The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-18
Treasurer Charles r. Flint on
the Stand.
MIXED BY SENATOR LExow
FACT DEVELOPED OF CONSPIR-
ACY TO STIFLE COMPETITION. +
BUYING OF USELESS FACTORIES
Flint SneakinglY Evades Questions that
Convict Him of Acquiring New
Factories Only to Close Them
ard to Increase ldleness.

New York, Feb. 17.-Charles r. Fhnfs
examination before the joint legislative
committee ON trusts was continued to-
day. Mr.. FLINT is the treasurer of the
United States Rubber Company. He
explained that the capitalization of the
companies consolidated by the rubber
trust was as follows:
Elkan and Candee Rubber Companv
of New Haven 100000: the GOODYEAR
Metallic Rubber Shoe Company, $1,000
000 Meyer Rubber Company of New
Brunswick, N. j., 100000; New Jersey
Rubber Company, organized 1870, $780,
600; New Brunswick Rubber Company
S300,000; the American Rubber Compa-
ny, Cambridge, Mass, $1.OO0,OOO; Bos-
ton Rubber Company, of Boston and
Chelsea, capital $300,O0O; Lycoming
Rubber Company 100000; Rubber Nam
ufacturing Company $300,000
Following this Mr.. Flint was question:
ed as to the part he took in the organiza-
tion of the United States Company.
He parried the question which was
aimed at extracting an admission that he
was the head Of the combine and evaded
the point at issue
Asked if he brought the books of the
company and other data called for yes
terday, Mr.. Flint said he had telephoned
the office of the company and done every
thing possible to procure the desired IN
formation, but had not succeeded. He,
however, produced the certificate Of or
ganiza ton which was handed to Senator
Lexow.
"DO you mean to be understood as
G that rs rF tho
You have never made any effort TO dis
cover whether a proper price had beef
paid for the properties and for which
the S26,000000 was issuedT'
''The papers were not accessible to
me. The appraising committee were men
OF the highest standing and / had the
uhnost reliance on their report"
Senator LexOw said TO the witness
that it made no difference that the Rub
ber Company was a New Jersey corpor-
alton, he would see If 1t was within the
power Of the Legislature, that all the
informa tiOn would have to be furnished.
Mr.. Flint said that he had been in
structed legally that it would be within
his province to abstain from testifying
before the committee. Instead Of
doing that" Mr.. Flint satd, II have
come here voluntarily to testify"
In reply to another question, Mr.. Flint
said he had no knowledge that the Pres
ident of the New Brunswick Rubber
Company had received an order for the
manufacture of a certain brand Of rub
ber, closed down the concern and dis
charged the employees.
"DO you know that at the time you
discharged these men and closed this
factory the United States Rubber Com
pany purchased the Colchest factory;
closed that down and threw 500 men out
Of employment?"
II don't know"
did not the New Brunswick factory
close down in the dead of winter of
1898, throwing all its employees out Of
work, when it was offered a contract to
produce what is known as third rate
good which could have kept the factory
going all the winterT
81 don't know"
Witness claimed that the United States
Rubber Company was an Independent or
ganization whose governing board is not
drawn from sub-companies and has no
connection with them. Witness said that
the Para Rubber Company in its COM
petition with the other companies lost
900. The failure of a number Of
rubber concerns was due to the fact that
they made counterfeit goods, which fail
ed to bring the required price.
Asked how it was that the United
States Rubber Company almost doubled
the price of rubber shoes since 1893, wit
ness said he was unable to explain.
In order to give Mr. Flint an opp0r-
tunity to provide the books and data re-
quired by Senator Lexow he was ex-
cused until tomorrow morning.
VIM. L. Waller, treasurer of the Soda
syndicate which was Incorporated July
/, 1896 with capital stock of 100000
was next examined
This witness said that the business
had been limited principally to the States
of New York and New Jersey, but that
business in the soda trade had been con-
Quoted in every State in the Union.
He testified that there were six stock
holders Of the concern. He described the
rebate system to the jobbers and while
denying the company had a monopoly OF
the soda trade in New York State, ad-
mitted it commanded a big trade. He
said they We're practically coerced into
making the factors agreement.
john Il. Dwight who was next called
said he was second vice-pres.dent OF the
firm of Church and Dwight, OF which
the last witness was treasurer. He tes-
tilted that the output of bi-carbonate Of
soda by his firm was about 10000 tons
per annum.
Charles u. Rope the junior member
OF the firm of Monroe, Taylor and Com
pany, testified that the factors agree
ment in regard to the sale OF bi-carbonate
had considerable affected their business