Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-27
Says There is But One Absolute
Trust in Existence.
is PRESIDENT OF Al BIG CORPORATION
Says His Combination Has Plenty of
Competition aud Therefore is No
Trust-Does Business Over
s~I,6OO,OOO Per Month.
From FRIDAYS Daily.

They say that you are president Of
n of these institutions they call a
trust" said a reporter with the rising
infection on the words, addressing Guy
Major this morning. ut is a mistake
said Mr.. Major. II am the president of
the American Linseed company, but
deny that it is a trust" What is your
definition of a trust?" asked the report
er. in different peoples minds it has
different meanings. L know of but one
absolute trust in the United States and
that is the carbon trust. They control
the entire output Of carbon, own all
the manufacturing institutions in
which carbon is made in the United
States, and have in their employ all.
the people who know anything about
its manufacture; consequently they
we have competition and plenty of it.
OF the 500 presses in the United States
we W but $50, SO you see we are by
no means a trust, with a shade over
half OF the means of production under
our control. The popular idea of a
trust is, in my estimation, wrong. All
other corporations, outside of the car
bon trust, operate to cheaper the price
of the product of the people to the
lowest possible notch. we are doing
a business of over $1,000. 900 per
month, and We are satisfied with very
small profit. 1t is all we want. We own
II own mills, have bought and paid
for them with our money. You might
call anything q trust, just as you look
at it. You might say that the farmers
are a trust within themselves, because
they produce all the farm products. 1
was out in California some time ago,
where the fruit growers have an asso-
citation. 1T is agreed that the one
grower will send his product to one
place and another to another place.
At the end of the season each receives
his pro rata share of the proceeds. 1
don't know what you would call that;
you might call it a trust and you
might not, just as your point of view
sees the matter" Further than this
Mr.. Major did not say, altho he ex-l
pressed a desire to enlignten the re-
porter on anything else that might be,
suggested.
Mr.. Major is a very successful bust
ness a He was for four years may
or of the city of Toledo, Ohio, under a
republican administration, and it is
said carried his business methods into
the municipal affairs of the corpora
ton. At present he is president of the
American Linseed company, with a
capitalization of 500, 0OO, 900. 1t is said
that the company pays Z per cent on
its stock and is an institution whose
stock is hard to get on the marker.
At the time of Mr.. Majors admission
into the councils of the corporation he
conducted one of the most successful
mills in the country. When the board
of directors was elected the most sue
~cessful men were chosen, Mr.. Major be-
ing elected vice president. Within
three or four months the president OF
the concern was compelled to resign
and when it came to fill the vacancy
Mr.. Major was chosen. He spends each
alternate week in New York City and
in Chicago, where the general offices OF
the corporation are located. Under his
direction the affairs of the company
have prospered until now it is one OF
the strongest. 1T is said that Mr.. Ma.
jor receives for his services SIS, 900 pei
year, which is not altogether unlikely.
As a successful business man, at any
rate, one fit to manage the affairs OF
a great corporation, he is a living ex.
ample of what DR.. Bristol would term
the practical application of brains tc
business.