Evening star., 1943-10-21
Monopolistie Control
OF Vitamin D Products
kCharged by Berge
Hy the ASSOCIATED Pres,

Z! the Associated Press.
Control of the antirickets vita.
min D was linked by Assistant
Attorney General Wendell Berge
today to a group Of 'monopolistic
chemical, pharmaceutical anc
food companies" for which he
said the Wisconsin Alumni Re
search Foundation "acts as g
screen"
Up to 1910, he asserted, the foun.
dation received more than $8.50O,.
600 In royalties by licensing to cor.
porations at rates varying from
to 10 per cent process for using
artificial ultraviolet rays to &C.
tivate their Misunderstanding prod.
ucts.
His testimony prepared for a Sen
ate Military Affairs Subcommittee
on War Mobilization, pictured vita
min D as essential for proper bone
growth and development, the pre-
Ventlon and cure of rickets and the
prevention or reduction of tooth
decay.
Kilgore Cites Dangers.
1t was accompanied by a state
ment by Chairman Kilgore that
Mr.. Berges finding emphasized 1.-The
dangers inherent in all monopoly
and cartel arrangements"
Senator Kilgore is sponsoring a
bill now before the subcommittee
to make scientific discoveries avail
able to small and large industries
on an equal basis.
Mr.. Berge said he wanted to make
1t clear the foundation had no for
NAL connection with the University
OF Wisconsin, which he declared
has absolutely no control over
the foundations policies and prac-
tees.
The foundation, he said. took con-
troll over the production and use OF
the vltamin in 1925 by acquisition
OF the so-called Steenbock patents
which resulted from experiments
conducted by University of Wis
consln professor.
He charged the foundation had
been described by one of its licen-
sees as being ''merciless in beating
out competition. in fixing prices,
controlling container sizes and limit
ing potency of vitamin products,
keeping prices to the public "arbi-
trarlly high"
Berse Charges Threats.
The foundation has, he added
CONSIDERED plans to denature ana
sduIterate vltamn D preparations
in order to maintain high prices. -
and has exhibited lack of interest
In research unless a commercial ad-
vantage could be obtained"
Other charges Mr.. Berge made
against the foundation were that it
used threats of patent litigations
under patents it knew were weak
and some Of which were declared
Invalid by the Circuit Court Of Ap-
peals for the Ninth Circuit in 1943.
1t also has. he said:
l. Organized international cartels
with I. G. Farben of GERMANY and
Joseph Nathan & Co. of Great Brit
ain IL order to eliminate world COM
petition.
2. Attempted to suppress the pub
licatlon Of scientific research data
which were at variance with its
monopoly interests"
Acts as Police Organization"
3. Acted as police organization
for its licensees by setting UP "a
black list OF price cutting distribu-
tors. -
4. Required licensees to charge
unreasonable prices to the Govern
ment.
5. Forced farmers to buy vitamin-
enriched animal feed in a monopoly
market.
Mr. Berge charged the foundation
uas primarily interested in royal
ties and that it feared only public
ity or discovery by the Government" 3"
The royalties are invested, he add
ed. "and the resulting income util-
lied for research