Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1919 — PLAN TO CURB PACKERS TOLD [ARTICLE]

PLAN TO CURB PACKERS TOLD

Attorney General Palmer Announces “Big Five” Surrenders to Boveroment. LIMIT PUT ON ACTIVITIES Must Sell All Holdings in Stock Yards, Railroads and Terminals, NewiM>aperw and Storage Houses. Washington. Dec. 19.— Attorney General Palmer announced that the five big packers, tbelr main subsidiaries, principal stockholders and managers had surrendered to the government s contentions against the monopolistic, growth of the packing Industry und itu control of unrelated Industries. Ry the entry of a permanent In* juuetion decree, to which the packer® have consented, their activities are toi be confined to meat and eggs, butter, poultry, cheese and con* densed milk. Refrigeration is to bo limited to the cars necessary for carrying their output. By the decree, which is to be secured* by the attorney general within th® near future, the packers are to be re-, quired to sell their holdings In publici stock yards, stock-yard railroads and) terminals, to disassociate themselve® with the retail meat business, and with| all “unrelated Hues." This -s to bo done within two years. This solution of the packers’ cltu-i atlon, which had its Inception with an| investigation by the federal trade com-l mission and with the placing of the* information in the hands of the attor-, ney general, will render unnecessary; the filing of snlts against the packers,! which were In the hands of the Chlca-| go grand jury when Its early full sea* sion was adjourned.

No Livs Stock Control. •'Tn general,’’ says the department of justice statement, "this decree prevents the defendants from exercising any further control over the marketing of live stock. It forever prevents them from any control over the retailing of meat products. It eliminates them from the field of meat substitutes with the exception of eggs, butter, poultry and cheese, which are left for future consideration and appropriate action; and therefore, the price of meat Is within the control of the people themselves. “It places the conduct of these great aggregations of capital Immediately under the eye of a federal court with referepce to their business practices. But, greater than all, it establishes the principle that no group of men, no matter how powerful, can ever attempt to control the food table of the American people, or any one of the necessities or component parts of It. "The department of Justice, having In mind the necessities and Interests of the whole American people In this critical reconstruction period, feels that by insisting upon this surrender op the part of the packing business it Nas accomplished more for the American people than could have been hoped for as a result of a long-drawn-out legal battle." Under the decree, the defendants of whom there are 86, are compelled: ( 1. To sell under supervision of the United States district court, preferably to the live stock producers and the public, all of their holdings In public stock yards. 2. To Sell, under the same supervision, and in like manner, all their Interests In stock-yard railroads and terminals. 3. To sell all their Interests In market newspapers. . 4. To dispose of all their Interests In public cold storage warehouses, as necessary for their own meat products. 5. To forever disassociate themselves with the retail meat business. 6. To forever disassociate themselves with all “unrelated lines,” Including wholesale groceries; fresh, canned, dried or salt fish; fresh, dried, evaporated or canned fruits; confectionaries, sirups, soda water fountain supplies, etc.; molasses, honey, Jams, Jellies and preserves; spices, sauces, relishes, etc.; coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, nuts, flour, sugar, rice and cereals (with an exception to be noted), bread, wafers, crackers, biscuit, spaghetti, vermicelli, macaroni, cigars, china, furniture, etc. \ Abandons Branch Houses. 7. To abandon forever the use of their branch houses, route cars and autotrucks, comprising their distribution system, for any other than their own meat and dairy products. 8. To submit perpetually to the Jurisdiction of the United States district court under an Injunction forbidding all the defendants from directly or indirectly maintaining any combination or conspiracy with each other or any other person or persons or mpnopoliZ'

ing, or attempting to monopolize, any food product in the United States or indulging in any unfair and unlawful practices. The decree further provides that jurisdiction is perpetually retained by the court for the purpose of taking “such action, or adding at the foot of the decree such other relief, if any, as may become necessary or appropriate for the carrying out and enforcement of the decree, or for the purpose of entertaining at any time hereafter any application which the parties may make with respect to the decree.”