Daily Republican., 1882-08-09
The Match Monopoly.

The Philadelphia Press, contains tn
following communication OF local inter
est to Wilmington, from Mount Holly
N. j.
SIR: You have alluded several times
during the past year to the revenue tai
on matches, medicines, etc., and de-
clared in favor Of their abolition. You
stated short time ago that the large
manufacturers did not care to have the
tax taken of, as 1t prevented small
firms from going into the business.
Now the fact is that the match business
Is a giant monopoly, all the manufac-
turers, except one or two very small
firms, being consolidated III one organi-
2ation, with President, Secretary,
Treasurer and Directors. This was
done by taking the machinery, stock of
goods and materials, ETC., of all the par.
ties joining the organization, at an ap.
praised valuation, and issuing stock for
the same. Then closing up some of the
establishments, removing the machiD.
cry, stock, etc., and concentrating the
same skilled laborers, they are running
the rest as branch establishments.
All the lumber, chemicals, ETC.,
are bought through the same
channel for the trade Of the UNI
ted States, all the stamps bought at ore
lot for all the branch factories, the dis
count allowed on them being much
greater than the aggregate Of the dis.
counts to the individual tirms-and
there is now no cutting OF prices, but q
uniform scale for all sections, luciIers
going from 81 80 per gross of boxes
Goo each) to 81. 10 after the consolida-
ton.
To show bow great the seemingly
slight tax of one cent per box, really is,
1t Is only necessary 20 calculate how
much you pay for matches and how
much for stamps when you buy gross
of sulphur matches. If the price is 81 10,
you pay 81 a for stamps Gone cent on
each box) and .66 for the matches, or q
tax of about 900 per cent on the selling
price of matches without the tax. 1t Is
easily seen that the small manufactur-
or stands but a poor chance when he
must have more than twice as much
capital in stamps as in stock of goods.
Taking into consideration the labor of
sta nping and the interest on capital
used Tor stamps, it is fair to suppose
that matches could be sold for 80 per
gross of boxes when the tax is removed.
You remark that Senator Bayard, In
advocating the retention of the tax on
matches had made mistake, lost an
opportunity. But the Senator knew
better than to disobey the mandate of
the powerful lobby watching the inter
ests of the match business. Swift &
Courtney, of Wilmington, Del, Phila
delphia, New York, and New Haven,
Conn.,, are perhaps the most wealthy
aud powerful of the members of the
confederation. The Barber Match Co.,
Akron, o.; Byam, Boston, Mass. Gates,
Frankfort, N. Y; Clark, Oshkosh, Wis.
Mansfield, St. Louis, are all very veal.
thy, estimated to be worth millions
each, and there arc several others scat.
tered over the country Of lesser note,
some of whom are now only stockhol-
ders In the new organization, their fac
tories having beer absorbed and oblit-
Grated.
Although the House has voted to
abolish the tax on ma ches, medicines,
ETC., l still have my doubts of its abo,i-
ton by the present Congress, because
the influence that can be brought to
bear against IL is so powerful and ex-
tends in the way have mentioned over
80 great an extent of territory, reaching
so many members through their cOnstit-
uentS. j. W. u,