The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-17
GRIFFITH BEFORE
THE COMMISSION
Tin Plate Maker of Washington
Gives His Testimony.
SPEAKS OF M'KINLEY BILL
Said His Company Sold It's Plant to the
Trust Without His Sanction-Em-
ployes of the Octopus Alleg-
ed to be Apprehensive

Washington, November 16-William II.
Griffith. tin plate maker of WASHINGTON.
Pa, was before the industrial commission
today. He told the commission that his
company cleared 20 per cent. in profits last
year. when prices of tin were $3.50 per box
the lowest ever known for plate lie also
said that just previous to the passage of
the Mckinley bill and for a year or so af-
forwards, when the price was $3.50, the
profit was fully 100 per cent He said that
while his company had sold it's plant to
the trust, the transaction had been without
his sanction, and that he had since under
taken the establishment of an Independent
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 a fear that
IL they did not go into the pool business
their business would be injured He had
not accepted this opinion, and consequently
was preparing as rapidly as possible to re-
enter the field
In regard ito establishing himself he had
found that he was hampered in securing
machinery, the American company having
control of the makers of tin plate machin-
cry, as well as of the manufacture of plate
itself. In substantiation of this statement
The said that a manufacturing company
which had entered into an agreement with
him to supply him for five years had al
ready refused to fill an order after an Of
fetal of the trust had become a large own
er of the stock of that company. The re-
striction. he said, also extended to the in
dependent manufacturers of sheet iron, the
American uSiu IN ca1l RI tba,,
except upon the stipulation that they not
sell their product to the makers of tin
plate.
MIR. Griffith said that since the trust had
been organized prices of tin plate had ad-
vanced from $500 to $4.65 per hundred. This
advance was out of proportion to the adj
vance in wages and raw material. He
made calculation to show that $3.S5 would
be profitable prices under present condi-
lions. He understood that the employees in
the trust mills were becoming apprehensve
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-
tablishment. Mr.. Griffith said that while
the American company was capitalized for
$50, 900 900 other plants comprising the COM
bination could have been bought at the
time the combination was effected for
$12 900. He therefore considered the COM
pany' over capltallZeQ. lie nad UNDERSTOOD
that the promoters of the combination had
received 900 in common stock for
their services. The standing price paid for
mills in forming the trust was $4,000 EACH
His own company had received an advance
of rs per cent. upon cash valuation. II. f.
Going of Baltimore tin can manufac-
turer, said that in recent years there had
been much complaint among Gamers on ac-
count of the thinness of the tin coating of
the cans and this had been especially nota-
BILE since the organization of the tin plate
trust Previous to this deterioration the
American plate was regarded as superior to
the Welsh article.
w. L. Sayers, secretary of the Corpora
ton Trust company, of Delaware, explained
to the commission the operation of the
Delaware corporation laws and the meth
DDS of his company, which acts as the fore
agent for a number of trust combinations.