Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-27
FOOD TABLE FREED
FROM BIG FIVE GRIP
PALMER DECLARES
Chicago Packers in Divorccment
Decree Give Up All but Meat
and By-products.
BIG ANTITRUST VICTORY
nv Assoeiated Press 70 Every Eveping

By Associated Press 90 Every EveDing
Washington, Feb. 27.--~The agree
decree under which the big five packer
are forever enjoined from engaging Ih
any lire If business other than that II
handling meat and produce was fled to-
day IN the District Of Columbia Suprene
Court
II was submitted by Attorney-GeDsrsi
Palmer, who said il removes the menace
~ control of unrelated industries BY the
big FIVE, and confines their activities iH
future 70 The business uf distributing rneat
and It's by-prodncts.v
"rhe decfeee. which the Department
~ Justice has brought shout by urger
insistence, is designed % restore freedom
II competition and increase the oT,-
poriuDities for individual initiative in
business which must IN time bear good
fruit for the public welfare.
Those great aggTegatigns ~ capital
which have come ~ BE- known as The Big
Five have been able 70 dominate ~ many
lines ~ trade that their continued and
uurestrained growth constituted a reei
menace not only n American bushes
but ~ the American consuming pubic
as we'll
"TTnder The decree entered to5ay che
chief packing companies. their snbsidfsries
and principal stockholders are compelled
70 sell. preferable 70 livestock producers
and the public:
"All their holdings IN public stock
yards
'All their interest in stock ysrd rail
roads and terminals.
CAN their interest in market nevs-
papers.
aAll their interest In public cold storsee
warehouses. except that which u neeessery
for their own meat products.
They are barred forever from th. re-
tail meat business.
They are barred forever from dealing
in unrelated lines which include. Whoie-
sale groceries, fresh, canned, dried or salt
ed FISH: dried or canned vegetables.
fresh crushed, dried. svsrorsted or canned
fruits: cOnfectionaries. syrup, sodawatfr
fountain supplies, molssses, honey, jams
jellies and preserves, spices, sauces, relish
-. etc, coffee. tea, chocolate, cocoa, nut
four. sugar rice and cereals with certain
limited exception with iespect 20 cereal.
bread, waters, crackers. biscuit, spaghetti
verrnieeili, u4scaroni, cigars, china, furri-
t1re, and 40 forth.
~Thev are required to abandon for
ever the use of their branch hoBsca, route
cars and auto Trucks comprising their
distribution system. for any other than
their own meats and dairy products.
They are required 20 submit perpetual
" 70 the courts injunction forbidding ai
the defendants from directly or IndIrecf-
ly maintaining my combination or con
surraoy with themselves OF sny other per
son or persons. OF monOpoilzIng OF a.
tempting to rnonopoiize any food prod
uct in the United States, or indulge la
rv~Fatr unlawful Frprffrr.
Moreover, the decree provides that
jurisdiction is perpetually retained BY
the court for the purpose Of taxing sucn
further action or relief as may be neces-
sary in the circumstances TO carry cut Or
enforce the decree.
'1n brief, the decree removes the menace
Of control Of unrelated Industries by the
Big Five. and confines their activities ~
future TO the business of distributing meat
and its by-nroducts under an injunction
which restrains them from unfair anu
unlawful practices.
'eTbe decree is sweeping IN It's scope
and / en- sure viii be highly beneficial q
the public IN its effect.
The decree, which involves reorgsnlzh-
tion Of a great industry with assets ot
more than 81 600 100000 and which
Affects 81 corporations and 40 individuals,
results from I'D agreement between the
larger meat packers and the Department
Of Justice announced last December Is.
This agreement reached after the depart
ment at the direction of President wilson
had instituted antitrust proceedings
against the packers IN Chicago.
Agreement for the fling of ths decree,
Mr.. Palmer said IN announcing II last
December. would have the effect Of es-
tablishing the principle that no group
of men, no matter how powerful, can ever
attempt 20 control the food table OF the
American people or any one OF the necessl-
ties or component parts of Il.
The attitude Of the packers was sumnned
I'D at that time by NJ. w. Borders, gen
eraI counsel for Morris and Company, as
illustrating the spirit Of true American,
ISM of the packing industry. henry
Veeder. counsel for swift and Company
asserted his company had met the request
Of the government because It was telt
that the same spirit which caused the
business men OF the country 70 submit O.
personal sacrifices during the war IS Just
as essential during the period OF recon-
struction.'
Counsel for the packers IN statement
to the court said the decree had been
agreed 10 by the defendants mot because
Of guilt. for they have not violated any
law: but that the American people msy
be assured that there Is not the renlotest
possibility Of food monopoly by ths
packers.
The safe. sensible drink Clover Dalr'
milk.-AdY