Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-02
ENGLISH AND DUTCH GET CONTROL
ON THE GREAT LAKES.
WILL RUN THE FISH BUSINESS.
SCORE OF CORPORATIONS INCLUDER>>
IN THE COMBINATION. "a.
Capital Is $J,OOO,OOO-CoId Storage
Plants to He Established In
Many Towns, Including Kan
sas City-ChIcaGO Law
yer the Promoter.

Chicago. JAN 1.-The contracts for
100000 combination of at least Il score Of
the great corporations which catch the fish
OF the Great lakes received the official
stamp OF the British consulate in Chicago
yesterday.
The scope of this great combination is
wide and its purposes manifold 1t will
control the fish output OF Lakes Michigan
Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario and Winni-
Peg. and the hundreds of smaller bodies OF
water in the great West. 1t will dominate
the manufacture Of every fishing net on
the Western hemisphere. 1t has as a pre-
liminary acquired ownership OF every net
now on the lakes. These nets, If tied to-
gether. would stretch from Chicago to Lon
don.
The purchasing price for the privileges OF
the twenty corporations 1t has combined
was S2.Jo0.GO0 in debenture bonds, under
written by English bankers and a group OF
Dutch bankers. headed by the celebrated
Noordyne. of Amsterdam. 1t will distribute
annually 1N,t00.000 pounds of fish, 1t will
employ an enormous army of workmen.
build boats and ships and wharves. con-
struct refrigeratinS plants, erect cold stor-
age warehouses. own railway cars, draw
INTO Its service the most eminent engineer
ing. chemical and piscicultural talent, and
send the sounds of industry from the south
ern end of Lake Michigan far into the pine
forests Of Canada.
II is a gigantic coalition possible only in
these latter days. 1t has been under way
for several months. 1t was consummated
at secret meeting held here last week.
The man credited with this tremendous
deal Is Edward Corbin, 4 member of the
Chicago bar. who has spent the last five
years In London. He Will be remembered
as the originator and promoter of the An
glo-American Provision Company a COR
poration whose organization set the whole
world to talking.
The combination Is apparently the great
est deal of the year. and one of the most
interesting In the history. of the combina-
tions OF capital. Operations will be con-
trolled entirely. by q London company,
which has obtained the plants and conven-
fences of the fishing firms it has absorbed.
America, but English money will run the
concern. It will establish cold storage
plants at New York. 9!l Buffalo. Erie. cleye-
Milwaukee. Cincinnati. indianapolis. Pitts
burg st. Paul. Minneapolis. Duluth, Kan
Tas x pus up at ali h
peg, Canada
1t is in any sense a trust. They say that
it is an amalgamatfOn of capital engaged
in fishing In order to cheaper prices to the
believe that with single head to control
more money can be made out of fresh
water fishing. and. at the same time. the
in better condition They will not only con-
troll the supply. but with their system of
cold storage. will be able to maintain the
supply always at the proper height Fish
will be as plentiful. as good. and as cheap
when the lakes are frozen over as in the
middle of summer. The food s:ill be more
healthy. because there will be no partial.
ly spoiled fish on the market. There will
be no waste. That which is not eaten
will be converted into fertilizer: The pres
ent waste Of fish along Lake Michigan alone
would more than pay for monument to
Izaak Walton in every town Of 10000 in
Illinois.
This corporation does not own a conces-
sionsof the fishing privileges on the Great
lakes. 1t does not own the fish. 1t simply
believes that 1t can take out more fish than
any other concern, and take them out more
cheaply. and keep them in better condition.
and dispose of them in larger quantities at
a better profit. 1t says any other concern
Is welcome to try it. The waters are free
to all men. It must be confessed however.
that the rival corporation. if it ever comes
into being, may experience some difficulty
in getting boats and seineS and such things
for some years to come.