Arizona republican., 1910-11-17

Washington. Nov. 16.-The depart ment of justice today took notice of a newspaper dispatch from Pittsburg that the corporations combined in the sO-called Window Glass Trust had served notice upon their employees that a wage reduction of 30 per cent was the only condition under which the factories could continue to operate. The dispatch further said the cOrpor- ations attributed this ultimatum di- rectly to the imposition by the federal court of fines upon the company and upon itss officers and directors indi- vidually.
 The department tonight issued a statement outlining its view of the matter. and incidentally intimating that the reported action of the corpor- ations, if substantiated, would indi- cate very mistaken leniency on the part of the court which, it is hoped, would not be followed on any similar occasiOn.'
 This intimation is interpreted here as indicating an intention to insist in similar cases upon jail sentences, rather than fines Attorney General
  at such statements and his strong doubt of their reliability The state ment of the department says:
 The evidence obtained by the de- partment shows that the Imperial Window Glass company was organized in 1909. It manufactured no window glass. but was purely a selling agency, buying the entire output of fifty or more manufacturers of window glass in some ten different states.
 The agreement between it and the manufacturers from which it bought provided that no glass should be sold by the latter except to the Imperial Glass company. The stock of the company was divided among the man. ufacturers.
 Tt was not until the company had brought itnO combination with it, un- der such contracts, the manufacturers of about 97 per cent. of the entire hand-blown window glass manufac- tured in the United States that it was determined to commence business in January, 1910.
 By October 1, 1910, prices had been advanced 70 per cent. over what they were in April, 1909. The evidence showed that the first three months of its operation the Imperial company earned net profits equal to its entire capital stock
 ''The largest advance in prices was subsequent to this initial period, and the evidence showed that in the ten months of its business the combina- tiOn cleared about one million dollars or 400 per cent. on its capital stck
 Tt leased fifteen factories at high rental solely for the purpose of keep ing them closed and removing their product from the market Its ex- penses during this period were s13S, 900 for one-year leases and for the watch men of these closed down factories.
 Indictments were found against the fifteen directors and officers of the company, each one of which was president or officer of one company which entered agreements to sell its product only to the Imperial com pany Demurrers to the indictments were Overruled and the case set for trial in Pittsburg Monday, Novem- Der IA.
 "A few days previous Overtures were made to the attorney general on behalf of the defendants suggesting they would plead nolle contendere. the subtle equivalent of guilty. provided the attorney general would agree that only fines would be inflicted.
 This was refused, as the attorney general considered, and so stated to the defendants counsel, that the com- bination was one of the most fragrant violations of the antitrust law which had been brought to the attention of the department.
 "The attorney general further in formed counsel that he had given di- rections to have the cases pressed for conviction and urged the imposition of sentences of imprisonment upon the principal offenders in case of convic- tiOn.
 The following day the defendants appeared in court in Pittsburg and interpOsed pleas of nolle contendere, and the court fined each of the de-