The Washington herald., 1907-07-21

In a bill which the Federal govern
ment viii file in the United States Cir
cult Court at wilmington, Del, this week,
in an effort 70 dissolve the s0-calied pow
der trust. the Attorney General sers
forth such an array OF Illegal practices
under the Sherman antitrust law as
warrants bis belief that receiver will
be appointed 10 take charge Of the al
fairs Of the F. / Dl Pont &c Nemours
Powder Company, the Lanin & Rand
Powder Company, and the Eastern Dyna-
mite Company.
The Department OF Justice has been in
vestigating the management Of these
concerns for over six months, and through
the work 4 J. Il. Graves and Y ~
Roadstrum, special attorneys. IL Is be-
Teved that the government has the
strongest case yet prepared.
The bill recites conditions existing
since 1872, when there We're in existence
ten powder companies. From that time
until the present il is charged that there
has been careful!y-planned campaign
looking 10 the absolute monopoly Of the
powder and dynamite business Of the
United States. Il is declared that al
though there are now twenty-six inde-
pendent companies. the trust controls .
per cent OF the total output
Methods of Illegal Absorption.
According 70 the charges, the FIRST
methods prevailing toward combination
were in the form Of iron-clad agree
...- r.--. .F-. E-.1f-- 4l-- ..---s.1s.-- 80 +f-.
prime movers became such that they re-
sorted 10 all sorts Of practices TO force
independent concerns out Of business
Practice appeared 10 make perfect. &C.
cording To the bill for IL is charged that
almost each year TIE trust improved in
its methods of Illegal absorption.
Where the trust could not buy outright
il sold goods in the territory OF tie inde-
pendent at price much below cost II
employed detectives 10 ascertain the Gus
toners and then sent out agents 10 COB
BILE up the business.
4 striking instance of how il operated
is given in the case Of the Terre Haute-
GndJ powder company. known as the
Northwestern This was composed Of
coal operators who manufactured powder
for their own use. It is charged that the
trust eventually got this trade by organ
izing the Great Northern Manufacturing
and Supply Company and putting Ca 4
line OF wagons from which powder was
sold to the company's own miners II %
cents less than they could produce IL
Although the miners were obligated to
purchase from the operators, the differ
ence in price raised such disseasiou that
the coal men had TO sell their plant to
avoid a strike.
Resort 10 stock 55anipuiation.
Il is charged that the Du Points EVENT.
ually got control Of the trust business
through a stock manipulation running
high into the millions. but showing upon
the analysis made by she Department q
Justice experts that the new property Sc
cured by them did not cost them q cent
II is declared by high government OFF,
cials that the manipulation OF Alton Rail
road stock by Hartman would look Ike 3}
/ cents compared 10 the Du Points system
OF high finance.
Tweuty-foUT companies and a score Of
/ individuals are named In the bill as par
/ ties defendant The Department Of Jus
/ tice will not make public the details until
/ the bin has been received from Attorney
| General Bonaparte, who Is now on his
vacation The proof has been revised by
him, and ali that is now required is To
| secure his signature.
The original intention OF the Depart
ment of Justice was 20 begin the suit in
Cincinnati. The papers were almost ready
/ TO file when the trust dissolved the cor
poration there % prevent the government
! from having jurisdiction. The suit viii
now be begun in the home city Of the
/ trust, the former bill, which has been en-
/ tirely rewritten. did not include the re-
/ ceivership feature
II is understood that the bin recites
/ even more sensational charges than those
/ already noted.