The evening times., 1900-03-01

NEW YORK March Under the fos-
| tering wing of the Republican Administra-
| tion the trust system of the United
| States has grown to appalling proportions.
| Its wealth and its consequent power are
absolutely terrifying. While trusts may
, be organized under the laws Of nearly ev-
| cry State, there is one which goes into the
| market with outstretched hands; ii not
merely allows trusts. il actually invites
! and welcomes them. This is clearly DEM
onstrated by statistics compiled from Of
! fetal records. and this includes only those
! possessing a capital of SO 000, 600 or more.
The State OF New Jersey, which has in
| one year licensed trusts to the extent of
| nearly s., 500, 600 coo. is the home of Mr..
! Griggs, the Attorney General of the Uni
| ted States. He was chosen because he was
a friend and defender Of the trust system.
and refuses TO enforce the Antitrust law
which the Supreme Court only two years
ago declared 10 be constitutional and nee
essary for the interests Of the nation.
Until the figures were copied from the
State records there was no suspicion in the
public mind that the trust system had
grown in one place to such astounding pro-
portions. This swift concentration OF the
powers OF monopoly represents a stTang-
ling process that is crushing thousands Of
small but independent business men and
manufacturers out of trade.
The most important point to understand
is that this overwhelming concentration is
new thing; that this swift, noseless
change has been made chiefly since Presi-
dent McKinley's election, and that il Is
doubling and tripiing every few months.
The great railway systems are being
bought up and consolidated, and an at
tempt is being made TO make a single
system from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
which will destroy all hope of competition.
The whole anthracite coal supply of the
United States is controlled arbitrarily by
four railroads. dominated by four men.
who in turn are dominated by one man.
Thus the price of coal and the amount
to be mined each year are fixed. and the
public must submit. Competition is out
of the question.
The factories of all the large industries
are being rapidly bought up or forced out
OF business. And as these gigantic. all
corrupting systems gain in power they alb
solutely kill competition. No man may
hope to engage in the business they con-
troll.
In the entire forty-nine years preceding
1895 New Jersey incorporated S73 compa-
nies, whose capital amounted to or ex-
ceeded S1,000,00e. These were nearly all
strictly legitimate business enterprises.
In 1895. 46 trusts with a capitalization
of $69, $50, 900 were granted charters; in
1896 so trusts. with Sis, 1860. 900; in 1897,
Sc with 1915. .557 900; in 1898, and in this
and the following year only those having
in excess Of So, 000, 900 are included, 80 with
$69S CSC, 600; in 1899, 116 with 81, 446, 500 000
Since January 1, 1900. charters have been
issued to trusts representing $40, 10000.
This. taken with the capitalization of the
trusts legalized since the beginning of
1898. makes a grand total of So 131 100 00G.
In West Virginia, q State which would
rival New Jersey in breeding trusts, the
following charters have been issued dur
ing the past week by the Secretary of
State: The Southern Paving Company of
Chattanooga Tenn, capital authorized,
S100, 600; International Pneumatic Railway
Company, of Rochester, N. Y. capital,
1925 900; La Parle Obesity Soap Company,
of New York, capital $50,000 Stealey Os-
born Undertaking Company, of Clarksburg,
W. Va, capital 0,000; North American
Graphite Company, Chicago, H.. capital,
100000; Murcatta Company. of New York.
N. Y, capital $4,000; Weston Petroleum
Company of Parkersburg, W. Va, capital
$100, 600; Hope Manufacturing Company, Of
Pittsburg, Pa. capital, $1,000 Enter
prise Industrial Company of Flushing, NJ
Y caDitaI 500 600