New-York tribune., 1921-11-17
Milk Strikers
Accuse Firms
OF Trust Plot
FEDERAL, State and County
Inquiries Into Conference
Boards Alleged Trade
Combine Asked by Union
Charges of Big Profits
Ne Illegal Methods Used by
Companies. Says Nathans;
Injunction GuardsDelivery

i legal bomb was exploded in the
r,;ls strike situation yesterday by an
.nnouncement that leaders of the
..r;kers have called on Federal. state
md county prosecutors TO investigate
ne New York Milk Conference Board,
charging that the organization and it's
members-the leading distributors in
.hs metropolitan area-"are engaged
IN an unlawful conspiracy in violation
nf the state law and the Federal
statutes"
supplementary charges are made
that the board members themselves
asdnit they enjoy monopoly of the
milk distribution in the City of New
yarSa; that "the same conspiracy
slows them 10 secure a net profit of
Il milk sold" and that ''it is fear of
these facts being made public that
caused them TO reject all offers of
mediation or arbitration.'
All the allegations made are con-
tainsd in an affidavit. bearing the sig
nature Of Fred J. Sterbinskv, president
~ Local 5S4. of the Milk Drivers
Union, which was fled in Kings County
Supreme Court yesterday by John B.
Johnston, who appeared before Justice
Isaac VI. Kapper there as representing
the strikers at hearing of injunction
proceedings instituted by the Milk Con-
fsrerce Board.
Charges Made in Affidavit
Comics of the affidavit, together with
letters from George ". Briggs, chief
leader of the strikers. asking an in
vestigation of the board and its mem
hers on contention that they are vio-
lating the Federal Sherman anti-trust
law and the state Donnelly antitrust
law. we're sent last night to United
States Attorney General Harry NJ
Daugherty az Washington. United
States District Attorney William B.
Hayward in New York. State Attorney
General Newton al Albany. District
Attorney Edward Swami of New York
County. District Attorney Harry Z
Lewis of Kings County, District Attor
ney Dana Wallace of Queens County
District Attorney Joseph Maloy of
Richmond County, and District Attor-
ney Edward Glennon of Bronx County
Asked for comment on the charges,
T. Elkin Nathans. secretary Of the Milk
Conference Board. said:
"Tbia union move is a case OF draw
ing a rcd herring across the trail.
The union treated with the board quite
willingly before this time. without
making this latest variety Of charges.
There have been three Investigations
OF the milk situation in the last three
yaars In TO instance was any Illegal
its shown about the activities of the
migb distributors"
The affidavit was filed by Mr.. John
ston coacurrently with his appearance
in the injunction proceedings, in which
the distributors sought to have made
permanent a temporarY writ previously
issued b. Justice Charles A. kelby, re-
straning the strikers from interfer-
ence with milk deliveries and from acts
Of violence directed against the dis
trihutors and their employees and
property.
Iuion Backs Injunction
"Weren you in my court two years
ago representing the employers in the
truckmens strike ?" asked Justice Kap-
rer OF Mr. Johnston. and didn't you
then obtain from me the very same
sort of Injunction which you are now
resisting on behalf of your present
clients -
"Yes. replied the attorney. "And to
show you that I'm still as fair in my
contentious as | was then, | ask you
not only TO make this present iniunc-
tion permanent. but also that you make
the Milk Conference Board, which has
asked for it, party to and subject to
It's provisions along with the strikers.
The union doesn't want violence in this