LEGAL PHASES OF COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS. 41 
associations or other corporations as it does to individuals. How- 
ever, the courts have never held that two or more independent deal- 
ers may agree without a legal cause not to do business with another. 
Again, when an individual, firm, or corporation does not rest con- 
tent with refusing to have business relations with a certain person, 
but endeavors to compel third persons to refrain from having busi- 
ness relations with such person, the law is violated. This was the 
situation in the case involving the Aroostook Potato Shippers' Asso- 
ciation referred to above. Had the association and its members 
simply refused to deal with the buyers in question there is little 
doubt but that the law would not have been violated, but when 
efforts were made to compel third persons to refrain from dealing 
with such buyers the law was violated. 
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATED RAISIN CO. CASE. 
In September, 1920, the Government brought suit against the 
California Associated Raisin Co., charging it with monopolizing and 
restraining trade in violation of the antitrust laws. In September 
of that year a stipulation was entered into in lieu of an injunction 
requiring the Raisin Co. to release more than one-fourth of its hold- 
ings of raisins (40,000 tons) to competitors and to abandon the 
"firm at opening price" contract and those involving guaranties 
against decline. It was also required to announce through adver- 
tisements in the newspapers of Fresno County, Calif., its willingness 
to release all grape growers who claimed that they were coerced into 
signing contracts with it. 
This case was disposed of in January, 1922, by the entry of a 
consent decree which enjoins and restrains the Raisin Co. from 
eliminating or decreasing competition in interstate or foreign com- 
merce in raisins or raisin grapes by the purchase, lease, or control 
of the plant of any competitor or by means of any contract or con- 
cert of action with an existing or prospective competitor. It is also 
enjoined from securing or attempting to secure contracts with 
growers of raisin grapes by means of coercion or duress, or which 
eliminate or restrict or prevent others from freely competing to 
secure contracts with the growers of raisin grapes in California. 
All contracts entered into with raisin growers must contain a pro- 
vision authorizing the grower to terminate the contract at the end 
of the first three years thereof or at the end of any two-year period 
thereafter; making or entering into contracts for the sale of raisins 
under which the quantity of raisins to be delivered to any purchaser 
or the price to be paid therefor is to be subsequently determined by 
the Raisin Co., in accordance with the practice known as "firm at 
opening price " or under which the Raisin Co. agrees to indemnify 
any purchaser against loss on account of a future decline in the 
