Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-07
Wants Their Views
on Measures to
Reduce Prices
PACKERS FACE
CRIMINAL SUITS
Are Prosecuted For
Hoarding Too;
Trial to Be Soon

Washington, Aug. 7.-Mem-
bers of the subcommittee ap-
pointed by Attorney General
Palmer to make recommenda-
tions for measures to reduce the
high cost of living were sum-
moned to the White House to-
day by President Wilson.
Trial Soon
The Governments case against the
five big packers will be placed before
the Federal Grand Jury which meets
at Chicago three weeks hence. This
means that criminal prosecution
will be instituted.
Charles f. Clyne, Federal District
Attorney at Chicago, said to-day
that besides asking indictments un-
der the criminal sections Of the
Sherman antitrust law, civil suits
would be brought under that statute
and that in addition the packers
would be prosecuted under the food
control act on charges of boarding.
Gather Evidence
Mr.. Clyne has been in Washington
for several days comforting with At
torney General Palmer and George
r. Williams, who prosecuted the oil
trust cases. The three officials have
been sitting the evidence gathered
against the packers by the Federal
Trade Commission.
Four hundred different branches
of the industry as conducted by
the packers, Mr.. Clyne said, are be-
ing dealt with by the Department of
Justice.
The governments new antitrust
suits against the five great meat pack
ing concerns is being brought by di-
rection of President Wilson as one
of the first results of his study of the
cost of living problem.
1t became known to-day that the
President came to his decision after a
careful study of the investigations OF
the Federal Trade Commission and the
hearings before Congressional commit
tees considering bills to control the
packing industry. Conferences with
members of the federal commission and
Attorney General Palmer followed
The announcement by the attorney
general that the suits would be brought
was the immediate result.
Packers Illegal Trust
1t seems assured the government viii
charge the packers with being an IL
legal trust on the ground that they con.
troll the buying of cattle. Whether
there will be the double charge that
they control both buying of cattle and
selling of finished meat products has
not been so clearly defined
While the attorney general is pre-
pairing his case. special agents of the
Department of Justice will continue
their hunt for profteers and hoarders
After the Hoarder
The hoarder lis the big part oi
the game right now" in the opinion
of the Government officials in charge
of the efforts to bring down prices
and Attorney General Palmer in
dicated to-day that he was depend
ing largely on the section of the
Lever act dealing with boarding, as
one of the most immediate means OF
forcing prices down.
THE price gouger can be reached
in another way" the Attorney Gen.
eral said, adding that there wasn't
much difference between boarding
and profiteering.
I Suits Against Packers
Antitrust suits against the great
meat packing firms were announced
bv Attorney General Palmer as the
first concrete development of the
| Governments campaign to reduce
the high cost of living.
Armour, Swift, Morris. Wilson and
Cudahy, who have been pictured in
the Investigations of the Federal
Trade Commission and before Con-
TronfinunJ m Pare IL.