United States v. Hopkins

82 F. 529, 1897 U.S. App. LEXIS 2774
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Kansas
DecidedSeptember 20, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 82 F. 529 (United States v. Hopkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Hopkins, 82 F. 529, 1897 U.S. App. LEXIS 2774 (circtdks 1897).

Opinion

FOSTER, District Judge

(after stating the facts). It will be observed that the answer of the defendants denies and puts in issue the allegations of the. bill charging a combination or conspiracy or contract in restraint of trade or commerce, and denies any monopoly or attempt to monopolize or combination to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several states, and denies that the business for which the exchange was organized, and in which its members are engaged, comes under the class of commerce or trade among the states.

The first question, whether there is any combination in restraint of trade or commerce, or a- combination to monopolize any part of trade or commerce, on the part of the defendant association, is to be determined, not alone from what appears upon the face of its preamble, rules, and by-laws, but from the entire situation and the prac-[535]*535iical working and results of tlie defendants’ methods of doing business, as disclosed by tlie testimony in the case. The defendant association is located at Kansas City, on the line between Kansas and Missouri, in tlie immediate vicinity of the Kansas City Stock Yards, and in close association therewith, being tenants of said stock-yards company. Said yards, with, perhaps, tlie exception of the yards at Chicago, are the largest in the country, and handle great numbers of live stock. These yards, the packing houses, and thii-s exchange are all situated at the gateway through which flows the great stream of commerce of several states and territories, and amoug all the business tributary to this locality probably none is as important as the live-stock business and the various industries connected therewith. The defendant association is entirely voluntary in form, and does not directly require any person engaging in the live-stock commission business to become a member; but it will be observed that rule 16 prohibits any member from dealing with any person violating any of the rules or regulations of the exchange, or an expelled or suspended member, after notice of such suspension has been issued by the secretary or board of directors. In practice, as amply appears from Ihe testimony of many witnesses, this rule shuts out all dealings and business intercourse between members and nonmembers of the association. It is shown beyond cavil that the entire membership of the association regards a commission merchant attempting to do business at the Kansas City Stock Yards without joining the ex change as one violating this rule, and treat him accordingly. And this construction is a natural one, for a compliance with the rules of the exchange» requires a party to subscribe to its rales and by-laws, and to pay a-membership fee (which is now $2,500), to pay Ms assessments, and observe all other requirements, including the fees and commissions fixed for handling live stock; and it may well be said that any dealer or broker does business in violation of these rales who does business at all and fails to join the association. The testimony discloses several instances of parties attempting to enter the field, and do business there, without joining the exchange; and in every instance, unless protected by the courts, they have been compelled to abandon the undertaking. All parties now engaged in the business are members of the exchange, except Greer, Mills & Co., who are making a fight in the courts to maintain their business, and are temporarily protected by injunction. If appears from the testimony that any person or partnership attempting to carry on business independent of the association is invited to apply for membership, and if he fails to do so, or if rejected, and attempts to proceed. Ms name is written on a blackboard kept for public use in the exchange building, and all members are warned against dealing with. Mm. This admonition is strictly obeyed, and such person is boycotted. The outcome is inevitable. The combined opposition of three hundred men against one can produce but one result. Almost every purchaser or vendor of live stock, including the great packing houses, does business through commission merchants, and nearly the entire volume of live stock received at the yards is consigned to and con[536]*536trolled by these merchants, members of the exchange. In vain does the outside dealer offer attractive bargains for the sale or purchase; of stock; they will have no intercourse with him. This state of affairs is known and circulated among stock growers and shippers, and they dare not ship their stock to this boycotted broker or firm. These facts are established and amplified by a multitude'of witnesses. .The object and purpose of the exchange is written across its face, where all can read. It is to control and monopolize the entire business of buying and selling live stock at the Kansas City Stock Yards. It is clearly a combination to restrict, control, and monopolize that class of trade and commerce. The defendants declare that the rules, regulations, and prices for doing the business are all reasonable and fair and for the best interests of buyer and seller. Possibly that is so, although it is not apparent, looking at the interests of the stock grower or purchaser, why the number of solicitors of business should be limited to three for each firm, or why there should be a restriction on telegraphic information as to the state of the market, or why he should be compelled to pay a commission of 50 cents a head on-cattle when he paid 25 cents before the exchange was organized, or why there should be discriminating charges on stock from different localities.

Counsel for defendants have, with commendable zeal and industry, submitted for oúr consideration the rules of a great number of exchanges and boards of trade throughout the cities of the United States, dealing in corporate stocks, grains, live stock, and various other things, and contend that they are essential, if not indispensable, to the commerce and business interests of the country, and that to grant the prayer of this bill would be the deathblow of those institutions. Courts cannot shut their eyes to thé results of their judicial conclusions, but how far such results should control those conclusions depends on several conditions, not necessary to discuss here; nor would it be proper to consider here what effect this act of congress may have on these organizations, or any of them. I may be permitted to say, however, that the methods and aims of many of these exchanges and boards of trade are not altogether beneficial to the business and commerce of the country. That they are beneficial to the members, and perhaps to the locality, may be admitted. It must also be admitted that a properly conducted agency or medium through which the vendor and vendee may readily sell and buy everything that enters into commerce or trade is demanded by the business interests of the whole country; but this agency should not be permitted to tamper with or in any way impede or restrain the natural fiow of the stream of industry or commerce. The crying complaint of to-day, and the great menace to the welfare of the people, is the tendency of wealth to monopolize and control, by trusts and combinations, the products and industries of the country; and it must be confessed by every thoughtful observer that many of the so-called stock and produce exchanges are among the most potent instruments for the accomplishment of these purposes by speculators and adventurers. Men who add nothing to the productive wealth of [537]*537the country grow rich or poor by gambling on the wealth produced by others.

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Bluebook (online)
82 F. 529, 1897 U.S. App. LEXIS 2774, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-hopkins-circtdks-1897.