The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-17
Rich Glass Trust Will Take
Government Penalty Money
Out of Employees.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DEN0UNCES THE ACTION
Combine Cleared Millions by
Closing Down Factories to
StiHe Competition.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16.-Thc depart
ment of Justice today took notice Of
newspaper dispatch from Pittsburg that
the corporations combined in the so called
window glass trust" had served notice
upon employees that a wage reduction
OF 30 per cent was the only condition un-
der which the factories could continue
to operate.
The dispa ten further said the corpora
tons attributed this uItimatum directly
TO the imposition by the federal court OF
fines upon the company and upon It's Off
GERS and directors individually.
Tho department tonight issued q state
mcnt outlining its view of the matter and
incidentally lntisaating that the reported
action of the corporations. II substan-
tIated. would Indicate a very mistaken
lenicncy on the part OF the court, which
II is hoped would not be followed on
any similar occasion
Attorney General Angry.
This intimation is Interpreted here as
Indicating an intention to Insist in sim-
lar cases upon jail sentences rather than
fines.
Attorney General Wiclcrsham ex-
pressed much indignation at the action
OF the trust The statement Of the de-
partmcDt Says:
par,mcnt shows u'at the Imperial Win
dow Glass company was organized In
April, 1909. II manufactured no glass
but was purely a selling agency. buying
the entire output OF fifty or more manu-
facturcrs of window glass in some ten
different states.
''The agreement between II and the
manufacturers from which IL bought
provided that no glass should be sold
by the latter except to the Imperial
Window Glass company. The stock of
the company was divided among tho
manufacturers.
1T was not until the company had
brought into combination With it. under
such contracts. manufacturers OF about
81 per cent OF the entire hand blown
window glass manufactured i'm the United
States that 1t was determined to COM
mence business. IL begsn business In
January, 1910
BY October !. 1910, prices had been
advanced 30 per cent over what they
were in April, 1909, The evidence showed
that IN the first three months of its op-
GRAFTON the Imperial company earned
net profits equal To Nits entire capital
stock,
Closed Many Plants.
The largest advance in prices was
subsequent 10 this initial period. and The
evidence showed that in the ten months
Of its business the combiua ton cleared
about $1,000 000. or 400 per cent on Its
capital stock. 1t leased fifteen factories
at high rental for the sole purpose Of
keeping them closed and removing their
product from tho market. Its expenses
during this period were Sl3S.000 for one
year for leases and waichmcn OF these
closed down factories.
Indictments were found against the
fifteen directors and officers of the COM
panics, each one of whom waS either
president or officer OF one company. who
had entered into agreements TO sell their
product only to the Imperial company.
Demurrers 10 the indictments were over
,tf.l IlN.N NsnN sol 81 IN
Pntsburg on Monday. November IA.
''.h few days previously ovcrtures were
made TO the attorney general on behalf
OF the defendants suggesting that they
would plead noe contendrc, the subtle
equivalent of plcn OF guilty, provided
the attorney general would agree TO rec
ommend TO the court that only fines be
inflicted.
This was refused. as the attorney
general considered. and so stated 10 the
defendants counsel, that the combina-
tIon was one OF the most llagrant and
Intentional violations OF the antitrust
law which had been brought to the at
tcntion of the department,
Light Fines Inflicted,
1.-The attorney general further Informed
counsel that he had given directions Ia
have the cases pressed FOR conviction and
To urge the imposition OF sentences of I'M
prlsonmcnt upon the principal offenders
in case OF conviction.
The following day The defendants APP
peurcd In court in Pittshurg and iuter-
posed pleas of nole contendrc. and. de-
spite the opposition of the district altor-
ney ana Special Assistant Grosvenor the
court only fined each OF the individual
defendants $500 and the corporation $500
ard costs,
1T Was stated to the court that the
combination had been dissolved, and this
was one OF the considerations on which
The court let the defendants 20 merely
OH ~ fine, 1T also wIs stated that the
combination In its existence had in
creased the wages of the glass blowers.
and as IA matter of fact. directors min
utcs disclosed the adoption OF one rcso-
luton increasing wages l2a per cent,
When this was carried out did not
aDp.ur. but at all events. as the com
hnDtiou had earned about 100 per cent
profit on it's capital sIock during the
year of it's existence. an increase of l24
per cent in wages can hardly be regarded
ag so entirely dependent upon tho con
tinucd existence OF the combination us
10 justify a reduction OF 20 per cont In
wages upon the dissolution OF the COM
binatoD.
''If the rumored action should prove To
bo substantiatcd bv facts il would indi-
cate the very mistaken leniencY on the
part of the court in imposing sentence.
which. 1t is hoped. would not be followed
on any other similar occasion.