Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-10-17
A $780, 100000 TRUST THAT
THE LAW CAN'T TOUCH
British Public Beginning Uneasy VaSecre Funds Of the Queer
Old CITY Companies, Which Spend Half Million Year
On Banques Alone.
On Banquets Alone.

| while there are about 80 still smaller
| companies Among the minor compa-
| nes Of most prominence are the Leaf n
| OF Sellers. Brewers, Carpenters Sau-
! dl.erS. tArmourers, CordWatners tnideS.
| and leather, Coo pers.S Overs, Cutters.
Stationers. Gifdfers makers Of girdles),
J Apothecaries, Playing Card Makers.
BARRIERS and Barber Surgeons, BOWERS
(inaking Of bows and arrows, Broider-'
ers (embroideries), Spectacle Makers.
Tin Plate Workers. Frulterers. Glaciers.
Basket Makers, Dstfllers. Fan Makers,
Horners dealers in horn MATERIAL
Needle Makers, Pewterers (pewter
wnre). scriveners twritings clerks, Tai
low Chambers, Hat Band Makers. 10,
bacco Pipe Makers, Pin Makers-ahd
others. representing, in TACT. every con-
sceivable trade. There We're, up to re-
Gently. a company or Worsh ..,,,oa
long Bow String Makers but since
the modern rifle came in England has
NOR. or less dispensed with the long
bow.
HAVE PRISON OF THEIR OWN.
The various city companies still nave
power to compel every person IN Loil-
don engaged in trade to belong to their
proper guilds, or TO take up their tree
DOM in the company, as the joining
and PAYMENT of membership fees is
called. but such regulations are not III
these days exercised as flgldly as loriii-
erly The companies are bound TO-DAY
TO teach the trade over which they en-
ercise dominion to all who apply 1ori
instruction and who pay the proper
fees and they also are bound to see
that all apprentices learning trades do
their work properly. In cases OF neg
lect they even have the right TO lock-
up refractory pupils in prison belong
ing to the companies and known as
Bridewell.
PIONEER TRADE UNIONS.
The London City companies are
among the first trade unions OF
which there is any record or course.
Biblical students Will recall that ST.
Paul had some trouble with the Ephe-
sian silversmiths who controlled the
monopoly of making silver shrines 10
Diana. 1t might be said that the
London Goldsmiths' company is their
linenl descendant. The City companies
first We're formed for the distinct pur-
pose of operating as close CORPORA
tons to keep nearly all industrial
tradesiin their own hands. mere was
a company in the early days for prac-
tically every branch OF industry III q
measure. each company was a species
sof trust inSits particular line. For in-3
stance you could not carry on.the bust
ness Of tinsnith unless you belonged
10 the Worshipfnl Company Of Tin
Plate Workers. nor could you dispense
groceries, or sea salt. or deal in iron.
without belonging TO the +s"Worshipful'
t,rocers. Salters or Ironrnongsrs, as the
case might be. Speaking of the tin
plate workers. 1t might be mentioned
that they claim to be the oldest trad
ing company or guild irStiie. world. as
they say the Phoenicians. who came
10 England in search of tin 800 b. c..
were The first tin plate traders on rec
ord Even il this be taken as a po-
lite fiction, there are documents 10
show that the tin plate workers. really
have an unbrokens trading record ea-
tending back 400 years
INCOME FROM REALTY.
The enormous incomes of the London
civ companies are derived mainly
from property in houses and lands,
mostly situated in the best portions OF
London. Acquiring these sites hundreds
of years ago, the value has increased
bys leans and bounds For instance,
some OF the property adjoining that on
which the Gollsmiths' hall stands. near
the London general postonice recently
was sold at the enormous price of sl2,-5
100000 per acre. * AZ
III addition to the valuable ii lie.
each OF the "a principal companes--
there are "A in all-owns land in. the
yery heart OF the city of London prop
er-that Is. the square mile of6land
surrounding the Bank of England. This
is the most valuable building land on
earif.alt issa singular fact tina though 7.
this property is OF such grea 1T worth. It
originally cost the City companies
practically nothing
UNIQUE CEREMONY.
For instance, some Of the companies,