Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-05

lu6 nulllDtT Vi ItdttTo buI 81 ihtltfiSS
the sum of ignorance. When this is
done or proposed, simply to add to the
profits Of a monopoly, the injury to
demanding the Intervention Of the
government.
a..
ENGLISH TRADE CONVERSATIONS.
London Speaker, Dec. Sd.
During the last few months the
manufacturing world of Great Britain
has witnessed the development of
movement that is SO strilsingly novel,
and so entirely at variance with old
fashioned English notions OF conduct
ing business as to be deserving of some
attention. The movement is towards
combination, and is fraught with great
possibilities of good to the manufaet-
urers, and greater possibilities of evil
to the consumers. We have heard much
of combines" from across the ATTAIN
tic during the last few years, and the
methods employed by such organiza-
tions as the sugar, oil, beef and to-
bacco trusts of maintaining mono
poly in these several commodities, and
of squeezing the independent manu-
facturer and the helpless consumer,
have scarcely earned our commenda-
tion. But as an institution the "com-
bine" is virtually new to this country.
Prior to the beginning of this year, we
American institution, with the single
exception of the Goats Co. And this
company was long way short of the
American ideal. 1t only comprehended
section of the sewing cotton manu-
facturers of the United Kingdom, and
was formed in the first place not for
tho purpose of acquiring control of
the whole English market in this
article, but in order to put q finish TO
the cutting of prices which had been
going on for years with disastrous con-
sequences to all concerned. AS fact,
the English manufacturer did not until
quite recently take at all kindly to the
suggestion that he should fuse his
business interests with those of other
men producing the same commodities.
Like his father, he believed in I'M
trammelled freedom of action. He
talked dismally about reduced margins
of profit; but though he recognized
that conditions had changed, he was
still averse to development of things
whereby other men might conceivably
| benefit by his exertions. A year or
| two ago he was brought to acknowl-
| edge that, if properly and conscienti-
| ously carried out and not abused, there
was something to be said in favor of
trade combinations; and this year he
has been completely convinced, and
has been almost frantically endeavoring
to carry the theory into practice.
The movement took its rise in the
textile industry, and the success met
| with in one particular branch Of that
industry gavs the infection to all the
other branches, and spread thence to
other walks of British manufacturing
activity. At the beginning of the year
the English Sewing Cotton Co. was
formed. 1t included, or has since
absorbed, practically all the firms of
any consequence which had refused
to join the Coats group. 1t fortified
itself in the first place by an agree
ment with that group, which gave
evidence of good faith by taking big
block of its shares; and it has since
effected an arrangement with the lead
ing independent American concerns
1.-THE Goats Co. has mills in that coun-
try whereby they also join the party,
and participate in the profits. The
only sewing cotton manufacturers re-
manning independent are those of the
continent, who are not large enough to
be any serious menace, and the two
groups may now be said to have con-
troll of the worlds markets. 1t was the
success of the English Sewing Cotton
Co. that gave rise to what we may not
4 inaccurately describe as the mania for
combining which has been manifested
in this country during the current
year. One of the main obstacles still
in the way Of the men who came to
admit the value from their point OF
view of the principle was the magni-
tude of the task involved in dealing
with the various interests, in reconcil-
ing differences, and generally in
Strengthening and smoothing the path.
But here<was a concern whose capital
ran into millions, whose ramifications
were virtually co-extensive with the
world, brought to successful issue
apparently without the slightest hitch,
and with obviously beneficial results,
at least to the trade. The magniticence
of the thing took hold of the manu-
featuring mind, and straightway we
heard of other projects designed for
the fusion of the interests of Other
sections of the textile trade-the fine
| cotton spinners OF Lancashire and else.
where; the medium cotton spinners OF
! Oldham; the manufacturers OF Eastern
, goods in Blackburn, Nelson, Darwen,
&c. the makers of ''fancy woyens p
the silk spinners of Macclesfield anC
J other centres; the worsted manufact
urers of Yorkshire; the piece dyers ant
/ the slubbing and yarn dyers of the
: Bradford district; the bleachers o.
, Lancashire; the bleachers OF Forfar-
shire; the flax yarn spinners of Ulster
Lancashire, &C.: the jute manufac
:. turers of Dundee; the yelveteen maker.
} of Oldham; the textile machinists o.
7 Oldham, Bolton, Manchester ant
. Accrington; the spindle and fyel
makers of the same neighborhood; anC
r SO on. Then there was talk of pro
; jected combinations in the cutler,
t trade of Sheiiield in the 'tnews'' pane
{ trade; among the wire drawers anC
Y spring mattress makers of the Midlands
Q as well as in the allied branch of irol
t bar and rod makers; among tn
Q finished iron manufacturers of Ian
s cashire and North Statfordshire anc
n among tho wallpaper manufacturers o
d Lancashire and Derbyshire Anon,
C the more eXtrayagant proposals whicl
d call for little attention at the hands o
: the serious man may be mentione,
r those designed for the control O
i whisky, gunpowder and provisions
It Quite a number Of these projects h;lv
n fallen through, either from recogni
% tion of their impracticable nature, a
d in the case of the worsted and tut
II manufacturers, the silk and medium
IS cotton yarn spinners, and the maker
j. OF 'newsn paper, who have American
Is paper underselling them here in Eng
land by about 10 per cent. Others re