Show JURY THREATENS SAlT fOOD COMBINE Affidavits Are Being Secured as Basis for Pro Proceedings Proceedings Proceedings Against Butchers and Gro Grocers Grocers cers Public Is Aroused Developments Indicate Existence of Oppressive Trust Among mong Local Wholesalers Organizations Work Together I 4 PRICES RIcEs NINE IND MILES AWAY Holliday is about ten miles south of Salt lake The grocers and butchers hutchers of Holliday Holiday buy their stocks of local whole wholesalers wholesalers wholesalers salers and haul them by wagon to Holliday Holiday Wednesday a Salt lake man purchased fresh eggs at Holliday Holiday for 25 cents a dozen first class butter for 30 cents a pound sliced breakfast bacon for 17 cents a pound and cans of Carnation cream at 10 JO cents a can The Salt Lake retail prices on the same goods are Eggs 30 cents a dozen butter 35 cents a pound bacon 22 to 25 cents a pound and Carnation cream 15 cents a can two cans for 25 cents A grand Jury is to be called caned to Investigate Investigate investigate the abnormal and excessive cost of living JIving in Salt Lake City Three affidavits have already been secured from grocers and butchers here lere who as Independent dealers and andas andas andas as members of the Butchers Grocers association have felt the heavy hand of the combination existing between the retailers and wholesalers when then attempted through cut prices to give their customers the benefits of large purchases at low Jow prices Breeden Had at Work The decision to ask the district court for a grand Jury to investigate living I conditions here was reached late yes yesterday yesterday yesterday afternoon The proper person to request the Ul calling caning of the Jury is the attorney general of the state M A Breeden Pressed last night for a statement as asto asto asto to when the request would woul be made Attorney General Breeden said I have the matter In hand and am col collecting collecting ol evidence One man came to tome tome tome me today with evidence of a combination combination combination tion but wanted to find out before di dl divulging divulging it where he would stand as to protection and remuneration I have the matter of calling a grand jury welt well In hand but I prefer not to make an announcement until later Jt lt It Is understood that the toe three affi am affidavits affidavits davits obtained yesterday afternoon will be laid before the attorney gen general general general eral this morning Wholesalers Involved The wholesale butchers and grocers are getting as deep in the then mud m d ns Rs the tte retail butchers and grocers tire are In Jn the themire themire mire Conclusive evidence was se fC secured cured yesterday by The Herald that a thorough understanding and working agreement exists between the whole wholesale wholesale wholesale sale and retail retal dealers for the regula regulation regulation regulation tion of prices stifling of competition and for the boycotting of all retailers who refuse to sell seU goods at association tion prices A Levy Len proprietor of the California fish market here hero said yesterday that when he was owner of the Independent Grocery company in Salt Lake he at times sold goods cheaper than other retailers about town At one time lime I went to Hewlett Bros and put down cash on their counter fora fOla bill of goods They The o told me they would like to see me fix up my trouble with the Butchers Gro Grocers Grocers cers corn association before selling me the goods goodso The next day I was notified to come to office There I found Mr Ir Hewlett Lorenzo Jensen secretary of the Butchers Grocers and rind a walking delegate of the Butch Butchers ers era Grocers They told me if I would sell seU at association prices stop advertising In the newspapers and stop putting signs of my prices In front of the store they th would see If I get the goods goo s I wanted I agreed and got my goods Hewlett Admits Boycott Threat Orson Hewlett He lett of Hewlett Bros and president of the Merchants I and association late yesterday esterday after afternoon afternoon afternoon noon at his office admitted that his firm had refused to sell goods goo S to Levy Had we done so we would have been boycotted by every retail grocer and butch butchar r In this city emphatically de declai clai claid d President Hewlett It would woud be difficult to find more con conclusive conclusive proof of a combination or under understanding understanding understanding standing between the wholesale and re retail tall tail dealers dealer deal eM than this instance and half a dozen others which were brought to light by bO strenuous Investigation and search yesterday The majority of the grocers who gave evidence declared they theO were wele afraid to have havo their names used as the Butchers and Grocers association was powerful enough to harm if not ruin them Developments have come thick and fast in the past hours In the campaign public indignation has aroused for a lower cost of living The decision to ask for a grand Jury is the most Im Ira Important Then comes the positive state stat statement meat ment from one grocer and a prominent restaurant man that an ironclad agree agreement n ment mont as to prices exists among the whole wholesalers salers salons The grocer who made the state statement statement ment meat