Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-08
INJUNCTION ASKED
IN BAKING MERGER
Ward Corporation Heads List
of Those Charged With
Trust Law Violation.

BY the Associated Press.
The Federal courts were asked by
the Government today to prevent for
nation Of "a huge combination In the
baking industry" by the Ward inter
ests and others.
In an antitrust suit filed in Bald-
more, the Government named the
General Baking, Continental Baking,
and United Bakeries interests as
linked with the Ward companies IN
the enterprise. An injunction was
requested.
1t WAS charged in the petition that
the companies named already had
violated both Che Sherman and Clay
ton antitrust acts. and it was asked
that the defendants not only be pre-
vented from further amalgamatlon,
but required to dissolve any combina-
tons already entered into.
Ward Co. Heads List.
The Ward Food Products Corpora
ton, whose recent incorporation IN
Baltimore led to much criticism IN
Congress and has become subject
of investigation by the Federal Trade
Commission, headed the list of those
I'D the huge combination. The
other corporations and individuals
named as defendants were:
The Ward Baking Corporation, the
Ward Baking Company, the General
Baking Corporation, the General
Baking Company, the Continental
Baking Corporation, United Bakeries
Corporation and William 3. ward,
Howard B. Ward, William Deininger,
IL
E. Peterson, George CT. Barber and
George B. Smith.
Specifically the petition asks That
the defendants be adjudged to have
violated both the Sherman law and
the Clayton act.
That the defendants be enjoined
from doing any act in furtherance OF
the alleged combination, conspiracy
and attempt to monopolize.
Would Prevent Stock Transfer.
""That the defendants. The Ward
Baking Corporation, the Continental
Baking Corporation, the General Bak-
ing Corporation and the Ward Food
Products Corporation be enjoined from
acquiring the whole or any part of
the stocks. bonds or other evidences
of Indebtedness or the physical assets
OF each other.
"That the last named defendant be
perpetually enjoined from having any
director, officer, agent or employe III
common with each other and from en-
tering into any contract, agreements,
or understandings with one another
for joint purchases of materials, sup
plies or equipment, or for common
policy in the sale of their output.
The court was asked, further, to re-
n11ire the corporate defendants to dis
possess themselves Of the stocks.
bonds or other evidences Of indebted.
ness of any competing company here
tofore acquired by them to the end
that competition may be fully restored
in the baking industry"
Huge Merger Charged.
The Justice Department said in
statement that It's investigations de-
veloped facts which evidenced a
clear intention on the part of those
responsible for the mergers eventually
to bring together the several merged
conpan MES under the control OF one
gigantic corporation.
The one big merger plan was de.
clared by the department to have
been conceived by William B. Ward
and his associates as far back as 1921.
The successive steps thus far toward
realization of the plan were enumerat-
ed as follows:
The formation of the United Rak-
cries Corporation, organization OF the
Ward Baking Corporation, to take
over the Ward Baking Co; merger
of the United Bakeries Corporation and
other concerns in the Continental
Baking Corporation: organization of
the General Baking Corporation to take
over the pre- existing General Baking
Co. and such other baking companies
as could be acquired: and the forma :
ton on January 80, last, of the Ward
Food Products Corporation, which
the Government now alleges was to
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