The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1892-04-30
Orsanized After Much Negotiation, But
Very Elective.
FACTS FOR REFORMERS.
The Price Of Pig Lead Has Declined, but
That Of the Painters Raw Material
Has Advanced While Wages Have Not

The lead industry Of the United States
il divided into three branches. The first
h devoted to the mining Of the ore, the
second to tho smelling and refining of
the miners product and the third to the
manufacture Of the pig lead into sheets.
pipe. shot and white lead and its kim
dred products In the last two of these
branches several distinct trusts have
more or less complete control
The greater part of the lead ore mined
in the United States is smelted in Colo
RADIO. Kansas. Missouri and Illinois. In
binations among the smelters. But,
though it has often been attempted, no
general combination has rs yet been or
ganized. Every attempt, therefore. 20
control production and prices has ended
in failure. and however strong the local
combines may be. they have little effect
upon the general market.
In 1890 the leading shot manufacturers
formed trust. which now has complete
control Of this important lead product.
Similarly other minor lead products are
controlled by more or less strong COM
bines But the leading trust in the lead
industries is the National Lead COM
pany. recently Incorporated under the
laws of New Jersey. This company was
originally organized as trust in Octo-
Der. 1887. Previous to that time the
corroders of lead in the leading cities
were organized as are the smelters and
refiners today,
Thus in New York six large establish
ments had united and secured n charter
under the name of the National Lead
and Oil company. But such local COM
bines were not strong enough to sup
press competition, and whenever at
tempts We're made to raise prices buyers
went to other producing centers. AT
this stage of affairs the National Lead
trust was formed. No attempt was
made, as has been the case with other
trusts, to keep matters secret. Nor did
those who planned it deny that their
object was to form trust. Their aim
was declared to be to decrease COMPETE
ton, introduce economics in production
and sale and thereby increase profits.
A trust or agreement was drawn up
providing that rs soon rs those who held
tons therein mentioned should sub
scribe to the agreement and transfer
their stock to the trustees, the trust
agreement should so into effect. By
1899 twenty companies had joined the
trust. Since then eleven more have
been taken in or purchased outright
There are therefore thirty-one different
corporations in the trust, OF these,
four are smelling and refining plants and
three are linseed oil mills. the remaining
twenty-six being devoted to the manu-
facture Of white lead and its related
products.
The trust now controls all but about
per cent, of the annual product Of
white lead. and it has smelling and re-
.ining capacity sufficient to supply near
~ all of its material. AT the same time
its Gnseed oil mills produce r.ore than
enough of oil to supply the amount used
by the trust in its business. Outside of
the trust there are in the United States
only two important plants engaged in
white lead production. The trust there
fore has absolute control Of the white
lead business
During the first year Of its existence
the trust operated at a los to the extern,
Of Ssstss,6oo, according To the report Of
the trustees This was due 10 the COM
petition ON the part Of independent,
works Some Of the most important Of
these Ioine! the trust in 1879, and by
means Of the higher prices thus made
possible, the trust ,slsie 4 prNntit of ST.
lol,lSs In lsSN the trust increased its
net profit II Ss,oSS,5.ss This large III
crease IN the profits made by the trust
was the lirect VcSult IF the higher p-i>sS
a. white lead inaugUrasei by the trust
rs compared with the prices existing ~
fore the Vcs,S: sNcv22>i lis monopoly. The
average monthly prices ~ pig lead and
white lead in OIL in New Work have been
as follows S,ace iSS5,
NEW YORK FR9CyS or FIG l.~AD.
iSs. lN& 1872, lSsl 1872.
Goats Cssf> Gets INrS.> Cr2ts
pr III pr Ia - Ia l>-r q, - -
JANUARY, a., Aso asa IS s>
FshyU&-y,. S,Se ass &Ss GSs ~