New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-13
GOVERNMENT BREAKS Up
GREAT ELECTRIC TRUST
Decree Entered in Federal Court
at Toledo with Consent OF
Defendant Companies.
ALL ORDERED DISSOLVED
Attorney General Wickersham
Says Important Precedents
Are Set in Prosecution OF
Illegal Combinations.

Washington. oct l2.-By a sweeping
decree entered in the United States Dis
trict Court at Toledo to-day the back
bone Of the so-called Electrical Trust
was broken and. in the judgment Of At
torney General Wickersham, the govern
ment was equipped with precedents OF
great value in it's prosecutions Of COM
.nercial combinations for hidden by the
Sherman antitrust law.
Meeting the governments charge that
the trust controlled the electric lamp
business OF the country, regulating by
agreement the prices at which all lamps
were sold. the decree sewers all relation
ship between the General Electric Com
many and the National Electric Lamp
COMPANY. The latter concern and all
it's subsidiaries are ordered dissolved.
The defendants included not only the
alleged members Of tho combination. but
supply companies and others alleged to
be engaged in furthering the interests
Of the combination, as follows
General Electric COMPANY. Scheuertadv. y. =.
National Electric Lamp COMPANY Cleveland.
Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing
COmuanv Pittsburgh
Aetna Electric company, New York.
American Incandescent Lamp Compan;' Vet"
York. .... .,,,.
Trvar- Marsh company. Central Falls. r. l.
buckeye Electric COMPANY, cleveland.
CaDltal Electric Company. Denver
colonial Electric Company. Ravenna, ONO
Columbia Incsndesceut Lamp COMPANY st.
franklin Electric Manufacturing Company,
General Incandescent Lamp Company, Cleve-
Independent Incandeseent Lamp Company. st.
Louis , ~
Ilbertv Electrical Manufacturing Company
Mrnder Electric Company Central Falls. r. I.
New York and ohio COMPANY. warren. ONO
' Economy Electric Company, Warren. ohio.
Fostoria Incandescent Lamp Company Fos-
'5.a sfel6y Electric Company. shelby. Ohio.
standard A~ctrcai Manufacturing Company
s5sr'i Sterling Electrical Manufacturing Company.
Sunbeam Incandescent Lamp Company, Chi
Warren Electric Speciality Company. Warren,
Gilmore Electric Company. Roston.
New York Electric aud Machine Company
Dwyer Machine COMPANY. Lynn. Mass.
Corning Glass Works. corning. y. Y.
FOstOria Bulb and Bottle COmpanjf tostoria'
Chic
Liberty Glass Company. Toledo.
Phoenix Glass Company. Pittsburgh.
Providence Gas Burner Company, PROVIDENCE
The contracts and combinations entered
into by the defendants. Attorney Cen
eral Wickersham said tonight, are de-
clared unlawful, and the companies are
enjoined from entering into any agree
ments 10 control the pres Of incan-
decent lamps. The important principle
was laid down. Mr.. Wickersham said
that once a lamp is sold by a manu-
facturer the price at which IL IS resold
by a dealer or jobber must be open TO
free competition.
Trust Consents to Dissolution.
The decree was acquiesced in by the
defendant companies. and this gives he
government the moral certainty that
there will be no appeal. After the Su-
preme Courts decision in the Standard
oil and Tobacco cases. Mr.. Wickersham
said the electrical companies expressed
"a willingness TO withdraw their original
answers 70 the governments petition
against them and submit to a decree
The case was considered by the De-
partment Of Justice and the attorneys
for the defendants throughout the sum
mer. the decree which was filed to-day
being evolved as satisfactory TO the gov
ernment. There are similar decrees
against other combinations the govern
ment is prosecuting which are likely 70
follow shortly with the acquiescence Of
the defendant concerns. A decree in the
Southern Wholesale Grocers Associa-
ton case. against which the government
some time ago began suit, is ready for
filing. the Attorney General said. and
the case will be disposed of as soon as
a Judge in Alabama can be secured 10
enter the decree.
Speaking Of the electrical combina-
tion. Mr. Wickerham said il appeared TO
control practically 81 per cent of the
electric lamp business.
"The investigation out Of which the
suit grew" the Attorney General said.
-discIosed eleven other patent pools OF
Continued on fourth PAGE.