The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-08-31
HUGE SHIPPING
CONSPIRACY IS
CHARGED BY US.
80 Lines, A Corporations
and II Individuals Named
in Indictment.
RATE JUGGLING ALLEGED
Action by Grand Jury Is Re-
suit Of 10 Months Probe .,
Dissolution Is Sought.
RATE JUGGLING ALLEGED

Tor alleged restraint and monopoly
M trade in violation of the Sherman
antitrust law the Federal Grand Jury
yesterday indicted thirty-eight OF the
leading transatlantic steamship COM
panles plying to and from the port Of
New York. The most important Of
them are members OF the Transatlantic
Associated Freight Conferences, with
Offices at 50 Pearl street.
Indictments also were filed against
twelve individuals identified with the
steamship companies and against four
corporations and ave individual
brokers who are members Of the
Steamship Freight Brokers Associa'
ton.
The blanket indictment, covering In
all lifty-nine individuals and corpora
tons, was handed UP to Judge William
b. Sheppard In the United States Dis
trict Court. The court named next
Tuesday for pleadings fixed bail for the
individuals named in the sum Of $1,000
each, and directed the issuance Of bench
warrants for the defendants.
simultaneously with the fling Of the
indictments an injunction and dissolu-
tiOn suit in equity was filed against the
same defendants. naming about 200
other persons who are officers, em-
ployees or agents OF the corporations or
associations concerned,
The criminal charge alleged Is a mis-
demeanor, punishable on conviction, In
the case Of the individuals. by $1,000
t,,, hnfk
ana In the case of corporations by
$4,000 fine. The indictments and the
equity petition were prepared after
eighteen months Of work by Henry A.
Cutler and Ryland w. Joyce, special as
sistants to the United States Attorney,
Francis G. Caffey, who investigated
many complaints made In behalf Of
freight shippers, alleging restraint and
illegal discrimination.
er List of the Defendants.
Corporations which are made defend
ants are William & Tehune, Inc. Mum
& Jenkins, Inc. Lamberth & Barrows,
, Inc, and Caldwell q Co., Inc, all Of
which are members of the Steamship
Freight Brokers Association. Individ-
uaIS who are made defendants are
ard L. Walker, Jr. Charles W. Jordan
and Harry Fowler, who either individ-
ually or through their firms are members
9r officers Of that association.
Steamship companies and other per-
sons indicted, all OF whom have otfices
or agents In New York city, are:
International Mercantile Marine Com
pany Atlantic Transport Company, Inc
Anchor Line Henderson Bros. Ltd.),
Green Star Steamship Corporation,
Booth american Shipping Corporation,
Bristol City Line, Ltd: Bull-Insular
Line. g.; Cunard Steamship Company,
ltd; Commonwealth and Dominion
Line, Ltd; Ellerman's Wilson Line,
Ltd. Compagnie Franchise de Naviga-
tion a vapeur, Compagnie Generate
Transatlantique, Funch, Edge & Co.,
lns; Furness, Witty & Co.. Ltd.
Observation-Disclosures Stoomvart
Maatschappij, Kerr Steamship Company.
Inc Navigazione Italiana a Vapori,
Lamport & Holt, Ltd: Societa di Navi-
gaxIone (Lloyd Italiano), Societa A1o-
nina per Azioni (I.loyd Sabaudo). Ma
tional Steam Navigation Company, Lin
tied, Of Greece; Navigazione Generate
Italiana, Nippon Yusen Kaisha o. s. g.
Japan Mail Steamship Company. Den
Noreke Amerikalinje, Inc. New York,
New Foundland and Halifax Steamship
Company Ltd. Atlantic and Caribbean
Eteam Navigation Company. Societe An
noyme de Navigation Beige Americaine,
Koninklijke West Indlsche Mafldienst,
Knoinklijk -Hollandsche Lloyd, Royal
Mall Steam Packet Company, Det For
ende Dampslibi Selskab, Compania
Trag-Atlantica de Barcelona, Swedish
American Mexico Line, Ltd. Redariak-
tiebolaget sverige-N -Nordamerika, Trans
ntlantica Italiana Societa di Naviga-
xione, Transoceanica Steamship Com
pany, Oceanic Steam Navigation Com
pany, Ltd, and United, Fruit Company,
corporations.
Also Robert H. Blake, Frank A. Ryan.
william J. G. Hudson. Charles H.
Georgi, Oscar r. CauchoIs. Leslie A.
Morgan, Harry T. Barton, Frederick
Toppin, Arthur C. Fetterolf, Jules v. Be-
har, Harry Lane and Peter Mcdonnell.
The Indictment charges and the petit
4ion for the dissolution Of the Steam
ship Freight Brokers Association and
Of the Transatlantic Associated Freight
Conferences, sets forth that the de-
PENDANTS on January /, 1917. conspired
and have since continually violated tho
Sherman antitrust law by restraining
interstate trade and foreign commerce
: IN grain, oil. lumber. coal ana other
commodities and manufactured articles
produced and made throughout the
United States and in foreign countrieA
PercentaEe or Freight Handled.
II IL alleged further that upward Of
50 per cent. Of such foreign trade and
commerce passes In the due course Of
business through the port Of New York.
a and that 30 per cent. Of the 80 per cent
q, handled by freight brokers and for
warders. and of that 30 per cent up
ward Of 80 per cent II handled by
about seventy-five Of the freight brok-
erB or forwRrders who are members Of
the Steamship Freight Brokers Associ-
alton and is transported by the steam
ship companies named an defendants In
the proceedings.
The Indictment AYERS that the steam
atlp companies included In the Trans
Atlantic Associated Freight Conferences
and the brokers and torwRrders In
cluded in the Steamship Freight Brok-
ers Association entered into agreements
not to permit any freight broker or
korwarder to become a member Of the
association unless he would swear 10
and would observe, adhere to, abide by
and be subject to the constitution and
bylaws Of the Steamship Freight Brok-
ers Association" and would agree that
the freight rates offered or quoted by
the authorized agents OF the steamship
companies should be observed. adhered
20 and maintained.
II Is further charged that Illegal
agreements entered into included COM
pacts ito discriminate and dlscriminat-
ing against freight brokers and for
warders by refusing to pay any broker
age fee.' so called, to any person not a
member OF the Steamship Freight
Brokers Association: agreeing to con-
troll and dominate, through the orEani-