The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-05
A MONSTER TRUST.
Tin Plate Manufacturers Have Effected a
Gigantic Combination.

Gigantic Combination.
Pittsburg, Feb. 4.-The monster tin
plate trust to-day completed a move
which apparently gives it complete con-
troll Of the tin plate industries Of the
United States for at least five years.
Six big tin plate machinery manufac-
tories to-day signed contract with the
trust agreeing to sell their product only
to the combination until Dec. 81. 1908.
The trust agrees to make good any
losses which the firms shall suffer from
year to year during the life of the con-
tract. The arrangement has in effect
been working since Jan. l, 1899, but it
was not until to-day that Attorney
George w. Gordon, representing the
trust, closed the deal.
The papers were approved and signed
by President D. G. Reid and Judge
Moore of the trust, and the following
firms are in the agreement: The Mesta
Machine company, the consolidation of
the Robinson-Rea firms, Totten & Hogg
Iron and Steel Foundry company, A.
Garrison Foundry company Frank
Kneeland Machine company, Lewis
Foundry and Machine company and
Macintosh, Hemphill & Co.
The agreement made with the tin
plate syndicate is said to bind the firms
in this manner: They are to refuse alb
solutely to supply any and all independ-
ent tin plate plants, either prospective,
now operating or in course of construc-
ton. with machinery or any portion of
the equipment of tin plate plant.
Upon this condition only are they to
be favored with the orders Of the trust.
The plan of the trust contemplates inn
prnvements and engagements of the
plants it absorbed, the material for
which it is to be furnished by the sub
scribers to the agreement. 1t is under
stood that the work is to be appor-
toned to the various manufacturers
and that a committee of foundrymen
has been appointed to see to it that
each firm receives it's share of the con-
tracts.
The entire equipment of the tin plate
plant consists of hot mills. with chilled
rolls for rolling hot steel; cold rolls,
with chilled rolls, for rolling finished
plates; doubling and squaring shears;
roll lathe, bar shears, picker, timing,
branning and polishing machines; trim
ming shears and heating and annealing
furnaces. This entire equipment. 1t is
stated, can be produced by foundry
costing $4,000 to construct
The contract with the trust, 1t Is
stated, specifies that the Mesta pickler,
patented by George Mesta, shall be the
only one ordered by the trust. 1t fur
Their specifies that the shears, rolls and
other appliances shall be purchased
from the local concerns signing the
agreement, the rolls from one concern,
the shears from another, and so on.
As an excuse for the move 1t is semi
officially stated by the American Tin
Plate company that it wishes to keep
Speculative adventurers'' out of the
business. The persons so characterized.
it is said. propose to build plants. put
up strong competition to the trust
and it's regulations and capture the
business to such an extent that the
syndicate would be compelled to protect
itself and it's s50,000,0o0 capital by pur-
chasing the new plants. for which it is
argued a figure more than double the
cost of the plants would be demanded.
Agreements, it is said. have been en-
tered into by the combine with tin mill
machinery manufacturers throughout
the United States. One large manufac-
turer in Philadelphia however, refused
to become a party to the agreement,
and advertises that he is ready to con-
struct new tin plate plants complete
within a reasonable length of time.
The tin plate trust has. as was an
nounced in the Plain Dealer this morn
ing, secured control of nearly all the
output of tin plate bars. leaving out
siders without means of getting this
branch Of raw material.