Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-03-05
FINAL PACKING
DECREE FILED
Attorney General Palmer Writes
Last Chapter in Divorce
ment.
MUST DEAL ONLY IN MEATS
Removes Menace of controI of un.
related Industries by "Rig Five"
and Confines Activities to
Distributing Meat.

ers are forever enjoined from engag-
ing in any line Of business other than
that of handling meats and produce
was filed in the District of Columbia
Supreme court. 1t was submitted by
Attorney General Palmer who said
it removed the menace of control or
unrelated industries by the Big o and
confined their activities in the future
to the business of distributing meat
and its by-products..
Counsel for the packers in state
ment to the court said the decree had
been agreed to by the defendants mot
because of guilt, for they have not vio-
lated any law, but that the American
people may be assured that there is
not the remotest possibility of food
monopoly by the packers"
1t was submitted by Attorney Cen
eral Palmer, who said it removes the
menace of control of unrelated indus
tries by the big five and confines their
activities In future to the business of
distributing meat and its by-products."
Attorney General Palmer, in state
ment commenting on the effect Of
the packers enforcement decree, said:
"The decree which the department
of justice has brought about by urgent
insistence is designed to restore free
dom of competition and increase the
opportunities for individual initiative
in business which must in time bear
good. fruit for the public welfare.
These great aggregations of cap
ital. which have come to be known as
the Big Five have been able to
dominate so many lines of trade that
their continued and unrestrained
growth constituted a real menace not
only to American business, but to the
American consuming public as we'll
Under the decree the chief packing
companies, their subsidiaries and prin-
cipal stockholders are compelled to
sell preferably to live stock producers
and the public
"All their holdings in public stock
yards;
"AIl their interest in stock-yard rail-
roads and terminals;
"All their interest in market news
papers:
"All their interest In public cold-stor-
age warehouses, except that which
is necessary for their own meat prod
ucts.
'"They are barred forever from the
retail meat business.
'AThey are barred forever from deal
ing in unrelated lines, which include
Wholesale groceries. fresh, canned,
dried. sailed fish; fresh, dried or
canned vegetables; fresh, crushed,
dried, evaporated or canned fruits;
confectioneries, sirups. soda water
fountain supplies, molasses, honey,
jams, jelIies and preserves, spices,
sauces, relishes, etc, coffee tea .choco-
late, cocoa, nuts. flour. sugar, rice and
cereals with certain limited excep-
tions with respect to cereals), bread,
waters, crackers. biscuit, spaghetti,
yermicelli, macaroni, cigars, china,
furniture and so forth.
''They are required to abandon for
ever the use of their, branch houses,
route cars and auto tricks comprising
their distributing system, for any
other than their own meats and dairy
products.
"They are required to submit per-
petually to the courts injunction for
bidding all the defendants from direct
" or Indirectly maintaining any COM
bination or conspiracy with themselves
or other persons, to monopolfze any
food product in the United States, or
indulge in any unfair or unlawful prac-
tice
Moreover, the decree provides that
jurisdiction is perpetually 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 DusI-
ness of distributing meat and is by
products under an injunction which
Restraints them from unfair and unlaw-
full practices"