The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-06-17
He GOES INTO DETAILS
TRUST COMBINATIONS RAISE
PRICES OF COMMODITIES.
FROM FIVE TO A HUNDRED PER CENT
The Witness States that he VAS Warned Against
Speaking About The Trusts Which
Might Crush Him Like
Caterpillar.

S0tCl piiicIs
Washington, June 16.-The Industrial
Commission began its session by the eX
animation of James III. Post. of Brook
lyn. representative of the Mullen
hauer Sugar Company and the National
Sugar Company of New York.
Mr.. Post said that as a general pr0pO-
sition he thought the American Sugar
Refining Company had influenced con-
ditions for the good of the country.
DO you think asked Mr.. Ratchford,
that it would he good thing for the
American Company to be in entire con-
troll of the fieldT'
NO" said Mr.. Post. Il think the
entire control of an article of universal
consumption in the hands of any one
set of men would be very dangerous
power
THAT is what the trust aims at
said Mr.. Ratchford, according to Mr..
Havemeyer's own statement"
THE business might get into the
hands of men not so broad minded as
Mr. Havemeyer." replied the witness.
Mr.. Post denied that either the Null
lenhauer or the National Company We're
connected in any way with the Ameri-
can Refining Company.
In answer to an inquiry as to the
affidavit plan of selling to wholesale
grocers, the witness said that it had
recently been abandoned. The result
was that in many places grocers We're
cutting the price of sugar and selling at
a loss. Mr.. Post said he was sorry for
the grocers, but it was a matter of lit
tie interest to the refiner. The refiners
allowed the grocers a profit of three
sixteenths of a cent pound, which was
as little as they could afford to handle
it for.
Free sugar from Cuba, the witness
said, would wipe out American raw
sugar, both beet and cane, i'll the next
five years
During the afternoon the commission
heard Il statement from Z. IL. Dove,
of New York. President of the Com
mercial Travellers National League.
Mr.. Dove said the opinion of the COM
mercial men at large was that the
trusts were a menace to the community.
He estimated the travelling statesmen
in the United States at 35oOO0. The
formation of trusts and combinations
was throwing large number of these
men out of employment.
In giving specific instance, he said:
The National Enameling and stamp
ing Company, which depends for its raw
material upon the American lin Plate
Company, has thrown great many out
of employment and those retained nave
had their salaries reduced. The great
tobacco combines threw out about 5000
statesmen: the Continental Tobacco Com
pirny teegraphed the discharge of 800
in one day; the Baking Powder Trust
has dispensed with all excepting half
dozen men. / know of two statesmen dis
charged by the trust, who were formerly
in the employ of the Cleveland Baking
Powder Company. one receiving salary
of $1,000 year, the other "a, 800. Their
routes with those OF other discharged
statesmen are covered by one agent at
SIS a week. The bicycle trust will throw
ont six hundred statesmen gradually, and
viii cut down the agencies i'll every city:
the chair trust will affect immediately
more than 800 statesmen, by cutting them
out of the line.
"One man writes me the Union Bag
and Paper Company has thrown out of
employment hundreds of statesmen.
THE number OF statesmen out of work
because of the United States Rubber
Company. is 300; the statesmen retained
Lave been reuuced to a salary averaging,
so / am informed, 81 800 a year.
1.-The American Tin Plate Company
cut off about 30 out of every 100 sales
men. The American Steel and Rod
Company, j have been told. discharged
..00 commercial travellers in one day.
In giving these estimates, | am not con-
sidering the office forces thrown out
through trusts Sugar and coffee monop-
olies have thrown ont 1,000 statesmen;
average reduction in salary of those re-
tanned 81 900 year: % per cent. only of
the old force being retained III house po
sitons The Standard Oil Company em
ploys fewer statesmen than any other
concern in the mercantile world, of one F.
half its capital"
Mr.. Dove said that the trust combi |
nations had raised the prices of the com
modities they controlled from FIVE to
one hundred per cent in almost every
instance, except coffee and sugar.
L, 1 examples he gave were:
Iron pipe, over 100 per cent: tin ware
and enameed ware about 33 per cent; |
brass goods 60 per cent: chair trust, just |
formed. viii advance prices 80 per cent. |
rubber overshoes Omitted States Rub |
ber Company advanced prices IA per |
cent ON lay 1st: American Tin Plate |