The times., 1899-11-06
WILL FIGH4 THE TRUSTS
An Effort to Be Made to Protect
Employees Who Testify.
The Governor of New York VIII BE
Asked 10 Appropriate $4,000 for
the Purpose = spool Thread Com
pnny 80 BE Prosecuted at Once
The Fight TO Be Carried Into Ohio.

| A novel method Of securing evidence
! against trusts and the conviction OF the
managers OF combines which are alleged TO
be violating Federal and State laws in this
/ country Will be prosecuted in New York
| next week, when District Attorney Asa
| Bird Gardiner viii request that the Gov
ernor offer a reward OF $4,000 for the ap-
! prehension and conviction of the officials
I and managers OF the American Thread
( Company, better known as the thread
I trust The national executive committee
! of the American Antitrust League has
| endeavored for some time to enforce the
| anti-monopoly laws, and after persistent
! efforts TO have the State Attorney OF New
/ York take up the case, District Attorney
/ Gardiner has consented to press the mat
ter and test the value of the laws now in
force in that State.
| Heretofore little headway has been made
in trust Investigations. and this method
was chosen as a means of securing the
| necessary evidence. The American Thread
/ Company was singled out from the long list
OF combines because of its extensive opera
/ tions and because OF the fact that it is
| claimed to be a foreign corporation. While
| it controls and operates every cotton thread
mill in the United States, it is submitted
that It's headquarters are In London, Eng
! land. and that the capital stock is given in
/ pounds sterling The capitalization IS
| given at SIS coo coo, and the American Of
| fee is said 10 be in New Jersey, location
unknown.
! At the September meeting of the eXecu-
tive committee of the Anti Trust League,
in New York. the above method was out
lined and the fight for an exposure has
/ been going on steadily The meeting was
attended by NJ. L. Lockwood, Of Penn
/ sylyania Oliver II. p. Belmont, 2 b
| Dove. and H. b. Martin Of New York,
| Messrs Dove and Martin were elected
committee to prosecute the matter and the
Thread Trust was singled out as the object
of a test case. P. E. Dove is president of
the Commercial Travellers Association of
America. while H. b. Martin is national
! secretary of the Antitrust League, with
| headquarters in Washington. The COM
mittee held a final conference in New York
/ last week and IL was decided to press the
| prosecution next week.
The members of the executive board feel
/ confident that they can force the trust to
trial or drive it into the jurisdiction of
! some other State. District Attorney Gard
! iner il is stated claims that there is no
reason why the Governor should not offer
a reward for the apprehension and convic-
| ton of those who are deliberately violating
| the State laws. especially when the offend
! ers have heretofore escaped conviction
only by a deliberate refusal to produce
| their books or to allow any evidence to be
! produced against them. On one hand
it is said, the Governor can hardly refuse
! the demand, since the antitrust sentiment
| is very strong and should he refuse, the
| Democrats will force the matter as a cam
| paign issue
In speaking of the matter last night
Mr.. Martin, one Of the members of the
committee said,
I'VE have been forced to this measure
| by the great difficulty experienced in Sc
curing evidence against the trusts. Their
employees dare not appear as witnesses, Ow~
| ing 10 the inevitable discharge and almost
perfect blaoklisting system, and neither
| dealers nor those understanding the opera
/ tiOns OF the combines can say anything