Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-12-10
BATH TUB TRUST
is INDICTED
Sixteen Firms Charged with Vlu-
Iating Anti Trust Law.
THE OUTPUT is CONTROLLED

Are Charged With Fixing Prices and
5lseklistins the Independents Who
Cut.
The antitrust campaign OF Attorney
General Wickersham has shifted 70
Detroit, Mich
The result Is that indictments were
returned by the federal grand jury
against sixteen firms and thirty-two
individuals. alleged to have secured
control of 50 per cent OF the annual
output of enamel ironware. bathtubs.
sinks, iavatories, etc. In the United
States
The criminal proceedings grew out
OF a civil suit 70 dissolve the alleged
combination, begun by the government
in the federal court at Baltimore, hear
ings being held in Chicago, Pittsburg
and New York within the last forty
days.
1t is charged by the federal officials
that as the result Of n ten-days' meet
ing at Mount Clemens, Mich, last
April. a fund Of $1,000 was raised TO
set in motion a plan that resulted in
giving 70 the defendants control OF
sixteen manufacturers and nearly 400
jobbers, representing an output OF ap-
proximately S10.O00.0O0 a year.
The two Indictments against each
defendant contain six and four counts
respectively and charge that the de-
PENDANTS controlling IS per cent OF the
annual output combined 10 restrain the
trade OF manufacturers and OF jobbers
OF plumbing supplies by refusing TO
sell 20 jobbers handling the goods of
so-called independents, by the fixing Of
resale prices, by the division OF the
United States into eleven zones and
refusing 10 sell TO jobbers who wou
not maintain the resale prices estab-
lished by the alleged agreement OF the
defendants
Il is charged that the effect OF these
resale prices is 10 make the price Of
the articles manufactured by the com.
binstion the same throughout the
United States and 20 eliminate the
competition OF jobbers as well as OF
manufacturers.
The indictments charge also that
the defendants compelled the jobbers
70 enter into uniform contracts aud
that all the defendants refused TO sell
10 Rny jobber unless be would sign
such a contract
The government officials took the
ground that the evidence taken In the
civil suit established that the defend.
ants attempted TO disguise their com
bination by the subterfuge OF purchas-
ing the patents on certain tools and
licensing certain firms TO use these
tools.
The government places great weight
upon the testimony OF Edwin l. Way.
man. OF Pittsburg. Pa. who is describ-
ed as the licensor OF the alleged com.
bination. and whose testimony al
ready given IN the civil suit has given
him immunity from being made a de
PENDANT in the criminal proceedings.
The government charges that Way
man obtained $1,000 from the Peoples
State bank OF Detroit. by giving 100
shares of the Standard Sanitary Man
ufacturing company as security, and
that in using this fund 70 purchase
several patents, $4,000 went back TO the
Standard Manufacturing company for
patents that IL is alleged to have turn
ed over 10 the combination. Wayman
is not a voluntary witness.
The government charges that Way.
man collected s. per furnace per day
from each OF the sixteen defendant
hrms. some OF which had as many as
eighty furnaces, and that after two
months those firms that did not VIC
late the agreement were TO receive a
rebate Of SO per cent OF this contribu-
ton Wayman's collections. It is alleg-
ed. ran as high as 500 per day.
The defendants against whom IN.
dictments were found will be required
TO appear at once in the United States
court in Detroit and give bonds for
their appearance.