The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-09-28

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Then follow the names of five pump COM
panics, accompanied by the statement
tnat these companies are estimated to
transact ninety per cent of the steam
pump business of the United States. ex-
elusive of high-duty engines. The ma
such engines.
Sample Case of Trusts.
One of the companies, taken into the
CoHsplnatlon had assets at a
little more than six million dollars; an
other company had assets estimated at a
little more than three millions; the third
company had assets estimated at a little
more than one million. The fourth COM
pany had assets estimated at eight hun
urea thousand dollars, and the fifth COM
Pany nad assets estimated at seven hun
dred thousand dollars. The good will was
not in the above figures. The
total assets, therefore, of the five COM
panles. not including the good will, were
less thar twelve million dollars, and the
prospectus states that the combined net
pronts OF the five concerns for the year
1898, estimated on the business of ten
months OF the year, would amount to
WE'VE hundred thousand dollars. Under
the head of Estimated additional earn
ings from consolidation" I find che fol-
lowing:
Each of the five companies now main
tains agencies in the principal cities of
the United States. The .Worthing' n n
biaKe companies have stores. and carry
STOCK IN London. Hamburg, Vienna. and
o.her cities. Some of them have expen-
siVe salaried managers. All these agen-
eles in this and other countries will be
consolidated. The stores and agencies
maintained in the cities of this country,
J and the forces of clerks, statesmen, ETC.,
necessary to conduct them, will be united
n decreased. involving an estimated
saving OF at least s50O,00 a year. The
expenses of each ompa for its draught-
ing department, incident to the elaborate
drawings, and specifications for estimat-
Ing OF work, will bring about a further
reduction. The ~standardizing Of the pat
terms for farm and domestic work, which
Is now under way in the Worthington fac
tory. when applied to the entire business
OF the new company, will result in an
year"
And then follows in black type this sig
nificant statement:
Advantages of CONSOLIDATION.
"A conservative estimate of the adj
vantages derived from consolidation is
believed to be 81. 5000 over the present
earnings, which would make a total Of
future net earnings. with the estimated
earnings based on ten months of the
years business of 81, SOC, 900. of 6 per cent
on the preferred stock, and over eleven
per cent on the common stock of the
new company"
1t will thus be seen from the prospectus
that the advantages secured by the cut
ting down of expenses, will double the in
come. and not a word is said about CIV
ing the advantages of this reduction to
the consumer. The money taken from
the travelling men, from the hotel keep
ers. from the railroads, from the livery
men, from the newspapers, and from
nj Inc uJhH ctfffnr ~ NY n - VIVA . 80
travelling statesmen. clerks. ETC., will all
be added to the profits of the monopoly.
The stock was to be watered, and prices
maintained to pay dividends upon ficti-
tious capital.
To give a further guarantee that the
monopoly, the prospectus says that the
principal men connected with the various
! companies would become identified with
the company and would contract not to
g in a like business for ten years.
But what about the public? What guar
antee has the public that this monopoly
will not raise prices? Is it not human
nature to make all the profit possible out
of a monopoly? Is 1t not reasonable to
expect that the monopoly, after elimin-
ating the salesrnen, and adding their SAL
aries, and expenses to the profit account,
will seek a further profit by raising prices,
n lowering wages? Is 1t not reason
able also to expect that there will be de-
terioration in quality when the spur Of
competition no longer compels the anu
facturer to furnish the best goods for the
lowest possible price?
In a little book described as an ''In-
vestment Guide and issued in 1900, by
Henry Clews & Co., bankers, l find a list
of large. corporations, together with a
brief description of the business done and
advantages secured by consolidation. In.
some instances an estimate is given of the
output of the company as compared with
1 tha foto1 yNr0I,,otE fp u fIn- Tyrtfo1E q ~
Let me call your attention to a few of the
corporations organized since the last
Presidential elections:
Trusts Formed Under Mckinley.
The American Agricultural Chemical
Company Incorporated under the avs of
Connecticut, in May. 1899, has an author
lied capital of $4O,Q 900. 900, half common
stock, and half preferred. 1t acquired
twenty-five of the largest fertilizing con-
Germs in the country.
The American Bicycle Company, incor-
porated in May, 1899, in New Jersey. with
SIC, 100000 of common stock and $10,000,000
preferred, consolidated forty-four of the
largest bicycle concerns in the United
States.
The American Hide inc Leather Com
pay, incorporated in New Jersey in May,
1899, with an authorized capital Of $685.
600. COO, half common stock and half pre-
ferr ed, controls about s~eveny-five per cent
of the upper leather output of the coun-
try.
The American Linseed Oil Company, in
| %corporated IN New Jersey In December,
1898, with a capital stock Of $50, 500, 900,
half common stock n half preferred.
consolidated eleven large linseed oil com
panies. and controls over e%ighty-fve per
cent OF the linseed oil properties in the
United States.
The American Steel Hoop Company, In
corporated in New Jersey in April, 1899,
consolidated nine large steel and iron
companies In Ohio n Pennsylyanta
capital stock $40, 900, 900 common, and Sl4.-
COO, 600 preferred.
The American Ship Building Company.
incorporated in New Jersey in March.
1899, with an authorized capital of $780,
900, 600, half common stock, and half pre-
ferred. consolidated "all ship building.
and kindred interests on the great lakes"
American Steel and Wire Company. In
~corporated In New Jersey in January. 1889.
with $40, 000,0 600. common stock, and $40
900, 900 preferred, controls about eighty per
cent of the nail and wire product OF the
United States.
The American Thread Company, incor-
porated in New Jersey in March, 1893, with
a capital stock of $4,000. 600, half COM
mon and half preferred. consolidated
!, fourteen large thread ~coH3panies IN New
York and New England.
American Tin Plate Company. fncor.