The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-28
IDEA WAS HARMLESS
SUCH IS MIR. LOUIS MARR's OPIN-
ION OF MIR. BREWSTER'S
CHICAGO TRUST
WAS MERELY A COMBINATION
Attended the Last Convention of the
PhOtO-Engravers in Chicago and
Presented His Plans to Maintain
Prices, Which, According to Mr..
Mari, Are Now at a Level That Is
Not Justified by the Times.

The reported arrest at Chicago of w.
B. Brewster, the st. Paul attorney, on
charge of violating the state law against
trusts by attempting to organize a COM
bination of photographers, was received
with surprise by the local photo-engrav-
ers. The general belief is that there
must have been misconception on the
part of the Illinois authorities as to what
the combination proposed really meant.
Referring to the matter, Louis Mari, of
the Art Engraving company, said yester-
day:
t'Of course I am unfamiliar with the
circumstances that led to the arrest of
Mr.. Brewster at Chicago. I believe, how
ever, that his intention was harmless,
although he never explained his plan in
detail to the local firms Mr. Brewster
won't down to the last convention of en-
graYers and there presented a plan for
combination to maintain prices. Not to
raise charges materially, but to prevent
any further undermining of the possibili-
ties of the business. Prices are now at
a level that is not justified. The matter
has been considerably talked over by the
st. Paul firms, and we have felt that
there exists a necessity for us to unite
for self-prOtection. 1t is not a trust in
any sense Of the word, that is proposed,
as [ understand It,.
Mr.. Brewster went to Chicago several
days ago and submitted plans to the
local firms for an organization. He OBJ
tanned many signatures but one of those
who refused to join swore out a COM
plant for his arrest on charge Of VIC
lating the antitrust law.
According to the articles of agreement
submitted to those asked to join the
combination the members are divided
into three classes, as folYows: Glass A,
those who employ twelve men or less;
Glass r, those who employ between tkir-
teen and twenty-five men; Class c, those
who employ over twenty-five men. Each
Of these classes selects three trustees,
all to appoint a general manager, who
shall receive a salary Of $500 or S. 900.
The capitalizat ton of the classes for the
purpose of assessment for a general eX-
pense fund Is given as follows: A. s., 800,
emitting the members to five votes; B,
$1,000, ten votes; c, $4,000, twenty votes.
According to the agreement, when two
or more firms compete for a large con-
tract the firm securing it is to pay 2
per cent of the contract price to the gen
eral fund. In addition to this the classes
contribute to this fund as follows: Each
member of Glass A, SIS annually; B, $3.50,
and c, $780, All of the classes give guar
antees to carry out the Aerrd5 sof the
agreement. gssz3
Members of Class a gfvs what are
termed bonds, or notes, for 5000, on which
a 10 per cent payment is made to the pro-
mOter, Brewster. Members Of Glass B
give notes for $500, with a payment of $50
to Brewster, and Glass c, notes are for
$1,000, the promoters share being $50 for
each member. If any member is detected
cutting prices the penalty is the for
fixture of the unpaid balance of the notes.
1t is said the new organization is to be
known as the Photo Engravers' Asso-
citation Of Chicago. Directors were de-
cided upon but officers have not been
selected. The opening sentence of the
articles of agreement is, Eve, the I'M
dersigned, agree to combine to protect
prices Of the photographers business
etc, and it is largely on this the prose-
Cution bases its claim that an effort has
been made to form a trust The matter
was brought up at the convention held
at Put-in-Bay last July, but was not dis
cussCd at airy length.