The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-02-25

NEW YORK, Feb. 24.--James B, Duke,
president Of the American Tobacco Com
pany, was one OF the first to appear to-
day in the room of the Joint legislative
committee on trusts He brought with
him the labor statistics asked for yes
terday by Senator Lexow. The papers
show that prior to the Incorporation Of
the American Tobacco Company in 1880,
the several companies gave employment
to $685. tobacco workers.
To-day the number of employees in the
employ Of the company is s,l9i, making
an increase since the date of consolida-
ton Of S,2s9 hands.
In calling to order Chairman Lexow
said:
ut Is the intention Of the committee to
investigate The so-called coal trust to-
morrow Charges have been made that
the coal combination Is the most vicious
trust that exists and certain newspapers
have made specific charges Of the exist
ence OF this combination or trust"
President Duke then took the stand.
He said that the capital stock Of the New
Jersey concern prior to consolidation was
$4,000. which, with the acquisition of the
various companies. was increased to $685.
OOO,O 900. This was subsequently raised to
s7s,SaOOOO
The witness said that in distributing
the stock the earning capacity of the five
original companies was increased. The
number of the original stockholders was
from fifteen to twenty-five; 1t is now
somewhere between 1000 and 5000. Two
fifths Of the company stock to-day was
preferred and tlree-Hfths was common
stock. The books of the company are
kept In the main Office in New Jersey.
An effort was made to have Mr.. Duke
admit that by the consolidation che trust
secured control Of competing cigarette
rolling machines, but his responses were
of a negative character.
Francis b. Thurber was next called.
He said he Is president of the American
Grocer Publishing Company, which ONCE
he has held during the last three years.
Mr.. Thurber said that aggregations OF
capital ought TO receive encouragement
and no. be subjected TO unnecessary OBJ
str1ctlon, Combinations intelligently
administered were beneficial to the pub
lie at large and to the laboring classes.
The profits OF capital, he said, have
been steadily decreasing and those OF
organized labor steadily increasing.
: tire time, - 81 W M. Thur Yer could
a dealer buy more than at the present
time.R
Mr., Thurbe- contended that the CEN
tralizatlon of capitai was a natural
evolution Of the time.
George d. Wheeler, a wholesale cigar
dealer in Syracuse, was the next wilt
ness. He said he had been injured by
the American Tobacco Company, as a
holder Of the factors agreement This
was brought about because he bought
cigarettes OF the National Cigarette
Company. The American Tobacco Com-
pany refused to consign him goods be-
cause he dealt with the National Cigar
ette Company.
During wheeler's testimony, w. w.
Fuller, counsel for the American Tobac-
co Company, ELECTED the fact that
Wheeler until a year ago had been a sal
arled empIoye of the National Cigarette
Company.
~ desire TO say" said Mr.. Fuller,
"that this witness Is but the mouth-
piece OF the National Cigarette Compa-
ny, who brought all the litigation
against the American Tobacco Com
pany."