The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-02-27
big five" Is
BARRED FROM
FOOD TABLES
Decree of Eternal Divorce.
ment Between Packers ano
Unrelated Lines of Com
merce, Entered in Courts.
STATEMENT IS GIVEN.
tBy Associated Press)

,io.i engaging in any other line ri
BUSINESS than that of handling meat
M NJ. pIoouce' was filed today in the
Din 'rlct OF Columbia supreme court.
~ was submitted by Attorney Gener
al Palmer, who said it removed tbe
menace of control of unrelated indns.
trles by the big five and confines
| thelr activities in the future tn rbe
| BUSINESS OF distributing meat and its
by-products. anu i's
Souhsel Tor the packers in a state.
iiieht 10 the court said the decree had
peen agreed to by the defendants. mot
because of guilty, for they have NOT
violated any law; but that the Amer.
ioah people may be assured that there
is not the remotest possibility of a
ioou monopoly by the packers
Ater nearing statements by counsel
| lor the government and the packers.
Ch1ef Justice Mccoy signed the in niunc.
! '-on iirahihs eHectlVe the agreement
| Restores Free Competition.
| Attorney General Palmer in a state.
ment commenting on the effect of the
| enforcement decree said.
| Inc decree which the denartrnont
Oh justice has been brought about nv
| urgent lnslstence, is designed to re-.
| freedom OF competitor and Increase the
stores freedom of competition and in.
| crease the opportunities for individual
INITIATIVE In business which must i'm
'lme bear good fruit for the publio
| welfare eio
nose great aggregations of capital
Wnlcn nave come to be known as the
nis llVe' nave been able to dominate
81 many INES of trade that their con.
'inueu anu unrestrained growth con.
s,ltuted real menace not only tn
american business, but to the Amer
iean consuming public as well.
ohaer the decree entered today
the chief packing companies their s,,b
s1diaries and principal stockbo,da.s
! are compelled to sell preferahIa to
livestock producers and the nuh1;o
All their holdings in public s,oc,,
yards; p"Oiie soock-
All their interest in stocL rs
railroads and terminals:
| Newspapers Are Sold.
papers; "i net news
All their interest in public cold
| storage warehouses, except that wbicI,
! Is necessary for their own meat ~
ducts. meat pro-
They are barred forever from t,a
retail meat business. ''Ao
Ihey are barred forever from deal
| mbaI1I eie'leu ineS which include
Ioiesdie groceries, fresh, canned
oareu o OF salted fish; fresh, dried or
canned vegetables; fresh. crusbad
/ dried, evaporated or canned fr,,its.
confectionaries. syrups. soda wster
FOUNTAIN supplies. molasses ho,--
Jams, 1ellies and preserves. snjcas
sauces, rellshes, etc. coffee. tea cboc'
oldte' cocoa, nuts, flour sugar rica
ana cereals lin certain limited exnan.
non with respect to cereals) bread
"aIers, crackers, biscuits. spaebattf
SermlcelI, macaroni, cigars. china
furniture,e etc.
Must Abandon Branches
lhey are required to abandon for
ever the use of their branch houses
route cars and auto trucks comprising
tlelr distribution system. for other
ducts. p'o
They are required to submit per
petualiy TO the courts Injunction for.
bidding all the defendants from direct
ly or indirectly maintaining any com.
clnatlon or conspiracy with them
selves or any other person or persons.
or monopoliing or attempting to mo-
nopollze any food products in the
: United States, or indulge in any un-
fair or unlawful practices.
moreover, the decree provides that
jurisdiction is perpetually retained by
the court for the purpose of taking
sucn further action or relief as NAV
De necessary in the circumstances to
carry out or enforce the decree.
In brief the decree removes the
menace of control of unrelated tndus-
tries by the big five, and confines
| tEelr activities in future to the busi-
r Of II trsI
products under an injunction which re-
strains them from unfair and unlawful
practices.
The decree is sweeping in its scope
end | am sure will be highly beneficial
TO the public in its effect"
The decree, which involves reorsan-
ization of a great industry with assets
of more than $1,000, ,000, 900 and which
affects 81 corporations and 40 indfyid-
uals results from an agreement be.
tween the larger meat packers and
the department of justice. announced
last Dec. IS. This agreement was
reached after the department at the
direction of President Wilson had in
stituted antitrust proceedings against
the packers in Chicago.
Agreement for the filing of the de-
cree, Mr.. Palmer said, in announcing
II last December, would have the ef-
feet of establishing 'the principle that
no group of men, no matter how
powerful, can ever attempt to control
the food table of the American people
or any one of the necessities or COM
ponent parts of it,
The attitude of the packers, was
summed up at that time by M. w
Borders, general counsel for Morris q
Co., as illustrating the spirit of true
Americanism" of the packing industry.
Henry Veeder, counsel for Swift g.
Co., asserted his company had met the
request of the government because II
was felt that the same spirit which
caused the business men of the coun.
try to submit to personal sacrifices
during the war is just as essential