The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-06-28

4
! effort to water their stock and place
1t on rhe market, holding themselves
the controlling interest Robbins 4
Appleton and Fitch have always held
the controlling interest, and eventually
4 the effort will be. and il may be sue
cessful TO squeeze on the persons
who are now foolish enough 10 buy
any OF this stock TIM. compelling in
this manner the public to contribute
perhaps s500o,0Q0 70 their ill-gotlen
gains.
Il have been investigating the
watch trust for some time now, and
have been greatly hindefed by the I'M
willingness of one depa tment Of thu
government TO fnrn1sn M with the in
formation TO which | consider am on
titled as a membe" of congress. A
statement was made in my presence
in the office of Assistant Secretary
Reynolds by one of his subordinate
that the Waltham Watch company
had filed a protest, supported by aft
davis. against the admission of a
large consignment of American made
watches through the port Of New
York.
Il wlote 10 the collector of the pot
asking for cople Of the protest so
filed and for copies of the affidavits in
support thereof. of a.ing to pay the
usual fee In advance for that service
If fees were required 1t was import
ant in connection with this inyastiga
ion on account Of the position taken
by the watch trust, to finl ont whethei
il was profitable for American dealers
to reimport American watches and
whether they were actually doing il
Il waited a week and received no
reply to my letter | wrote TO him
again on April 30, calling attention &c
the matter, and waited another week
before receiving a reply from New
York. After waiting for two weeks for
thi. information | was advised by the
collector of the pori of New York that
they were unable to give me the in .
formation, for the reason that the de /
partment did nor feel that they could |
with propriety authorize he off cias ,
at New York to supply the same.
On May 2 of this year wrote the /
secretary Of the treasury, asking him
70 advise me upon this point. | waited
a week for a reply, and finally on May
:. | received from Secreary Shaw a
letter signed by himself in per on.
which reads a. follows;
In reply to your letter of the 2nd.
n which you request to be furnished
With copies Of letters received from
certain American watch companies
elative to the importation Of watches
made by them and sold amEoad, ! have
The honor to tate that information Of
he character referred to Is considered
rs confidential by the department and
cannot therefore be q closed
had anticipated refusal was
such Information had been
edged with the department by the
watch companies 7 preferred how
aYer, to get a cop or these letters
lifeet from the secretary oi he treas
lry. l was determined to ger this most
important information in ONE way
md on April q addressed letter to
ibout twenty of the collectors of our
ports and received an wers from
nearly all of them.
Mr.. Rainey read the replies which
he said. completely supported his con
ention about the tariff
IT is not only tue he con'inu3dt
that the companies in the watch trust
attempt TO control jobbers and to die
ate to them what goods they can
candle, but ID is also true that they
attempt to control prices and methods
IF doing business or retailers"
In concluding he offered an inspir
ing array Of documentary evidence
etters from dealers moving how the
rust held a club over them,