The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-08-09
DECLARED THAT DIVIDENDS
EQUAL THAT OF STANDARD
CHEAPER TO LIVE THAN Die
The Living Are Literally Robbed Be
cause Of Their Sentiment and
Love for the Dead -lnoiners
ton May Be Worst Rival.
Ardmorci,e Special

Ardmorciie Special
Washington. y. G. Aug 9-The
Department OF Justice has not begun
AN Investigation Of the coffin trust
but II will do 80 when 1t has chance
u get through with the various other
trusts 1t has been preparing tO go
after for some time II is 80 awfully
busy. and has so many trust fights on
hand. the coffin trust will probably
have nothing TO fear for year or
so.
Curiously enough. IL is stated that
no formal complaint against the cot
fin and casket trust has been made
TO the president department OF jus.
tIce or to any other branch of the
government Yet. II Is notoriDusly
known that practically every cofhn
manufactured In the country Is turn.
ed out az factories owned and operat.
ed by a trust almost as remuncratiye
as the oil trust It IL declared that
the men who head the coffin trust
have made millions out OF the bust.
ness and that their dividends yirtu.
ally equal that of the Standard OH
company
II was the cry of the independent
operators and manufacturers that
brought the government into action
against the Standard oil. the tobacco
trust. the powder trust. the watch
trust and various other trusts. These
independents have represented enough
pressure to be able to get the govern.
ment busy, but there are so few In.
dependent plants making coffns that
they have not felt themselves strong
enough Ia make kick.
They are said 10 be- getting ready
TO do so before "A great while. They
are gathering statistics now upon
which To base their allegations.
The coffin trust has been In ex.
tstence eight or ten years has kept
Judiciously quiet and has been turn.
Ing out money la barrel lots. Like all
other trusts 1t has a parent company
around which all the others were
brought In. The process was the
same Independent concerns were
bought out II willing; IL unwilling
they were froze out by such chcap
prices that they had to go out of
bu 'iness Now everything Is so ar.
ranged that the trust controls "A great.
er per ccntage of the business than
IN" Standard oil does o' the oil In.
dustry. Whether "A Washington under.
iak"r buys Caskcts or Cofhns from
baltimore. Philadelphia. New York.
Cincinnati, st Louis or elsewhere he
pays the same prices for the same
goods. always the same II Is 80 in
every other city. Some time he can
save money by reason of short hauls
and cheaper rlilroad rates. but tho
rust has things fixed with the rail {
roads 30 that little is To be gained.
no matter where the goods are bought
The prices OF cofiins and caskcts, It
Is stated by undcrtakcrs. have grown
higher and higher each year. The
living are being literally robbed be
cause Of their sentiment and love for
the dead What the coffin trust does
not do many undcrtakers complete,
and funerals have everywhere becom"
exceedingly costly. "To die Is cost.
lier than to live" 10 tho way an un'
dertakcr some time ago put IT, and Il
is asserted among undertakers that
the growth ~ 'rclneration is due in
large measure to the costly expenses
of a regular funeral. II mcmcration |
should grow cl capcr the coffin trust
would have its worst rival The fact
that there are few crcmatorles has, II
Is said. kept incarceration down as
fashionable end TO the mortal remains
of man.
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