Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-10
CRACKER AND BISCUIT.
Three Big Manufacturing Concerns to &c
Into One.
COMBINATION is DECIDED UPON.


New York, Dec 1O.-It Is more than
possible that within the next few days
the great bulk of the cracker and bis
cult business of the United States will
be controlled by a combination OF the
three corporations that now share the
trade among themselves, says the New
York Times. These three corporations
are the New York Biscuit Co, the
American Biscuit & Manufacturing
Co. and the United States Biscuit Co.
The last named company is incorpor-
ated in Pennsylvania and has its
headquarters in Pittsburg. The other
two Incorporated in Illinois and have
their headquarters in Chicago.
II is generally supposed that the New
York Biscuit company Will be the head
as 1t is said to have been chief pro-
moter of the combination. This com
pany has for years been quietly alb
sorbng its rivals. The other two big
concerns have not been idle but have
been working industiiously to main
tain position OF equity with the New
York Biscuit company. Each has ac-
quired smaller concerns in It's terri
tory.
The three-fold process of absorption
mas gone ON unlll lileSt great tbtll-
panles now stand without rivals cS-
cept among themselves. The comhi-
nation now forming will put an end TO
the limited rivalry and there will then
be one biscuit concern that Will con-
troll the entire. trade of the country.
Its combined capital will be $250O0.00J
| or $50, 100000.
The New York Biscuit company has
capital of Sl0000,000. The principal
officers are Henry j. Evans, president;
George Il. West, secretary, and G. *.
Webster, treasurer. all of whom live
in Chicago. One of the directors is
Thomas $. Olive of New York. who
is also manager of the Tenth avenue
! factory.
The American Biscuit Manufacture
ing Co. is also a Chicago concern. It's
capital is $4,000 900. Jacob Loose is
president; Harry f. Varies is secretary
and William S. Shaw is treasurer.
The United States Biscuit co. of
Pittsburg has a capital of about So
600, 600.
Rumors are current to the effect
that Phillip ID. Armour of Chicago and
j. ID. Gilmore. the banker of this city,
were the chief promoters Of the or
ganlzation. This has been denied at
the office of the New York Biscuit
company. IT was learned from the
company that the officers of the three
big concerns Interested In coming To
this combine are now in the city to
complete the details of the union. All
I the preliminary work according to the
/ company has been done.
The formation of the union was be-
| gun as soon as 1t was mutually un-
derstood that three companies had OBJ
/ tanned control of all of the other large
| factories in the country. when this
I was assured negotiations for further
combination was begun.
Some time ago the general plan OF
consolidation was agreed upon and
only the details We're not settled
\ These will be arranged within the next
few days, 1t is said. and the union will
| be complete.
| 1t is also said that there is not sin
| gle concern outside the combine that
is wanted inside of 1t. The head
| quarters of the new organization will
probably be established in this city.