Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-12-30
U.S. GRAND JURY
|ND|CTS 15;H|RE
LAW 'STEERERS'
Skating on Very Thin
Ice" Admits Lawyer for
Several Contractors.
Organized Discrimina-
ton by Cement Asso-
citation Is Disclosed.

New York, Dec. 29-The fed
eral government added its legal
flail to the whips of New York
states trust smashing" organ
ization Wednesday by returning
indictments charging violation
of the Sherman antitrust act
against four sand concerns and
eleven individuals recently inves-
tigated by the joint legislative
committee.
These indictments. the first Of fed
eral nature to be returned in connec-
ton with the building trust inquiry,
accumulated upon more than 100 indict
ments returned by trio of grand jur-
les cooperating with the legislative in
vestigation. The defendants will plead
Thursday.
Cooperative Bidding
Meanwhile the committee, before an
audience of business men that packed
the chamber, uncovered some of the
most extensive cooperative 0rganiza-
tions Of manufacturers and contractors
which daily inquiry over ten weeks has
brought forth. 1t was shown that hun
dreds of firms in all lines of trade
throughout the country exchange,
!. through clearing houses. the names Of
prosL Lective buyers, their bids, and
signed contracts and also daily reports
Of stocks on hand and shipments.
These practices, carried on under pro-
grams advocated by the late Arthur ,Jer-
ONE Eddy and his economic disciples,
were characterized by Samuel Inter
oonrcal tfnnlr1-
work to fleece the people, Their le
gality is involved in the case against
the American Column company now be-
fore the United States supreme court.
Disciples of Eddy
A Chicago attorney, William J. Mat
thews, acting as counsel for group Of
several of these societies, admitted in
testifying Monday that he was employed
to steer the concerns banded together
under his direction within the anti
trust laws" Among the many other
men who are similarly employed in the
country he named Clark Mckircher,
formerly with the antitrust division Of
the department of justice.
Denying members of these societies
after travelling over the country to at
tend meetings ever discuss future
prices, but that they talk merely Of past
ana present prices ana eScHdHge views,
Mr. Matthews conceded Mr.. Untermyer's
claim that these business men were
Skating on virtually thin ice"
Governments Case Weak
The witness admitted be thought the
government had presented very weak
case" against the American Column
company and expressed the hope that
proceedings would be instituted against
another firm to test and make certain
whether or not the Eddy plan is legal.
He defended the plan on the ground that
1t established prices, denying however,
that it made them uniform.
Other developments Of the day in
cludcd:
Testimony that the National Associa-
ton Of Electrical Contractors, with a
membership Of $500 in the United STATES
and Canada, sends out twice monthly
Est of flair prices recommended to be
charged for electrical appliances and
their installation.
Organized Discrimination
Evidence of organized discrimination
by the cement manufacturers against
contractors and other buyers in favor Of
dealers through a rule Of the Portland
Cement association
imony Of profits above 100 oeI
cent being regularly reported by Terra
Gotta manufacturers, and testimony that
electrical appliances contractors pro-
fitted 60 per cent and more on the diff
ference between their labor cost and
what they charged for the labor item n
day work.