refused to let his name be used for forthe forthe forthe the present being a member of the Butch Butchers ers ens and Grocers association and fearing their wrath We are not entirely to blame for the present high prices though our tion has put some things up that I sell cheaper than the present markt market price and still realize handsomely cn tn them The main trouble lies with the wholesalers Morning after morning I have called up every e ery wholesale butcher and grocer In Salt Sall Lake to find every con concern concern concern cern quoting Identical prices on different articles of food Maybe the prices would be e several cents cent higher than those quoted the night before If so 50 it always hap happened happened happened that the wholesalers all raised si sl simultaneously simultaneously the next day I 1 know that there Is a strong working agreement be between b between tween the wholesalers by which they call callup callup callup up each other dally daily and agree on for the current day dayo Dont Dare Cut Prices What would happen if tomorrow morn morning mornIng morning ing you cut the price of flour below wha what you OU have been notified to sell it for fOT b by Secretary Jensen Jersen of the Butchers and Grocers association 7 he was Vas asked Why I would probably be notified to put the price up again and If it in a coup of days das I 1 do it I would have trouble getting setting any more flour from local ocal whole wholesalers salers sitters when my supply ran out III In fact I be able aMe to get any probably v was wag the grocers answer William Young proprietor of Youngs cafe was emphatic In his statements yet yes yesterday PI that the e wholesalers have put tut prices on a prohibitive basis buls I dont believe the retailers a are p er cr to blame I buy from the sale houses Last year I pM paki SC pi pr r case callie for asparagus Two weeks wk ago I J called up every wholesaler in town an ant l every one fine of nf them asked m mp me a R R for f the same grade of asparagus That ll Just an incident Certain articles will ba be baa bea a certain price afternoons when I Ioa leav Ifan here and in the morning when I come comedown comedown comedown down I will call can up the wholesalers and an anask anask ask for prices on that same commodity only to find them raised Every pialI pac pacI I call can up will quote me Just what ever every other wholesaler does There you have hav haveit It a commodity going up per cent over night and every wholesale concern in town quoting you exactly the same sam price on aji fl It I have experienced rises in ill prices like Ike that so 50 often I 1 simply ceas as asto to wonder at it and take what comes conies am positive there is a binding agreement In effect today among the wholesalers Want Investigating Committee The B G do not need to talk the restaurant men man about high prices f Y fat Yat at the prices I am charging today I had only the volume of business s I h when those prices went into effect eff t t I could not exist It Is only the fact tr tl 11 I II I am doing a much heavier business than thao ever before that enables me to maintain my prices Other developments came into the field fieM last night The directors of the M MM MM L LI M I met at the Chamber of Commerce and adopted a resolution asking that a com corn committee committee of two men from each of the fol following following following lowing associations the M 11 M Real association Commercial club the State Fair association the Butchers and Grocers association be appointed to Immediately Investigate the cost of high living JIving in Salt Lake The latest charge to be made against the B G is that that organization went to the regular truck and market gardeners who supply the local retailers and told them that If they theO would not peddle their produce about the city themselves but would bring it to Mar Market Market Market ket row they would be guaranteed from 15 to 25 per cent higher prices for the produce than could be secured in a hous house housto to house canvass Certain it is that the peddling of ot fresh produce about Salt Lake is practically at a standstill as far as the truck gar gardeners gardeners gardeners are concerned The gardeners take their produce to market the retailers pay them better prices than the house housewife housewife housewife wife would and as a result the farmer goes home and the people get theirs from the retailer The directors of the M 1 M 11 last Jast night did not In any way discuss discus dl cusa the action of the real estate men in objecting to the B A G association occupying the Cham Chamber Chamber ber her of Commerce building nor did they the discuss the proposition lUon of going with the B G outside the chamber or of ot total totally totally totally ly dissolving the working agreement Such was Chairman astonishing statement after the meeting was over Ve We dont know Just what we will do doit doIt doIt it talked over ovet tonight he de do declared declared S a dared Chicago Prices Lower From every evero quarter of the city and anti from the surrounding towns are coming letters and reports of prices price In various outside towns as compared with local prices and the local condition is given some hard Jolts Quoted above are the prices prevailing at Hallday Haliday south of Salt Lake a town whose whore