Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-12
GLASS TRlsT CONSPIRATO
An Organization Determined to Defy
All Competition.

| Chicago Tribune
The window glass manufacturers boldly
announce that they have completed the or
| gani2ation of their trust and "are now de
! termined to defy all competition" This Il
frank, to the point, and superlatvely auda
| cious. 1t conveys only one meaning, ant
was meant to convey only one meaning, tina
| any man who dares to sell window glass il
opposition to the trust will be crushed. TIL,
report adds 10 this general warning som,
details of how it is to be made effective. al
follows:
"One of the first things decided on in the
articles was the raising of an enormous trus
fund for the purpose of fighting any minoi
factory that shall attempt to manufacture
glass and sell it without consulting the trust
This fund is to be raised by taking 3 pei
cent of all sales, which means if the trust
factories dispose of 100000, 900 worth OF
glass the first year the reserve fund will
amount to S100O,0O0. 1t is likely to be
over this rather than under it."
This trust fund or war reserve is the
usual resource of mpudent monopolee
1t has a definite purpose. If a glass manu-
facturer tries to sell his product at a price
below that charged by the trust because
he can make reasonable profit at that
smaller price, the war reserve" of the
trust is promptly drawn on to equip an es-
tablishment in the territory covered by
this presumptuous manufacturer, and the
output is sold at any price, however low,
that will compass the ruin of the manu-
facturer or drive him in self-defense to
come into the trust. 1t has sometimes hap
pened that war of this character has made
heavy inroads on the trusts war treasury.
But the restoration is prompt and ample.
The trust price is raised slightly and the
consumers are robbed to replenish the
fund.
The Glass trust manufacturers. 1t appears
failed of absolute unanimity since the east
ern and western associations retain their
separate organizations, but they will work
in such complete harmony that the con-
sumer will feel all the trust effects. An
executive committee composed Of repre-
sentatives of the two associations will fix
the prices to be charged jobbers. so that
there will be no suggestion of competition.
The committee ii is Furthermore asserted,
will have plenary powers in fixing prices
and enforcing penalties against factories that
violate the trust regulations"
Having fixed things so snugly within the
trust, the managers feel justified in declar-
ing brazenly that with their war reserve"
they "can control the entire output of the
United States and be able to contribute
largely for any legislation that may be de-
sired in the interest of the trust" Or. to
speak more plainly, they are in a position
to throttle any would-be rival, to defy the
public and the law, and buy any legislation
in their interests that happens to be for
sale.
This open threat to competition. implying
a derision of the law which it openly vio-
lates without suggestion to secrecy, Is an
exhibition of bravado which almost excites
admiration. If some giant should station
himself at the corner of State and Madison
streets and declare he would rob everybody
who tried to pass him the self-assurance
could not be moro complete. But the trust
will not stop here, as it plainly intmates,
II expects to use some of this trust fund to
obtain legislation, and that means more
tariff. The tariff now on plain window
glass imported is from 341A to SO per cent
ad valorem, but agents of this trust will be
In Washington soon. If they are not there
now, urging a little higher tariff, a little
more protection in order to keep up or in
crease the wages of their employees because
lf the runous competition from abroad
But the window glass trust has shown ite
land fully, and it is possible for every
and every other person TO
tnow now and always that this trust seeks
only to kill competition at home so that it
nay charge consumers any price it pleases
'or glass. Neither the wages of employees
glass trust. 1t announces fatty that 1t in
ends to control the window glass output
)f tho United States, that ii will crush any
nan who opposes, and that 1t has plenty
If money with which to buy little moro
arih" in order safely to raise the prices
| little or considerably higher.