Arizona republican., 1919-12-05
Bic 5 PACKERS
CHARGED WITH
BEING TRUSTS
Violations of Clayton
Anti Trust Act Alleged
in Federal Complaints
Purchase of Pacific
Creamery Plant at
Tempe Specified in
Complaint Against Ar
mour & Co.
Republican A. p. Leased wire]


WASHINGTON, Dee 4. - Formal
complaints were issued today by the
federal trade commission charging the
five big Chicago meat packers with
violations of the Clayton anti trust act
through the alleged purchase and con-
troll OF 81 corporations handling food
and other supplies Written answer
10 the complaints must be made within
40 days and thereafter public hearing
win be had before the commission.
Concerns which the packers are ac-
cused of absorbing include meat pack
ers, fruit Gamers, dealers in eggs and
poultry, and dealers in and manufac-
turers Of butter, cheese. oleomargarine
condensed milk and like products. cat
sup and condiments and leather tan
ners.
Name Three Other Defendants
The complaints, which il was an
nounced. grew out Of the investigation
Of the meat packing industry ordered
by congress. also were issued against
the United Dressed Beef company, the
Western Meat company of San Fran
cisco. and the Nevada Packing COM
pany.
Instances cited by the complaints ot
companies ovsr which the Chicago
packers are alleged to have gained
control during the last three year;
through purchase Of a majority Of the
stock or other means, follow:
BY Swift & Co.. Moultrie Pack
ing company, Moultrie, Ga, and
Andalusia Packing company, An
daIusis, Ala; England Dalton O.
Co., Inc, Philadelphia, Including
/ ~
ton & Co.. Inc, New York City.
Bv Wilson & Co.: Hsulo Reymsn
company. Wheeling, w. Va; Nor
ton Greqson company, Nebraska
City, Neb.
BY cudahy Packing company;
Naele Packing company, Jersey
City. N. j.; B. E. Wood Butter
company, Evansville, III. I also
was charaed that the Cudahy
Packing company organized the
Dow Cheese company, subsidiary
corporation, under the Wisconsin
laws and contracted with a. T.
Dow company, Inc. that the latter
company should transfer its busl-
ness to the Dow Cheese company.
The result of this contract, the
complaint alleges, was that Cuda-
nv now controls the entire output
Of over 200 cheese factories To-
Gated in Wisconsin and adjacent
states"
Tempe Creamery Plant Named:
BY Armour & Co.: Harold L.
Brown company, New YORK; Eau
Claire Creamery company OF WIS
consin; Londen Packing company
OF Ohio; A. S. kininmont Packing
company. Winfield, Kan; Pac!fie
ArfZ..
Smith, Richardson & Conroy'
jacksonville, Fla.
Morris & Co.: Crescent City
Stock Yards G Slaughter House
company of Louisiana; Bluefield
Produce G. Provisions company,
Bluefield, w. Va; Holland Butter
inc company, Jersey City, N. j.;
Providence Churning company,
Providence, r. L.; Eckerson com
pany, Jersey City; Jacob Marty
company, Broadhead, Wis; c: A.
straubeI company, Green Bay,
T Wis; Sherman White Co.. Fort
Wayne, Ind.
II is alleged also that the Wester
Meat company of San Francisco
meat Strengthening corporation cor
troIled Jointly by family interests
the five Chicago packers on Decemb'
40 1915. acquired all of the $500
canital stock of the Nevada Packir
companv of Reno, and still owns ar
CONTROLS same.
THE Western Meat company and u
Nevada Packing company also We
cited under section Of the Claytt
law against interlocking directorate
In connection with formal con
plaints against the packers, the Inst
into of American Meat Packer
through it's Washington office, ISSUE
the following statement:
"At the proper time the packing con
panies will present evidence whlcn W
show they have violated no Law
whatsoever
"At present these and other con
nanies are under attack by the d
nartment Of justice in the feder
courts. There is no disposition on 4
part OF any packing company to I
its case in the newspapers.
'In due season, the packers w
present all the evidence in their po
session to the federal trades commi
sion and will cooperate in every po
sible way and also win assist in d
yeloping any pertinent facts.
"The packers are confident that I
outcome will in no way reflect a.
discredit whatsoever upon them or al
of their actions"
Henry Veeder. general counsel
swift and company, said that in 1
purchase of the companies mention
By the commission, Swift and cor
pany complied with the law and W
perfectly willing to leave that que
ton TO the decision Of the coul
without any anxiety as to the resul