The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-17
TRUST and TIN PLATE
Independent Maker Reveals
Combine Methods.
PRICES AWAY TOO HIGH
Concern Getting Shaky-ItS
0ver-Capitalization
PRICES AWAY TOO HIGH

washington, Nov. 16.-Mr. William II
Griffith, a tin plate maker Of Washing
ton, Pa, was before the Industrial Com
mission today. He told the commission
that his company, which has since dis
posed Of its plant, cleared 20 per cent IL
| profit last year when the price of tir
was $3.50 per box, the lowest ever known
| for the plate He also said that just
| previous to the message of the Mckinley
! bill and for a year or so Afterwards
| when the price was $3.50, 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 under
taken the establishment of an indepen-
dent plant also located at Washington,
Pa, which he soon would have in opera
ton. 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
that if they did not go into the pool
their business would be injured. He had
not accepted this proposition and conse-
quently was preparing as rapidly as pos
sible TO re-enter the field. Nor did he
accept the view that a large combina-
ton had any advantage over an indt-
vidual, but believed the advantage was
rather with the individual.
In re-establishing himself he had found
that he was hamDered in securing ma
chinery, the American company having
control of the makers of tin plate ma
chinery as well as of the manufacture
of plate iself. In substantiation of this
statement he said that manufacturing
company which had entered into an
agreement with him to supply him for
five years had already refused to fill an
order after an official of the trust had
become large owner of the stock of
that company The restriction, he said,
also extended to the Independent manu-
,facturers of sheet iron. the American
company refusing to sell to them except
upon the stipulation that they should not
sell their product to the makers of tin
plate. Furthermore, the combination re
fused to supply jobbers and others with
their especial brand except on condition
that their assign their brands to the
trust. There was similar restriction
upon block plate and half the Clippers
in the country had been forced out of
the 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 steadily as before the combi-
nation was effected. OF the PIP mills m
the combine, 50 had been closed.
Mr.. Griffith said that since the trust
had been organized prices of tin plate
had advanced from $3.50 to s465 per 100.
This advance was out of proportion TO
the advance in wages and raw material.
He made a calculation to show that 1884
would be profitable price under present
conditions However, he said that, not
withstanding this advance in prices, he
had reason to believe that some mem
bers of the combine were wofully disap-
pointed in the results. He also under
stood that the employees in the trusts
mills were becoming apprehensive, which
he thought was illustrated by the fact
that of the 800 rollers employed by the
combination, no fewer than $50 had made
application to him for places in his es-
adjustment Mr.. Griffith said that while |
the American company was capitalized |
for $4,000 900 the plants comprising the |
combine could have been bought at the |
time the combination was effected for |
so 900 90. He therefore considered the |
over-capitalized He had under |
stood that the promoters Of the combine |
had received s1O0OOO00 in common stock |
for their services. The standard price !
paid for mills In forming the trust was
$40 900 each. He thought the company /
had received an advance Of Is per cent |
on cash valuation.
The witness said he considered the tar
iff essential to the protection of the tin
plate industry in this country but he
would not say that so high a tariff as
the present was necessary to its exis-
tence.
Mr. H F. Going, a tin can manufsctur-
er. who was for several years also en-
gagged in canning fruits in Baltimore
said that in recent years there had been
much complaint among Gamers on &C
count Of the thinness of the tin coating
Of cans and this had been especially no.
ticeable since the organization OF the tin
plate trust. Previous to this deteriora-
ton Of the American plate was regarded
As superior to the Welsh article.
]. r. Ludlum went TO Colorado yester-