Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-09-11
THE TRUST CROP.

New Activity In the Growth of Trusts-Four
New Trusts All ut Once and High Protect
i've Duties to Help Them-Trusts, Like
Mckinley. Do Not Want Cheap Times
Trust-making and tariff-making go on
with equal force. While the high tariff
carnival advances in Washington pro-
tected manufacturers are getting to-
gether" to reap the full benefit that the
new tariff law will give them.
The most recent case is that of the
satinet manufacturers who met in Wor-
cester, Mass, representatives being
present from nearly all the important
mills in the country. At this meeting
action was taken ito devise a plan of
consolidation similar to that adopted
by the card clothing makers" ut is
hoped" the dispatch goes on to say.
by closa combination to reduce the
number of commission houses and lessen
competition"
The second new trust is that of the
card clothing men, which will be known
under the corporate title of the Amer
lean Gard Clothing Company. There
are fifteen firms associated together in
this trust One of the objects of the
trust is, as stated by one of the men in
1t, ito fix up reasonable scale of
prices" They are materially aided in
this venture by the higher protective
duties given them by Major Mckinley.
who says: 1--WE want no return to cheap
times in our own country" The trust
and Mckinley are of one mind on the
subject OF keeping up prices
A third trust is getting ready for
operations Not long ago four of the
six manufacturers of fax Irvine in this
country met in New York ito consider
the question of uniting with the whole
sale Irvine dealers in order to maintain
a scale of prices and to prevent cutting
that has hitherto injured both parties ~
An agreement was reached. which is to
go into effect as soon as it is signed by the
two manufacturers who were absent
One of the manufacturers who was pres
ent said that these two firms would
withoutdou agree to the arrangement
in very short time, as the conditions
were SO evidently to their advantage
The fourth trust is the tableware glass
trust. News comes from Findlay, O.,
that all the tableware glass factories in
the country-th irty-three in number
have completed arrangements with ar
English syndicate giving it the control
of the entire glassware business in the
United States. One of the first thing:
to be done by the synd cate, it is an
nounced. will be to shut down a mum
Der of the factories in districts where
fuel is costly. This trust also had the
way smoothed down for it by the good
Major Mckinley. He put largely in
creased duties on table glassware.
The Senate cut these down in some
cases to the present rate, and in othel
cases allowed an increase somewhat les
than Mckinley had given
This seems very appropriate time tt
| pass Senator Plumb's amendment Il
the Tariff bill for the admission at half
duty of all articles controlled by trusts
Senator Sherman ought to support tina
| amendment No longer than last Octo
| Der he said:
The primary object of a protective tariff ii
| to invite the fullest competit on by individ
uals and corporations in domestic produc
ton. If such individuals corporation
| combine to advance the price of the domes
| tic product and to prevent the free result o
| open and fair competition, would, witho
moments hesitation. reduce the duties OIL
| foreign goods competing with them. in orde
to break down the combination. Wheneve
| free competition is evaded avoided b,
| combinations of individuals or corporations
| the duty should he re tuced and foreign com
p -tirion promptly invited.
One of the standard arguments fol
protection-an argument reiterated t.
the point of disgust by protected manu-
facturers before the Ways and Mean:
Committee at Washington that pro
lection will bring about competition
among domestic manufacturers and il
this way goods will be made cheaper
But here, in four separate cases an6
| within a week or two apart, protected
manufacturers combine to prevent the
very competition that they pretended
to desire. 1t only goes to prove the in
| sincerity of these pleas from interested
parties. 1t is against human nature
| that manufacturers should wish to have
their goods made cheap. and the combi
nations to prevent cheapness. these
trusts. give the '1ie direct to the shan
philanthropy that these men talk wheI
they get before Major Mckinley.