The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-17
THE TIN PLATE TRUST.
Manufacturer Griffith Says He Is Hampered
by The Combination.
HEAVY PROFIT UNDER a'KlNltY BILL
He Does Not believe In the Combine
and wants to Re-cnter business,
hut Can Not my Machinery.

| Washington, November 16.-Mr. Will
lam II. Griffith, tin plate maker Of
! Washington, Pa, was before the industrial
commission today. He told che commits
sion that his company cleared 20 per cent
In profit last year when the price OF tin
was $3.50 per box, the lowest ever known,
He also said that just previous to the pass
age of the Mckinley bill and for year
or so afterward when the price was 1886
the profit was fully 100 per cent He said
that while his company had sold its plant
to the trust. the transaction had been
without his sanction and that he had since
undertaken the establishment OF an indie
pondent plant. The sale OF the old plant
had been made under the representation
that the consolidation was necessary to
prevent competition and there had been
fear II they did not go into the pool their
business would be injured. He had not
accepted this opinion and consequently was
preparing to re-enter the iield. itc salu
ho was hampered in securing machinery
the American company having controi Vt
the makers OF tin plate machinery, as Wcii
as the manufacture of plate In suDStah
/
manufacturing company, which han en-
tered into an agreement to supply MN
for five years had already refused to ~
an order after an official OF the trust had
become n large owner OF the stocE Oh
that company. The restriction, he SAID
also extended to the Independent manufac-
turefs OF sheet iron, TIE American conf
pany refusing to sell to them except upon
the stipulation that they should not sell
q. "a t,n ~
plata
Mr. Griffith said that since the trust
had been organized tho price of tin had
advanced from $3.50 Ia d.G5 per 100, This
advance was out Of proportion to the az
vance in wages and raw material. fis
made a calculation to show that w ~
would he n profitable price under present
conditions He understood that the en-
ployes In the trust mills were becoming
apprehenaive, which he thought was IL
Illustrated by the fact that of the 500 roll
ors employed hy the combination no fewer
than $50 had made application to him for
places in his establishment
Mr.. Griffith said that while the Ameri-
can company was capitalized for $50,0oo,-
600 the plants comprising the combination
could have been bought at the time the
combination was effected for $1,000. 600
He therefore considered the company over
capitalized He had understood that the
promoters OF the combination had received
$40, 600 600 in common stock for their ser
vices The standard price paid for mills
In forming the trust was $40 each HIS
own company had received nm advance OF
% por cent upon cash valuation.
IL. r. Going of Baltimore tin can
manufacturer. said that in recent years
there had been much complaint among
Gamers on account of the thinness of the
coating OF the cans and this had been es-
pecialy noticeable since tho organization
OF the tinplate trust Previous TO this de-
teroration the American tin plate was
regarded as superior to the Welsh arti-
cles.
w I. sawyers OF Delaware explained to
the commission the operation OF the Della
ware corporation laws and the methods of
his company, which acts as transfer
agent for the combination.