The times., 1899-04-10
A COFFIN TRUST ORGANIZED.
Nfnety Per Cent of Manufacturers
Represented In the Combine


New York. April Ell is expected ,hat
comm trust, which will represent 80 per
cent OF the manufacturers OF this country.
VIII be in operation on May l. The trust
VIII nave capital OF $50 600 900
Efforts to organize the trust were begun
IN August last John H. Parks is the tro-
moter. In order 20 get the manufacturers
IN the combination. many indae sments were
made and every wire was worked. The
organizers even have gone TO the stock
hoiders of coffin and casket companies in
order TO force company into the project
fnere has been the keenest kind of COM
petition between coffin manufacturers for
several years The condition of the trade
is said to be unsatisfactory. owing to the
great competition. The project to combine
all the manufacturers is meant to bring
about better conditions in the trade It Is
asserted that the trust will mean advanced
prices and reduction of about one half
in the working force
As such a reduction in the operations
VIII mean loss of employment to about
siN thousand persons aud greater ex-
pense TO the public by reason OF the ad-
vanced prices for undertakers' supplies. the
trust will appeal to popular interest, par
ticuiafly as its operation will mean big
fight against a smaller combination OF in
tSPOhhthN
There has never been attempted a COM
bination OF this kind before In this coun-
try the number of manufacturers is about
one hundred and ten, OF which 80 per cent
are represented in the combination.
Among those who are in it are the Ma
tional Casket Company. of this city: the
New York and Brooklyn Coffin Company
II. E. Taylor & Co.. Erie Burial Company
of Erie; Hornthal Burial Company. of
Chicago; c. c. Curtis Company, of Chi
cago: the Chicago Coffin Company. the
Cincinnati Coffin Company, Sergeant &
Co, of New Haven; the Textile Manufac-
turing Company. the Crane & Breed Manu-
featuring Company, OF Cincinnati; the New
Haven Casket Company, the Ohio Valley
Coffin Company. of Lawreneeburg, Ind;
the Dubuque Casket Company, F. C. Riddle
& Brother. of st. Louis; the Chattanooga
Coffin and Casket Company. OF Chatta-
nooga, Tenn; the Mound Coffin Company,
and the Kregel Casket Company. of St.
Louis.
The only two New York manufacturers
not in the trust are j. & J. w. Stolts and
Hornthal C Co. Altogether only about one
dozen coffin making concerns of the eoun-
try have not accepted the chance TO join
in the project.
About ninety concerns were represented
Thursday. A committee representing twen-
ty-eight of the leading manufacturers was
appointed to attend to the formation of the
trust. ]. T. Crane, of Cincinnati, presided
at the meeting,
The proposition. it is said. is to raise a
cash capital for the combination out of the
concerns. At first IL was suggested that
bankers be enlisted in the formation Of the
trust. but this plan has been abandoned
1t is said that when the trust shall be in
operation many plants will be closed.
Already the books OF the concerns in the
combination are being admitted. so that
the business OF each plant can be deter
mined.
The undertakers at the present time. it
is asserted. are making more money than
| manufacturers of undertakers' supplies.
There is a good profit in their business.
particularly as most of the very poor per-
sons are insurSd for sufficient sum to OBJ
| tain a good burial.
Among undertakers there will be great
interest in the trust, for il may mean a
diminution of their profits.