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Show BIG I0m FIRMS . FACE TRUST LAV-PROSECUTION LAV-PROSECUTION Familiar Charge Are Made by Government in Filing Ita Case. y Asseciatsd Press. WASHINGTON, Oct. M rive tobacco to-bacco corporations and a number of their officers snd directors were charged in a formal complaint today by the federal trade commission with price discrimination in the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, tending to create a monopoly, unfair methods of competition, under tha maintenance of Interlocking directorates direc-torates and Illegal conscription of control con-trol of producing companies. Those named are the Tobacco Products Prod-ucts corporation sf Richmond, Vs.; tha Melanchrine Tobacco v Trading com pany. New York; rich Inn si Brothers, Inc., New York; the Prudential Tobacco Tobac-co company. Inc., New York; tha Kalk Tobacco company of Virginia and ffeorge L. Htorra. Ruben Miller, U B. alcKilterick and Leon Bchlnaal. x The defendants were order to appear ap-pear before the commission In Washington Wash-ington on December 7 to show causa whyths corpora t Urns should not be required re-quired to dlspos of stock held In violation vio-lation of tha Clayton law. OWNERSHIP CONCEALED. The Tobacco iTixlucts corporation, the complaint alleges, acquired all of tha stock and capital of the four other concerns and ulso controls the Khe-dtvtal Khe-dtvtal company of New York, the Standard Tobacco company. Inc., and Hlephano Hrothers, Inc., both of Vlr-glnlu, Vlr-glnlu, the Nestor Olannadla company of Maine and the Hurburg company of New Jersey. It Is chsrged that tha corporation, with tha Intent of stifling competition In. the manufacture and sale of tobacco products, concealed Its ownership and control of tnerws corporations. cor-porations. REBATING CHARGED. Further charges Include payment of commissions under rebates to dealers who advertised products of these corporations. cor-porations. The corporation. It Is charged, for tha lust si i months, has paid the Leewia J. sLiKgett company, owner of aoout 70a retail chain store a monthly commissions commis-sions equalling per cent f products purchased by It and has contracted to pay this company further Improper commissions. |