New-York tribune., 1921-11-18
Inquiries Begun
On Milk Union 5
Trust" Charges
N. Y. and Kings County Pros
ecutors Say Distributors
May Face Criminal Ac-
tion if There Is Evidence

Investigation Of the New York Milk
Conference Board and the distributors
holding membership in it on the trust
and conspiracy charges made by the
striking members If the Milk Drivers
Union was begun yesterday by two of
the five county prosecutors to whom
the allegations were presented
They were District Attorney Edward
Swami OF New York County and Dis
trict Attorney Harry +. Lewis of Kings
County. Their inquiries were launched
with an announced intention of start
ing criminal prosecutions in the event
that the alleged evidence in the possess
sion Of the union warrants such a
course.
Eleventh hour propaganda" "the
unions death rattle and "a last min
ute bid for publicity" were among the
contained in a statement of !. Elkin
>Nathans, secretary of the Milk Con-
Erence Board.
Other Prosecutors Wait
Whether the other three county dis
Tsict attorneys Of greater New York
sntend to begin similar Investigations
quest could not be learned yes
terday. District Attorney Joseph
Maloy, of Richmond County, said he
would "look the matter over when it
was brought to his attention, with q
Wow to an investigation if it seemed
warranted by the facts" Neither Dis
trict Attorney Dana Wallace, of Queens
County, nor District Attorney Edward
Glennon, of Bronx County, could be
reached.
What action will be taken by At
terney General Daugherty at Wash
ington and by United States. District
Attorney William Hayward here. in
response to the union charge that the
distributors and their board are en-
gagged in a Conspiracy in violation
of the Sherman antitrust law. is
problem atical. Likewise. no announce
melt of the intentions of Attorney
by the union that the state Donnelly
antitrust law is violated, was made
ct Albany.
John B. Johnston, attorney for the
union. is of the opinion that the Fed
eral, state and county prosecutors will
converge in a triple-barreled investi-
cation of the milk distributors.
II am confident they all will act" he
said. within the next forty-eight
hours / will have a most important
announcement to make. We are now
preparing RtedI quantity OF QoCumen-
tsry evidence, including proofs of the
enormous profits of the milk Trust
which we believe will convince the Fed
eral and state authorities that the laws
are being violated.
Calls Their Defense Absurd
despite all else they're saying, you
cannot get any of these distributors
to deny that they are engaged in
conspiracy, one for increasing the price
OF milk. Their statement that they pay
six cents more to the farmers of New
York for milk than do the Chicago dis
tributors to the farmers of Illinois is
absurd, inasmuch as they don't even
give six cents quart for the milk they
buy in this state. The assertion that
the people Of Chicago don't get as good
q quality of milk as do New Workers.
ia equally ridiculous.
'sYou could put capable man in au-
thofity in the Milk Conference Board
and prove it to be a trust In three
days time"
Both District Attorney Swami and
District Attorney Lewis said. that
thorough Investigations would be
made, with view to possible grand
jury action Conduct of the inquiry
for New York County has been as
signed to Assistant District Attorney
John T. Dooling. who conducted the in
QUESTION into the milk situation two
years ago, and the Kings County in
qufry has been intrusted to Assistant
District Attorney Edward Cooper. The