Meat Move

In 1920 the Government started anti-trust suits against the four national meat packers--Armour & Co., Swift & Co., Wilson & Co., Cudahy Packing Co. There was no trial, for the packers went into court and consented to having a decree issued forbidding them to deal in other products than meat and its derivatives, likewise forbidding them to establish retail stores. In nine years, two major attempts have been made to have the decree rescinded. The U. S. Supreme Court in all its venerability each time reaffirmed the decree.

Last week a third move was made. Armour and Swift petitioned the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia to modify the decree. Reason: that times have changed. Two arguments they made in chief: 1) that there are now 70,000 chain stores in the country, many of them selling meat. Already the chains are going into meat packing to supply their requirements--one chain already owns two packing plants and a sausage factory. The effect of the decree is therefore not to prevent the large packers from treading on others, but to be trod upon--to make them subject to unfair competition.

2) That the packers' branch distributing agencies could, without extra cost, handle other products than meat. At present the entire cost of the branch agencies must be born by meat, which is an economic waste and increases prices to the public.