The Pensacola journal., 1920-02-28

Inenl-
Washington, Feb 27-Attorney-
General Palmer in a statement COM
menting on the eject of the divorce
ment decree said:
The decree which the department of
justice has brought about by urgent
insistence. is designed to restore
freedom of competition and increase
| the opportunities for individual ini-
tiative in business which must in time
bear good fruit for the public well
fare.
Those great agsregations of capt.
tai which have come to be known as
the big five have been able to domi-
nee SO many lines of trade that their
continued and unrestrained growth
constitutes a real menace not only to
American business, but to American
consuming public as well.
Under the decree entered today the
chief packing companies, their subsid-
iaries and principal stockholders are
! compelled to sell preferably to live
stock producers and the public.
"All their holdings in public stock
yards;
''All their interest in stock yard rail-
roads and terminals;
'"Ar their interest in market news
papers;
'An their interest in public cold stor-
age warehouses; except that which is
necessary for their own meat products
"They are barred forever from the
retail meat business.
They are barred forever from deal
| ing in unrelated lines which include:
| Wholesale groceries, fresh, canned,
dried or salted fish, fresh, dried or
| canned vegetables, fresh, crushed.
ldried, evaporated, or canned fruits.
Z! confectionaries, syrups, soda water
! fountain supplies, molasses, honey,
! jams, jellies and preserves, spices,
sauces, relishes, etc. coffee, tea, choco-
late, cocoa, nits, flour. sugar, rice and
cereals, with certain limited exception
! exception with respect to cereals) !;
, bread, waters, creckers, biscuit. spa
| ghetti, vermioeili, macaroni, cigars,
/ china, furniture, and so forth.
! They are required to abandon for
ever the use of their branch houses,
route cars and auto trucks, compris-
| ing their distribution system for any
other than their own meats and dairy
| products.
petually to the courts injunction for
bidding all the defendants from di
rectly or indirectly maintaining any
combination or conspiracy with them
selves or any other persons or person,
| or monopoliZing or attempting to mo-
nopolize any food produce in the Unit
| ed States, or indulge in any unfair or
unlawful practice.
| Moreover, the decree provides that
jurisdiction is perpetualIy retained by
/ the court for the purpose of taking
such further action or relief as may
/ be necessary in the circumstances to
carry out or enforce the decree.
'In brief the decree removes the
menace of control of unrelated indus
tries by the big five and confines
! their activities in future to the bUsi-
ness Of distributing meat and its BIZ
products under an injunction which
restrains them from unfair and unlaw-
| ful practices.
The decree is sweeping in its scope
and I am sure will be highly beneficial
| TO the public in its effect"
| Te decree, which involves reorgani-
zation of a great industry with assets
of more than $1,000 .O0o.o 900 and which
viduals, results from an agreement
l'between the larger meat packers and
the department of justice announced
last December IS. This agreement was
reached after the department at the
direction of President Wilson had in
n.