HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESOLUTIONS - 01011969 - 69-679 IN THE .BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
In the Matter of Authorizing }
Antitrust suit Against } RESOLUTION NO. 69/ 679
Automobile Manufacturers )
Association, Inc . , et al. }
This Board has been advised by Attorney General Thomas C. Lynch
that :
The Federal Government , on January 10, 1969 . filed a Civil
Antitrust Suit against the Automobile Manufacturers Association,
Inc. , General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company , Chrysler
Corporation, and American Motors Corporation, alleging that the
named defendants and Checker Motor Corporation, Diamond T Motor
Car Company , International Harvester Company , Studebaker Corpo-
ration, White Motor Corporation, Kaiser Jeep Corporation and
Mack Trucks , Inc. , conspired to eliminate all competition among
themselves in the research, development , manufacture and instal-
lation of motor vehicle air pollution control equipment and did
various acts to accomplish the elimination of competition and
agreed among themselves to delay installation of an improvement
to the positive crankcase ventilation devices and made various
misrepresentations to the California Motor Vehicle Pollution
Control Board as to the state of the technology in smog devices .
The Federal Government and the defendants have agreed to a
Consent Decree in this matter, which will conclude the Federal
proceedings .
The Attorney General is contemplating filing an action on
behalf of the State of California, and the cities and counties of
the State of California, for damages that may have been suffered
due to smog.
This Board agrees that all possible action must be taken by
all appropriate agencies to prevent and reduce the problem of air
pollution.
NOW, THEREFOR, IT IS RESOLVED, that the County Counsel and
the Attorney General of California, or any of his authorized
assistants or deputies , be authorized to take such action on our
behalf and in our name, as, in his sole discretion, may be deemed
appropriate in the preparation, filing, service and prosecution of
a Civil Antitrust Suit for damages and other legal recovery against
certain automobile manufacturers for conspiring to retard the
introduction of smog control devices in the State of California,
and be it further
RESOLUTION NO. 69/ 679
RESOLVED, that this authorization includes the authority to
settle such litigation on such terms as the Attorney General or
any of his authorized assistants or deputies may deem appropriate ,
with concurrence of the County Counsel , and to allocate to us our
proper and equitable share of any sum recovered as damages
excepting the amount of attorneys ' fees , costs , and expenses
incurred by the Attorney General , as determined or approved by
the Court , whether by settlement , suit , or otherwise .
PASSED AND ADOPTED on October 14 1969.
JEC:me
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RESOLUTION NO. 69/ 679