42 BULLETIN 1106, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
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 re- 
quiring 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 involvang guaranties 
against decline. It was also required to announce through ad- 
vertisements in the newspapers of Fresno County, Calif., its willing- 
ness to release all grape growers who ¢laimed 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 
market price of raisins, are forbidden; purchasing or agreeing to pur- 
chase raisins or raisin grapes from a competitor for the purpose of 
enabling the Raisin Co. to fix the price of such product or to diminish . 
competition; agreeing or combining either among themselves or with 
others to lessen or eliminate the supply of raisins or decrease the pro- 
duction or supply of raisin grapes or to diminish competition 
through the destruction or waste of raisins or otherwise; making a 
contract with a competitor for the packing of raisins exclusively 
for the Raisin Co. with an agreement of “ exclusive dealing ”; making 
a competitor the agent of the Raisin Co., with authority to sell raisins 
or raisin grapes at fixed prices, or excluding or preventing a com- 
petitor from marketing raisins or raisin grapes for himself or 
another; making contract under which the purchaser is obliged to 
