Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-01
TRUSTEES ASKED
FOR BIG PACKERS
Attorney General Moves to D.
vorce Concerns From All
Activities But Meat
PLEA TO SELL YARDS FILED

Washington. Dec. 1.-Failure Of
three of the "Big Five" packers to
agree with the government on terms for
the disposal Of their stockyard interests,
rs provided by recent friendly court
decree taken to divorce the packing
establishments from all activities except
the meat business, caused Attorney
General Palmer to move yesterday to
force the packer dissolution. The De-
partment of Justice, through its special
attorney in the packer case. Isidor ].
Kresel, filed motion in the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia for
the appointment Of a board of trustees,
three or five in number, with the final
view to the sale Of the stockyards. stock
yard terminal railways and stockynrd
market newspapers of Armour & Co.,
Swift & Co. and Morris & Co.
defendant in the government suit, Is
given a week more to file a plan for the
disposition of its properties in COM
pliance with the governments ideas OF
the dissolution. This stay was asked by
Cudahy. Wilson & Co., the remaining
concern making up the big five, doe,
not appear in the litigation. 1t Is
understood, however, that Wilson 4
Co.. as far as interest in the stock
yard is concerned, go along with Armour
and Swift.
The summary action of the Depart
ment of Justice comes as the result of
long series of negotiations over the
method to be employed by the packers
to rid themselves of interests not wholly
allied with the meat packing industry.
~ La,, ,h,,t nd
none of which have met with govern
mental approval, and all efforts to settle
the means of disposing of the properties
in accordance with the governments
ideas apparently have failed. The mo-
tion filed by the department objects in
detail to the plans and suggests to the
court that the recommendations of the
Federal Trade Commission for the dis
position of the properties be followed.
Trade Commissions Recommendations
The recommendations of the commits
sion. which were forwarded to the De-
partment of Justice. together with ex-
hauStive objections to the packers plans
Of dissolution, are briefly as follows:
That three or five trustees be ap-
pointed by the district court to sell the
stockyard holdings Eat such times and
III SuCn luuHHeT us VIII tHt Ut
most opportunity for the acquisition of
such stock to the general public. the
disposition of such stock to be made
within two years
The final ownership of the stockyard
securities of the packing companies by
the public has been the principal idea
of the Department of Justice in obtain
ing the packers consent to the decree
for the severance of their stockyard in
terests. In carrying out the plan. it is
provided that the trustees shall be given
access to all books and records relating
to valuation of the packers stock and
interest. and in general the decree would
give them complete control and super
vision over the sale of the interests in
the general direction of the court. All
cost of court administration is to be
paid by the defendants. The packing
companies are given until December II
to file answer to the governments mo-
ton for the board of trustees and the
sale