fifty
"That these national and local
livestock purchase agreements con-
stitute n restraint of other inter-
state commerce in live animals and
in the sale of meat and oother ami
NAL products, sitting competition
nroong the five companies, substan-
tially controlling the prices to be
paid livestock products and the
prices to be charged consumers OF
meat and other animal products anu
giving the members OF the comDiii-
alton unfair and illegal advantages
over actual and potential coinpe'i'-
ors.
'2-That the five companies ex-
change confidential information
which is not made available to their
com petitors and employ Jointly PAID
Grants TO secure information Which
Il used to control and manipulate
livestock markets.
"3-That the five companies act
collusively through their buyers IN
the purchase of livestock.
"4-That Swift and company
Armour and company, Morris anu
company and Wilson company me
through their subsidiary ana con-
trolled companies in south Ahleriea
combined with certain other COM
nanies 10 restrict and control snip
ments of beef and other meats from
South America to the United states
and other countries. ot
"5-That the five companies act
collusiyely in the sale of Tresn
Mold Public Opinion.
ae--That there is a joint contr1hu- :
ton to funds expended under tneir
secret control to influence pupio
pinion and governmental action ano
thus to maintain the power OF their
combinations. a
standings and pools herein before
recited and reinforced by the COM
munity OF interest among the five
companies above named through
ioint ownership, either corporate OF
indiyidual of various enterprises.
Two or more of the interests thus
have Joint ownership or representa-
tion in eighteen concerns as Tar as
ascertained to July, 1918.
In summary OF its concerns re-
aarding collusive livestock buying the
commission said it finds:
THAT the big packers together con-
troll the livestock markets.
..That such competition as appears
70 exist is limited and not real.
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lContinued on Page Two.)