merchants are compelled to como come comoto cometo to Salt Lake by team buy their good goods and haul them home again Yet they c ca i Continued on Page 8 GRAND JURY THREATENS SALT FOOD COMBINE Continued from Page 1 afford to dispose of those tho e commodities at 10 to 3 33 per pet cent less than do local mar mer merchants chants chanta At Grantsville fresh eggs are today selling for twenty cents a dozen against the thirty cents a dozen price prevalent here One of the most prominent restaurant men In Salt Lake one who has h s been buy buyIng buyIng Ing lag his supplies at home for years ears de declares declares clares dares that he has been compelled to go goto goto goto to for his goods and that he has found It greatly to his advantage For example he is able to buy in Chicago freight paid to Salt Lake City practically everything he needs at prices less than those quoted by Salt Lake jobbers and re n retailers retailers tallen He exhibited a schedule on a carload of mixed groceries with a com corn comparison comparison parison of or o prices on canned goods In part as follows follow Chicago Salt SaU Lake x I v Per dos doz do Per dos doz do Okra Plum pudding 70 Peas 1211 Corn SIX 7 Cherries 35 Red raspberries iSO 25 Lobster On a standard grade of or tomato catsup the restaurant man saves sa S 33 35 3 cents a case caseby caseby caseby by purchasing In Chicago to which is i added 50 cents a case clUe for cash making a 8 anet anet net saving of So 85 cents a easel cas Local merchants who have been bound hand and foot by br the Butchers and Gro Oro Grocers cers cus association and by the wholesalers are gaining courage for they see a gath gathering gathering ering storm which promises to sweep ev CV every every ery vestige of unlawful trade tra e Jt noris prevalent here now to the four winds The member of the Real Estate asso association association yesterday est rda only laughed at the bit bitter bitter bitter ter resolutions the Butchers Buthers and Grocers association passed condemning their nc nt 1 Whom the gods would destroy they first make mid mad m d was about the only answer you ou could get from a real estate man all aU day long upon questioning him himas himas himas as to his candidacy for a place pla in Warden Pratts institution on the hill hili per the sug suggestion suggestion of the retailers In their Wednes Wednesday day night meeting It was learned last night nl ht however that members of the association have seen seena a number of grocers and butchers Attorney Attorney Attorney ney General Breeden lias has been seen So has County Attorney Hanson and so have haye a number of others J M Mar Marriott ar in his scathing denunciation of the methods and attitude of the real estate men before the Butchers Grocers meeting declared that the th methods and business of the National Retail Butchers and Grocers association have been up upheld upheld upheld held and sustained in every state in the Urion by the state courts A director of the Real Estate association association association tion read that statement yesterday esterday morn morning mornIng mornIng ing and forthwith reached into his desk and took out a copy of an eastern paper In which was reported In full the cele celebrated celebrated celebrated speech of Elihu Root secretary of state of the United States delivered Nov No 1 1906 at N Y T during the campaign for governor of New York Association Dissolved The Retail Grocers association In this country countr has been dissolved by b decree decre of oC the court The elevator combination In Inthe Inthe inthe the west has been dissolved in like man manner manner ner ncr The salt combination west of the Rocky mountains has been dissolved by decree of the court The Wholesale Grocers association in inthe Inthe Inthe the south the meat combination and the lumber combination In the west the com corn combination combination of railroads entering the city of St Louis to suppress competition be between between between tween the bridges and ferries reaching that city the drug trust which sup suppresses suppresses suppresses presses competition all over the country countr are being vigorously pressed in suits brought by the federal government for their dissolution Such is the manner In which the sec secretary secretary of state handled the National Re Retail Retail tail tall Grocers association of this coun country country try tr contradicting very effectively effective Mr statement Every effort will wilt be made today to Induce more independent butchers and nd grocers to come to the front with evi evl evidence evidence dence that will show still more conclusively conclusively conclusively than has already alread been done the th existence of a fixed working agreement among the wholesalers and retailers here hereIt It is being pointed out to such independent Ind independent pen pendent dent dealers that a step In the right di direction dIrection direction at this time backed by an aroused aro led sentiment will be the means of making I such a firm Immensely popular and an should result In a heavy trade Faust Enters Protest Said Henry J Faust or the Faust Creamery Supply You have be handing handl g out ut some hot dope on the butter situation You would probably be justified in your criticism if It your youe information was correct but it |