Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-13
EVEN SANTA CLAUS
IN HANDS OF TRUST.
Actor His Reign of Centuries, He Is
Thrust Aside by a S1O,ooo'-
900 Company.
New York Herald.)

New York Herald)
n is NOT necessary to tell the chiidreh
about it, but the truth is that Santa Claus
no longer has q monopoly or the 10Y 'l"us
After his reign of centuries. ne .a s,o Ia
thrust aside, and from now on "he'! nc
wants to fill his pack or stock up MS ooo
slejehs for his jaunt over the ROOFS, ne
will have to dcker with trust-the 10y
Trust. The sad prospect had been llli~
nendinc for wears but not till this week
did it become q reality.
Just what the effect will be cannon wen
be predicted; but it is likely that SANTA
Claus's packs in the years to come won
he quite so full as they have been hereto
fore; that many a little girl will write IN
vain for a doll. 4 baby carriage ana PIC
ture book, and that scores or todallhS
Youngsters will look in vain christmas
morning for the train Of cars: the hopps
horse and the sailboat. which they tod
Santa Claus in their prayers, to be sure
and leave for them.
It is solely for the purpose Of rearrans-
ing business and expanding trade that the
thirty odd toy manufacturers. VINO turn
ont nincty-five per cent. of the toys III
the country consolidated. The manutac-
turers themselves declare this to be a
fact. There is no intention say they Sc
rously, Of raising the prices.
S!ashng of prices. which has resulted
from the keen competition put up by the
Western makers to get the Eastern trade
and the Eastern makers to capture the
Western trade mas. In large measure
6emoralized the business, 1T is SAID, ana
the time has come to systematic the IN
dustry; to have the st. Louis manufactur-
ers look solely after the Missouri trade.
the New York State makers attend TO the
New York trade. the Cincinnati manu-
~, Mi am nd
on.
Then in order further to SyStematlze
the business. it hsa been arranged that
all the hobby horses shall be maze IN one
factory, all the dolls in another ana the
traction toys in another and so on When
the arrangement is completed and the
makers of each State are attending simply
to: the home trade, competition VIII NC
eliminated and then. say the manufactur-
ers without smile. prices will be re-
duced.
RETAILERS IN GLOOM.
Jobbers have a longer and Sadder story
and retailers gloom over the prospect.
But that the trust has one hiS--.y laud-
able aim is not denied in any quarter. That
aim is to develop the foreign demand Tor
American toys.
of TOYS are sold in this country every year
for home use. Of that grand .Ctal .>eW
York city takes approximately SSoo'ooo
worth
Details of the big consolidation were
agreed upon Wednesday. at meeting OF
about sixty representatives, from various
toy factories in the country. Plants which
:urn out ninety-five per cent. Of all the
TOYS of the country will be taken over
,bout January 1st N. H. Colwel, of
Pa wtucket, is president. and Edward
Coe. of Cromwell. Conn. is chairman Of
The Executive Committee: John E. Bleek-
man &C No. 60 Broadway. is financing the
big deal The new concern. which is known
rs tie National Novelty Corporation starts
business with a nominal capital stock OF
| 537 900, of which $4,000 is common and
81 600 preferred When all the details are
perfected the capital stock will be in
creased to S10r" loco.