Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-12-26
BIG PACKERS To
DROP SIDE LINES
Full Terms Of Dissolution Agree
ment Are Given Out.
sURRENDERs TO GOVERNMENT
Agree TO Sell Only Meat and By-Prod-
uets, and Give Up Yards, Rail-
roads, Terminals, Newspapers
and Branch Houses.


principal stockholders and managers
had surrendered to the government
contentious against the monopolistlc
growth of the packing industry ;4nc It's
control of unrelated industries.
BY the entry of a permanent IN
junction decree, to which the packers
have consented, their activities are TO
be confined to meat and 5y-products,
eggs. butter, poultry, cheese and con-
densed milk. Refrigeration is to be
limited to the cars necessary for car
rying their output.
By the decree, which is to be secured
by the attorney general within the
near future. the packers are to be re-
uuired to sell their holdings in public
stock Yards. stock-yard railroads anu
terminals, to disassociate themselves
with the retail meat business, and with
all unrelated lines This s to be
done within two years.
This solution of the packers stu
alton. which had its inception with an
investigation by the federal trade COM
mission and with the placing Of the
Information in the hands of the attor-
ney general. will render unnecessary
the filing of suits against the packers,
which were in the hands of the Chica-
go grand jury when its early fall SEES
sion was adjourned.
No Live Stock Control.
sIn general, says the department of
Justice statement. "this decree pre-
vents the defendants from exercising
any further control over the marketing
of live stock. It forever prevents them
from any control over the retailing of
meat products IT. eliminates them
from the field of meat substitutes with
the exception Of eggs, butter, poultry
and cheese. which are left for future
consideration and appropriate action I;
and therefore, the price of meat Is
within the control of the people them
selves.
ut places the conduct Of these great
aggregations of capital Immediately UNI
der the eve of federal court with
reference to their business practices.
But. greater than all. it establishes the
principle that no group of men. no mat
ter how powerful. can ever attempt 70
control the food table of the American
people. or any one Of the necessities
or component parts of it.
"The department Of Justice. having
in mind the necessities and interests
of the whole American people in this
critical reconstruction period. feels
that by insisting unon this surrender
on the part of the packing business it
has accomplished more for the. Amer
lean people than could have been
hoped for as q result of a long-drawn-
out legal battle"
Under the decree, the defendants Of
whom thereare Sc. are compelled:
I. To self under supervision Of the
United States district court. preferably
to the live stock producers and the
public, all of their holdings in public
stock yards.
2. To sell. under. the same supervi-
sion, and in like manner, all their in
terests in stock yard railroads and ter
minals.
3. To sell all their interests in mar
ket newspapers.
4. To dispose Of all their interests in
public cold storage warehouses. except
as necessary for their own meat prod
ucts.
5. To forever disassociate them
selves with the retail meat business
6. To forever disaSsociate them
selves with all unrelated lines. in
Gliding wholesale groceries: fresh.
canned, dried or salt fish fresh, dried.
evaporated or canned fruits; confec-
tionaries. sirups. soda water fountain
supplies. ETC.; molasses honey. jams.
sjellips and preserves: spices. sauces,
relishes ETC.; coffee, tea. chocolate,
cocoa. nuts. flour sugar, rice and
cereals with an exception to be
noted), bread. WATERS. crackers. bis
cult. spaghetti. vermicelli, macaroni,
cigars. china. furniture, etc.
Abandons Branch Houses.
I. To abandon forever the use Of
their branch houses. route cars and
autotrucks. comprising their distribu-
ton system, for any other than their
own meat and dairy products.
8. To submit perpetually TO the iur-
isdiotion of the United States district
court under an injunction forbidding
all the defendants from directly or in
directly maintaining any combination
or conspiracy with each other or any
n+har person or persons or monopoliz-
ing. or attempting to lnonopolizI. any
food product in the United States or
indnlging in any unfair and unlawful
practices.
The decree further provides that
Jurisdiction is pprpetually retained by
the court for the purpose of taking
"such action or adding at the foot of
the decree such other relief if any. as
may become necessary or appropriate
for the carrying out and enforcement
IF the decree or for the purpose of en-
tprtnining al any time hereafter any
apulication which the parties may
make with respect 70 the decree"
Saw Ghost in Jail.
L..