The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-10
BIG HARDWARE DEAL ON
CONSOLIDATION OF PRINCIPAL JOB
BING INTERESTS IN COUNTRY
Concern VIII he Capitalized for
$12O,OOO,OO0, and Every Section
of the United States to Be
Represented.

NEW YORK, April 9.-Authoritat1ve an
nOuncement of a consolidation of the
great hardware jobbing interests of the
country, a combination capitalized at
$120,C00,0 900, will be made by the Iron Age
in its current issue tomorrow.
The consolidation embraces the SIM
mons Hardware company, at St. Louis
Bindley Hardware company, of Plttsburg
William Bingham company, of Cleveland
Supple Hardware company, of Phila-
delphia; Pacific Hardware and Steel COM
pany, Of San Francisco; Marshall Wells
Hardware company of Duluth; BigeIow
& Dowse company, of Boston; Van Camp
Hardware and Iron company, of Indian
apoliS; George Tritch Hardware COM
p&ny, of Denver; Janney, Semple, Hill
& Co., Minneapolis, and forty other
houses representing nearly every inn
portant trade center of the country.
Probable Officers of Concern.
Several names have been suggested for
the cons olidation,- such as the Information
al Hardware company, National Hard
ware and Metal company, International
Hardware and Metal company, Interna-
tional Hardware and Metal company, and
there is little doubt that one of these
will be chosen.
The following are named as officers:
E. c. Simmons, president; John Bindley,
vice president, and w. d. Simmons. chair
man of the executive committee There
will be a board of directors, consisting of
from twenty-five to Thirty persons repre-
senting the different sections of the coun-
try. There will also Sbe an executive COM
mittee of nine
''The financing Of the company is at
tended to by Moore & Schley, of New
York, and George 3. Hill & Co., of Pitts
burg, Pa. 1t is intended to incorporate
under the laws of New Jersey with a
capital of $4,000, 000-$4O OOO 600 preferred
and $SO,00O,000 common stock
The general headquarters will probably
be at st. Louis and the Eastern head
quarters will be in New York city The
members of the executive committee re-
siding in the East with Mr.. Bindley will
manage the Eastern business of the cor
poraton The general buying for the
company will be from the St. Loris. head
quarters, where the larger contracts wiz
be placed, but the smaller buying will be
done by the local houses.
IL IS estimated that at least S1COOO1
per annum will be saved in the matter Of
catalogues alone.
Will Keep Travelling Men.
It is intended to continue the present
force of statesmen connected with the
various houses, so that existing personal
relations between wholesale and retail dis
trlbutors will be preserved. There RAY
perhaps be gradually transfer Of sales
men from territory that is overwCrked at
present 70 other territory where the
salesmen's efforts can We more adyan-
tageously expended.
In commenting editorial1y on the new
combination, the Iron Age says:
Opinions will differ widely in regard
TO the wisdom of the action and the prac-
ticability of the scheme. 1t introduces a
new element and presents new problems.
Whether it will be for the benefit of the
class of trade in whose interest it is
formed and what will be its influence on
the trade at large, are questions an
answer to which may be ong delayed. 1t
will be unquestionably the largest mer-
camille house in the world, using this
term to designate distributing as con-
trasted with manufacturing