31.   He has teamed up with consumer groups to assert that the merger of the two regional telephone giants will reduce competition, push up prices and hurt service.

32.   He said he believes the proliferation of banking fees is a byproduct of past banking mergers that have reduced competition in the industry.

33.   If a firm attracts most of the orders in a contract, though, it can essentially become the market, reducing competition.

34.   In contrast, diverting orders to other exchanges reduces competition and increases prices.

35.   In contrast, Burlington Northern does not now operate in California, so a Burlington-Santa Fe deal would not reduce competition there.

36.   In its complaint, the proposed merger is intended to reduce the competition between the two hospitals, the department said.

37.   In the U.S., the question is whether a merger will substantially reduce competition.

38.   It aims to reduce competition among cities for development, which can turn pristine desert to a sea of red-tile roofs.

39.   It raises labor costs by reducing competition in the labor market.

40.   Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson of U.S. District Court said that Microsoft had used its monopoly power to stifle innovation, reduce competition and hurt consumers.