New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-03
WHY 20 FUNERALS COST so MCCH'
COMBINATIONS OF coFFIN-NAEEEs AID UNDER
TAKFES.

/ COMBINATIONS OF COFFIN-NAKEEs AID UNDER
T,KFKs.
The Tribune has recently received complaints from
various parts Of kausa, III regard 10 tie eAor'Laie
( charges Of an "Undcrtakers Trust" one cor
to>pondcnt in particular SAYS: The prices 'h'IH'u ny
TINS rust have been high that it now costs 80 g.
bury thee months old babe IN country cemetery
lie also complains that after an effort had Teen hadc
lv ,Lo local uncci;akers to make tEe.r own collins
they were unable 20 secure the metal Trimmings al
ANYTHING approximatng fair price in Kansas CITY,
st Louis or Chicago a reporter Ct The TribInc &c
cordlnay called all the prominent houses connected
with the trade IN this city and secured the following
facts
| one Of the most powerful associations of man
ufacturng corporations is the Casset Hardware Man
uiactureis Association. Frederick y. Thayer, OF
Buffalo Is the Commissioner of this association and
Is at Buffalo that ali the business arrangements are
made AS that Is really the central Office The asSocia
ton numbers among its members nearly evesy man
ufacturer OF metal casket trimmings in the United
Stat~. These concerns although some OF them are
not devoted exclusively casset hardware represent
q capitol OF millions of dollars and II would there
fre seem comparatively easy for II to control Tue
supply and raise the price "on the contrary, 10
such object has been aimed at our object, aid one
of the representatives OF a large hardware house, is
10 regulate prices work In harmony, and restrict tue
output point that will insure a far hving proht
to the manufacturer
Among the members OF this association are sargent
4 CO.. Of New-Ilaven the Meriden britannia Co ana
c. Rogers d Brother Of Meriden. Conni the Griffin
Slverpate Co.. Of Chicago; the Pierrepont silver
plate Co., OF New Bedford, Mass. and the Crescent
Manufacturing Co. of Wcstncld. Mass. TAYLOR Il Co..
OF No l63 BOwery, and the strong Manufacturing
Co., OF Wnsted. Conn., are abont The Only lhpor'hp'
concerns which not members Of the a'soiatOn ana
they have both resigned from 1t within the lm't two
years And they do not cut the prices Of the P'wer
full association with which they were recently con-
nccted
OF cofHn makers there are two large associations
which object to the term trust being applied to
them The National Burial Case Association com
pr>es nearly every manufacturer Of burial cases In Tie
West The National Ca,ket Co., Of this city. with
n branch house in Baltimore; the Crane d"
Rrud Manufacturing Co., Of Cincinnati; tile olhclh
clnau Coffin Co., the Cleveland Burial case
Co.. F. II. Hill Co. OF Chicago, 'lc
Louisville Coffin Co.. the Powers a Walker
Coffin Co.. of Milwaukee: the Columbus Coffin Co ana
the Central Manufacturing Co.. II Buffalo. are members
Of thu association
The Eastern Burial Case Association Is similar to the
National In It's scope and centres In the Mindic anu
Eastern states. There are, however more hrhls out
side Of this association than IN it, Abou, 40 per cent
of the Eastern cascmakcrs not members. I'm
form grade. at equitable prices. uniformity of STYLE ana
the restriction Of overpTOducon both Of quantity ara
OF new STYLES the aims Of this assoclatloh, is OK
planned by one OF the leading members.
The most important work Is 10 prevent the manu-
facture of too many designs In collins llornthnl
a Co. and the New-York and Brooklyn Casket 60.
are members # this association and their representa-
tives were of the opinion that there could be no
monopoly Of the business in the East, on account Of uA
large number If Interests, all II which II VIA Impossible
10 keep in line at The time.
The NewYork City UndertaleIs' Association was
organized few years and soon grew TO such pro
portions that it regularly incorporated II soon
spread Kings County. and then over the state Now
nearly every has such association. There Il
"A bill at Albany in the Interests Of these people
designed TO limh the number OF undrrakers IN this
state BY the provisions Of this bill license IS re
CURED, which be secured only by passing the
Regents examination and supplementary examination
before board Of examining unde.taAeS. Fully -
per cent u the undertakes OF the city are In his
association, which holds frequent meetings. come
Western undertakcrs' associations have arrangement
with the National Burial Gaze people. Of whom thoy
are purchase all collins. and the litter In turn agree
not 10 sell u any outsiders.