The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-10

or other ornament which has not been OBJ
tanned through the premium offer of the
tobacco trust and the trust makes it
point to offer nothing "shoddy."
It's bicycle offer has had an effect upon
the retail bicycle trade. The big army
OF travelling statesmen represent a large
purchasing element and they are riding
bicycles, thousands of them. presented by
the trust. ~ In it's entire policy of pushing
trade the trust although as a principle
detrimental to the travelling salesman(
has done everything to make the sales
men handling it's commodity it's friend.
The croft Of the iobber and retailer has
been reduced but the salesmaIis- record
book of sales which is returned 20 the
premium department Of the tobacco trust
every few months shows how cleverly the
trust has worked. The travelling man,
the merchant. the clerk behind the coun
ter, and all others interested may have
sentiment willing to do something for the
struggling independent manufacturer who
sent his travelling men from Kentucky to
Minnesota to sci! goods in the good old
way, but: there was the opportunity Of the
salesman to get that long desired shot.
gun. by putting a little effort on trust
brands, and the shotgun won. In the
meantime the trust has cornered and dis.
couraged the independents in many Sec
tons Of the country and as far as the
United States goes is king in the to-
bacco trade.
The cigarette or .scofin nail' is the
mighty instrument which the American
tobacco trust is using to pry an opening
in the foreign tobacco trade. 1t has in
vaded England ard Germany beginning
operations by purchasing cigarette plants
in those countries. In the orient It. is
finding the cigarette traffic popular. Sew
eral years ago President James B. Duke
of the trust selected one of his north
western statesmen with headquarters in
the twin cities as ambassador in the orr
ent, and sent him to China to establish
a cigarette trade. He has made wonder
full progress The invasion of England
precipitated a big. fight. English manu-
facturers have combined in large com
pany called the Imperial and the fight for
trade In the United Kingdom. is warm
The object of the visit of the Imperial
comparys representatives is to weaken
the hold of the American trust on the
trade in the United States and thereby
weaken it's power as a competitor in Eng
land. r -
The English trust will doubtless begin
operations here by forming an alliance
with the most powerful independents. in
America The Universal Tobacco COM
pany of New York is mentioned as pos
sible ally of the Imperial. Officials of the
Imperial company indicate that they are
willing to devote a large portion OF the
surplus if necessary to the fighting fund.
The Imperial has the advantage Of Its
American competitor in one respect 1t
is financed more conservatively and its
fixed charges are proportionately lower.
Gould and the G. G. w.
The efforts of George Gould to add the
Chicago Great Western to the Gould sys-
TEN Of railroads has increased the inter-
est of northwestern people in the moves
made by Gould and his managers One OF
the many graduates of the James j. Hill
school Of ,practical railroading is Russell
Harding. now the practical head of the
Missouri Pacific, director in several other
Gould railways, and acknowledged to be
growing factor in railway affairs In
the west Harding came to the Great
Northern from the Missouri Pacific.
worked hard for several years in various
capacities, demonstrated his high abil-
ity as railroad man, and went. back to
the Missouri Pacific as general manager.
He has a very thorough knowledge Of the
northwest and in linking the Gould sys-
tenn with the northwest his fund OF prac-
tical information would work to the
profit OF the Gould mill ions.
Assuming that the negotiations for the
Western Maryland road will be success
fully completed by George Could he will