The Glenwood post., 1919-12-20
Big PACKERS
HAVE QUIT FIGHT
Governments Fight Against
High Cost Of Living Com.
promised and Settled
ABANDON SIDE LINES

Washington, Dec. 1s.-The govern
ment's antitrust suit against the
great meat packers, begun ut Prssi-
dent Wilson's direction last summer
as part of the fight on the high cost Of
living, has been compromised under
an agreement by which the packers
will confine themselves hereafter to
the meat and provision business.
An injunction decree to which the
packers have acceded, will be entered
in the federal courts to take the
agreement binding. Under its terms,
the big five-Swift, Armour, Norris
Wilson and Cudahy-have agreed to
divorce their meat packing industries
from their other commercial activities
and to sell their holdings in publis
stockyards and their interests in stock
yard railroads terminals, market
newspapers and similar "side lines.'
Two years are given to comply with
the decree which affects eighty-seven
corporations and forty-nine individu-
ais.
"In general" said Attorney General
Palmer's official announcement tonight
" this decree prevents the defendants
from exercising any further control
over the marketing of livestock. It
forever prevents them from any con-
troll over the retailing of meat pro.
ducts. 1t eliminates them from the
field of meat substitutes, with the ex-
ception of eggs, butter, poultry and
cheese which are left for future con-
sideraton and action; and therefore
the price of meat is within the con-
troll of the people themselves. 1t
places the conduct of these great ag-
gregations of capital Immediately un.
der the eye of federal court with
reference to their business practices.
"But, greater than all, it establishes
the principle that no group Of men,
no matter how powerful, can ever at
tempt to control the food table of the
American people or any one Of the
necessities or component parts Of It.
The department of justice, having
N mind the necessity and interests Of
the whole American people in this cri-
tical reconstruction period, feels that
by insisting upon this surrender on tho
part of packing interests it has ae-
complished more for the American
people than could have been hoped for
as the result of long drawn out le-
gal battle"
While Mr.. Palmer views the packers'
submission to the government con-
tentions as surrender" Henry
Veeder, counsel for Swift & Co., an.
nounced that the step was taken at
the suggestion of the department OF
justice, to avoid any appearance Of
antagon. .zing the government and 70
remove causes of friction with Iva
stock producers and food distributors.
Emphatically, Mr.. >veeder stated that
the decree was not to be construed n
an admission that Swift & Co., had
violated any law.
"The company feels that the same
spirit which caused the businessmen
of the country to submit to personal
sacrifices to win the war; he said
'ris just as essential during this period
Of reconstruction as then and there
fore it meets the request Of the gov
ernment for the sacrifice Of its own
interests. The company has consented
to the entry Of a decree for injuns-
tion only upon the expressed condition
that II should In 90 many words, ~
cite that the decree does not ad3u1i-
cate that the company hss vioAaest
any law Of the United etatss."