The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-17

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16.-W. H. Grit
fifth, tin plate maker of Washington,
Pa, was before the industrial commits
sion today. He told the commission that
his company, which has since disposed
of It's plant, cleared 20 per cent In profits
last year, when the price of tin was $3.50
per box, the lowest ever known for plate.
He also said that just previous to the
passage of the Mckinley bill, and for
year or so afterwards, when the price
was $685., the profit was fully 100 per
cent
He said that while his company had
sold its plant to the trust, the transac-
ton had been without his sanction, and
that he had since undertaken the estab-
lishment Of an Independent plant, also
located at Washington, Pa, which he
soon would havs in operation.
In re-establishing himself he had found
that he was hampered in securing ma
chinery, the American company having
control Of the makers Of tin plate, as
we'll as the manufacture of plate ITSELF
In substantiation of this statement he
said that a manufacturing committee
which had entered into an agreement
had already refused to fill an order,
after an official Of the trust had become
a large owner of the stock of that COM
pany. The restriction, he said also ex-
tended to the Independent manufacturers
of sheet iron, the American company re-
fusing to sell to them except upon the
stipulation that they should not sell their
product to the makers of tin plate. Fur
thermore, the combination refused to
supply jobbers and others with their es-
pectal brands, except upon condition that
they assign their brands to the trust.
There was a similar restriction upon
block plate. and half the dippers in the
country had been forced out of business.
He thought the managers of some of
the different plants in the trust were
growing restless under these restrictions,
as they were not running nearly so stead
lily as before the combination was effect
ed. OF the 272 mills in the combination
eighty had been closed.
HIGHER PRICES.
Mr.. Griffith said that since the trust
had been organized prices Of tin plate
had advanced from $3.50 to SAGE. This ad-
vance was out of proportion to the adj
vance in wages and raw material. He
made calculation to shov- that 1884
would be profitable price u.lder present
conditions. However, he said, notwith-
standing this advance in prices, he had
reason to believe some of the members
of the combination were woefully disap-
pointed in the results. He also under
stood that the employees in the trust mills
were becoming apprehensive which he
thought was illustrated by the fact that
Of the 800 rollers employed by the combi-
nation, no fewer than $50 had made ap-
plicatton to him for places in his estab-
liShment.
Mr.. Griffith said that while the Ameri-
can company was capitalized for $50, 000,-
OJ0, the plants comprising the cOmbina-
ton could have been bought at the time
the combination was effected for 2,000,-
COO He therefore considered the company
over-capitalized. He had understood that
the promoters of the combination had
received $10,00O,000 in common stock for
their services The standard price paid
for mills In forming the trust was 81 Oc0,-
OOG each. His own company had received
an advance of 20 per cent upon cash val
ia Aon.
The witness said he considered the tar
1T essential to the protection of the tin
plate Industry in this country, but he
would not say that so high tariff as the
present was necessary to its existence
H. F. Going, a tin can manufactures,
WHO was several years also engaged in
the canning Of fruits in Baltimore, said
that in recent years there had been much
complaint among Gamers on account Of
the thinness Of thu tin coating Of the
cans, and this had been especially notice
able since the organization of the tin
plate trust. Previous to this deteriora-
ton the American plate was regarded as
superior to the Welsh article
w. L. Sawyers. secretary Of the Corpo-
ration Trust company of Delaware, ex-
planned to the commission the operation
Of the Delaware corporation laws and
the methods of his company which acts
as transfer agent for number of trust
combinations.