The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-27
A lyrical Trust.

The newspapers have been crying out
against trusts for years-for the last two
years especially-and now they are them
selves threatened by one of the greatest
trusts of them all The type founders
trust is referred to- The organization,
Incorporated under the trust breeding
laws of New Jersey, is known as the
American Type Founders Company 1t is
capitalized at 50, 600, 5000, and says of itself
that it controls IS per cent. of the output
of type in this country. Twenty-three
firms of founders constitute the company,
while four large firms remain indepcnd-
emit
Three or four months ago the corpora
tion issued prospectus to investors
which contained statements going to
prove, if no other evidence were taken,
that it is the purpose of the organizers to
form monopoly, to destroy all competi-
tion in a commodity which is necessity
in our civilization, and to otherwise
violate the antitrust laws. Prices have
been already raised by the combine,
though by an artful dodge the actual ad-
vance is hidden in maze of list prices
and discounts.
Type founding requires the very high
est order of skilled labor. 1t is the boast
of the combine that the labor of "the com
bined available talent of Europe and
America for many years" would be ne
cessary to duplicate one of the plants in
the trust. That fact illustrates the close
ness of the monopoly sought to be formed
and which is prevented only by the re-
fusal of four founders TO join the trust
These four antitrust founders. it is a
pleasure to state, are receiving all the
business they can handle, and it is TO he
hoped will continue to do so. But the
trust has already begun an underhand
warfare against them by which il is
hoped to drive them out of the business
The states of Texas, Louisiana and
Florida, through their press associations,
have already passed resolutions CON
demnatory of the trust, and like condem-
nations, and petitions to the department
of justice to break it up, will be passed by
other press organizations, Republican
and democratic papers alike have de
| nounced the iniqUity of the combine; not
| because it affects them, but because of its
brazen deiances of the law in it's own
/ prospectus.
An attorney who has examined into the
matter says the trust can be attacked
under the laws of thirteen different states.
But there is a national law under which
it could be throttled, and there should be
no delay in enforcing that law
The railroad commission of South
Carolina will, it is announced, fix a very
/ low rate of freight on all whisky shipped
into the state after June, in order that
state whisky dispensaries may have the
benefit thereof. But what about flour,
molasses, picked pork and beef, and
other commodities necessary TO the poor
and usually shipped in barrelsl Are they
to pay higher rates of freight than
whiskyl The public is without advice
with regard 10 the matter
All questions Of social etiquette to be
observed by the Spanish infanta and
those who entertain her in this country
have been settled by that arbiter Of social
customs, Mr.. Ward McAllister He says
the visitor should conform 10 the customs
Of the country visited, and not seek 10 inn
port foreign functions and nimdam ar
engagements. The solution Of the vexed
problem is sensible.