The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-07-05
9HH LATE POTTERY TRUST
Nothing New in the Situation,
but Much Guess Work,
ERRONEOUS REPORTS GOING
Through the Press Without Good
Foundation in Fact-Tho Trust
Precotnot Dead, but Sleeping.
Some Late Expressions,

city yesterday from q trip which had ic
its primary purpose attendance on th
meeting at Cresson, Pa, for the purpos
oil choosing new trustees to represer
the eastern potters in tho proposed pol
terry trust, That meeting, it will be IT
Inembered, was not held, for the reaso
that the trust plan had been abandone
before the time for the meeting to b
held. There is nothing new in the stu
alton. The trust has only been tempo
rarily abandoned. 1t will be revive,
when circumstance iRyors its revival,
There has been great deal OF will
guessing in regard to the trust. The In
TELLtGENCER was the first paper Il
chronicle the fact that trust was con
tempated, This was promptly deniet
by the guessers, who soon found theI
were guessing wrong. Then when thI
INTRLLlGRNCER announced that the trus
had been abandoned, this was alsI
warmly denied till 1t was proven true.
I'll still being industriously denied
that the Standard Oil Company had any
connection with tho project. OF coursl
as a corporation itCould not legally have
but Its leading stockholders were thu
projectors and promoters OF the pottery
trust, This statement is official.
A telegram from Cresson and another
from Trenton appeared in various paper
yesterday. These stated that the Wheel
ing pottery was anxious to 80 into the
trust, which is untrue. The Wheeling
pottery was equally willing to go in OF
stay out,
The criticism OF the trust based on the
idea that 1t was intended TO put up the
price OF ware, Is not well founded. The
purpose OF the trust was to prevent further
decentralization OF the trade, raise and
make uniform the product OF the factor
les, and prevent needless and ruinous
competition.
Following are tho dispatches referred
to above:
ericsson, Pa, July 3.-0nly two per-
sons in any sense identified with pottery
interests appeared here this morning.
These were Hon. ]. Dunbar and w. B.
Donaldson, OF Steubenyille. Mr.. Don.
aldson Is President and General Man
ager Of the steubenville pottery, and Mr..
Dunbar is Its attorney and one OF It's di.
rectors. Both were at loss for IN ex-
planation OF the failure to appear OF the
other potters OF the country. The au-
thorities at the Cresson Hotel had been
notified TO expect them and had received
no instructions to the contrary. Mr..
Dunbar left for home tonight, and in
speaking OF the proposed trust, said: ~
am not terribly in favor OF this scheme
myself. 1t appears to me 10 be plan to
place the pottery interests Of the country
In the hands OF few men, who will
have power 10 say Just when our pot
teries shall run and when they shall shut
down. This is not altogether in the ma.
ture OF progressive movement. II
Steubenville, Wheeling and q majority
OF the East Liverpool potters will keep
out OF the proposed combine II could not
come oil, but II they do not, nothing can
prevent 1t. ] know that some OF the
East Liverpool people favor 1t, but do
not know how many.
II do not know that the Standard OIL
Company has anything to do with this
combine. Whenever trust or combine
Is threatened, it Is popular to charge the
Standard with being a party to 1t. l
do not know what 10 think OF the post.
ponement; that is, whether 1t is favor.
bic 10 or prejudicial TO the scheme. II
II falls through shall be satisfied"
The Wheeling Pottery Company, one
OF the largest in the country, Is very
much in favor OF the combine, and with
1t are Knowles, Taylor & Knowles,
Henry Laughlin and one or two Of the
larger Of the East Liverpool concerns.
TRENToN, July 9,-James Moser, o
leading potter, and one OF the primo
movers in tho trust scheme, said to-day:
"The trust idea is not abandoned; 1t Is
only postponed till people have oppor.
tunity OF studying Its advantages and
disadvantages, aud complete harmony is
attained. II will not be trust for the
oppression OF workmen, dealers, con-
sumers or outside potters, but a trust
for a cooperation TO benefit all con.
cerned, II possible, and hurt no one, II II
Is possible to avoid 1t. OF course, a
great deal would depend upon the trus-
tees, as TO whether any one was injured.
1t Is not intended to raise prices above
the present average"
On the same subject the East Liver.
pool Crisis has these observations:
The proposed potters' trust, which
originated In the minds Of the agents OF
the Standard Oil Company and the
Trenton potters, Ia one that the manu-.
iacturers OF this city should keep shy OF,
for fear that, by acting tho "hog," they
may enter into an arrangement that will
but bring disaster 10 their affairs. The
maxim, "let good enough alone, could
never be applied better than in this case.
To begin with, the potters Of this city
have no need for atrust. They are doubt.
less all making money, and enjoying
prosperous trade. Under the present
condition II is only a question OF time
until Trenton potterieB will be forced to
close up owing 10 the superior advantage
secured by the manufacturers here. A
combine with Trenton now merely
means aiding Trenton 10 the detrlment
OF East Liverpool.
Another point should be carefully
considered. The potting industry Is
backed with a heavy government l,ro.
lection considerably In excess oil fifty
per cent OF the value Of the production.
II a trust Is formed this well likely be
abolished. Tho people could hardly DO
expected 10 furnish aid 10 an association
formed 10 gouge the public, having as a
partner that atch.eneiny Of the century
The Standard Oil Company. Common
sense should be sufficient 10 warn them
that such actions arc extremely danger.
ouB 10 the perpeLuaLlon Of the taria on
their production.
In regard 10 the fear that the trust will
nropeed 10 gobble up the outsiders, II
looks very much aS though the outsiders
at present form tho largest portion. II
four firms are 10 run out Of business all
Of the pottets Of this city, IL will be
something like case Of The tail wagging
the dog.
The history Of trusts is anything but
encouraging. There 10 generally one
man who makes the money, while Tie
members at the beat can, aB a rule, but
secure a reasonable interest on thulr In.
yestment. II ID safe 10 say that every
manufacturer In tho city to-day ID doing
better, and 10 enter a trust ID simply
UopafdlElng the interests. Whether
they will do 20 or not ID now the Ques
ton 10 be answered,
THE LIQUOR TRUST BEATEN,
The Mig EnSliAh syndicate knocked Out II