Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-10
wholesalers and retailers-through
 which tobacco products are distribut-

wholesalers and retailers-through
 which tobacco products are distribut- ed.
 Of the total annual production of domestic tobacco, estimated at 800,- 100000 pounds 75 per cent is pur-
 chased by the American tobacco com pany and it's associates and it's allies
 at prices which the government al-s leges to be unlawfully influenced by the combination. It is said that this is in defiance of the usual laws of
 trade where open competition by
 many separate and independent con- cerns control the prices The peti- | tion continues:
 The American Tobacco company of New Jersey. organized ia 1890 with $25,000,000 capital took over the business of Allen & Ginter of
 Richmond; W Duke Sons & Con- pany, of North Carolina; Kinney To- bacco company, w. s. Kimball & com pany, and Goodwin & company, of New York, and thereby acquired con- i trol of the manufacture, trade and commerce in cigarettes. It was im- mediately successful and shortly af- 1 ter its formation the interested part les began to extend its operations and with others united from time to time have steadily sought through it to acquire domination over and to monopolize the different branches of the tobacco industry. This company has the principal agency through which the designs of the combination hnaf onanran1ichod h,Yt different corporations have been or ganized, the control of many others been secured, and in various ways these have been manipulated and utilized"
 The operations of the monopoly according to the petition have been along this general plan: To ac- quire through one of the confederat- ed companies the business of success ful opponents, taking from owners and managers agreements not there-. after to engage in the tobacco busi- ness, to drive out other opponents by destructive competition; to deter any who might wish to engage in the trade. and finally to gain control of the agencies through which tobacco products were distributed It is said these things have been accomplished by means of the increasing power and resources of the combination and by acquiring controlling interests in the stock of corporations thereafter operating without competition. Many kinds of unfair trade methods have been resorted to. 1t is said, favorite one being to cause corpor- ation secretly controlled to advertise itself as wholly independent and free from association with trusts and combinations to offer it's goods below cost, to initiate competing brands. and in these ways to use the same for the destruction of real independ- ents.
 After reciting the bitter trade war between American and English con- cerns the petition shows how the combinations in these countries wearying of competition In 1902 en- tered into written agreements each not to interfere with the other along certain well defined lines and togeth- CT forming the Imperial Tobacco 10 to carry on the trade and commerce in other countries without competi- tion. The government declares that this division of the world has ever since been strictly observed and the three companies with their allies and associates have all been operated in concert and harmony.
 An interesting chapter of the peti- tion Is devoted to methods of dis trfhutfnp tohacen nrodurfe The m. erican Tobacco company in 1901 the petition states. secretly acquired con- trol of the United Cigar stores com psny (for a long time thereafter deniedl and through 1t retail tobac- co stores are established in the large cities, which. by reason of the pow erful support and influence of the combination quickly secured domi- mating position in the trade and de- stroy competitors.