Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-09-07
TRUSTS VS.. LABOR.
HOW LABOR is CRUSHED THAT
PRICES MAY BE ADVANCED.

Devastating Effects of the Cordase Trust
Shown in the Record of Lockouts and
Wage Reductions Made in Order to In
The following from the speech of SEN
ator Vest of July 26, and printed in The
Congressional Record of July 81, is good
evidence of the effects of trusts, com
bines, etc., upon labor In Il previous
speech the senator had printed the list
of 400 tariff trusts" rs prepared by Hon.
John De Witt Warner for the New York
World. As written there the main OBJ
iect was to show that tariffs foster trusts
and that trusts invariably advance prices
or at least retard their natural decline
The object of the new matter introduced
by Senator Vest is to show that trusts by
keeping mills idle throw men out of en-
ployment and by increasing the number
of competitors for each job of work tend
to lower wages:
"Cordage Trust Gncluding binding
twine, cables, rope, twine, etc. Tariff:
Binding twine, Z cent per pound; other
twine, 21S cents per pound: hemp cables
and cordage, 2115 cents per pound; other
cables and cordage, IL cents.
''The Cordage trust, which was formed
in October, 1887, furnishes good illus
tration of the way in which trusts affect
labor. AS the trust gained control of
more factories it not only was enabled
to limit production and advance prices,
but had power to dictate terms to its
employees. 1t was not until 1890, when
the trust was reorganized and when it
secured control of eleven cordage fac
tories in Canada, that its power over pro-
duction and labor became supreme.
Aside from the maintaining of high
prices, which of itself limits the use of
cordage and therefore the demand for
labor, the present condition of the mills
owned and controlled by the trusts is
sufficient evidence of the devastating ef-
fects upon production and labor of this
trust, which has the following record of
lockouts and wage reductions in order
to insure sufficient profit at the mills,
kept running to pay dividends to the
owners Of the rest thus hired to stay idle.
On an average it takes about 100 en-
ployees to attend to 100 spindles; these,
in the binder twine mills, are mostly
girls, and in cordage and twine mills
mostly boys and men:
Tucker & Carter Cordage company, Brook
lyn, 600 spindles Not running full, but little
of time; averages perhaps 300 spindles.
i. Waterbury & Co., Brooklyn, 200 or 500
spindles. Running most of time.
William Walls Sons, Brooklyn, 400 or 800
spindlcs. Entirely shut downin May, 1892, and
part of all the time.
Elizabeth Cordage company, New Jersey,
COO spindles. Burned out in 1891 and not since
rebuilt
George c. Pooley & Sons, Buffalo, 50 spin
dies. Closed part Of the time.
Xenia Twine and Cordage company, Ohio,
$50 spndles. Probably running most Of the
time.
l. RineIs Sons, Easton, Pa, 70 spindles
Probably running regularly.
Akron Twine and Cordage company, Akron,
O., 30 spindles. Recently resold to former
owner; not now in the trust.
Victoria Cofdage company, Dayton, KY, 100
spindles. Probably running regularly.
H.R. Lewis & Co., Philadelphia, co or 50 spin
dies. Has been shut down some time.
Baumgardner. Woodward &c Co., Philadel-
phia, so spindles. Was dsmantled by trust.
New York Cordage company, New York, 80
spindles. Was dismantled by trust.
Atlas Cordage company, New Oorleans, 3j
spindes. Was dismantled by trust.
Randall, Goodale 81 Co., Boston, 80 spindles
Has been shut down for some time,
Sweall & Day Cordage company, Boston, 800
spindles. Probably running regularly.
Boston Cordage company, Boston, 200 spin
dies. Not running; clos moro than one
month ago.
Standard Cordagc company, Boston. 200
spindles. Not running; closed more than one
month ago.
Day Cordage company, Cambridge, Mass, CD
spindles. Dismantled by trust.
William Deering & Co., Chicago, 200 spin
dies. Probably running regularly.
Field Cordage company, Xenia, o., 100 spin
dies. Closed recently.
Aiiamisburg Binder Twine and COrdagc COM
pany, Ohio, 200 spindles. Closed three weeks
ago
Galveston Rope and Twinc company. Texas.
80 spindles. Closed since June Is.
Suffolk Cordage company, Boston, 300 spin
dies. Running regularly.
Peru mills, Indiana, 40 spindles. Dismantlcd
by trust.
Hanover Cordage company, Pennsylvania,
IS spindles. Closed indefinitely three weeks
ago.
Niddletown Twine company, Ohio, 80 spin
dies. Closed recently.
Ohio Cordage company, Xenia, o., 100 spin
dies. Closed July2.
New Bedford Cordage company, Massachu-
setts, go spindles. Not running since June !.
Lawrence Rope works, New York, 200 spin
dies. Running.
Peoria Cordage company, Indiana, 100 spin
dies. Running.
American Manufacturing (bagging) compa-
ny, New York, 200 spindles. Not running since
Jan. !.
Miamisburg Cordage company. Ohio, 100
spindles. Recently acquired by National Cord
age company and closed July l.
"Of the eleven concerns in Canada be-
longing to the National Cordage trust
probably only about two-thirds are run
ming at all regularly. There, as here,
the tariff enables the trust to keep up
prices and make sufficient profits to pay
big dividends on idle mills and to pur-
chase at exorbitant prices establishments
that threaten to undersell the trust. The
trust also controls by agreement the
factories of w. L. Boone, Jr., Brooklyn,
and Joseph l.. Podd, Paterson, manu-
facturers of binding twine and cordage
machinery, so that these companies,
which control and hold valuable patents,
cannot sell cordage machines to non
members Of the trust. This decreases
the output Of these machines and throws
labor out of employment.
But perhaps the worst evidence against
this trust as to its treatment Of labor is
found in its deals with Mr.. John Good,
who has one of the largest and best
equipped cordage mills in the country.
This mill is situated at RaveDswood, l..
l.. and when running employs 300 per-
sons. For some time previous to Nov.
o 1901 tho Cnrdare frnsf had been naY-