Evening star., 1911-05-28

Joined from engaging in interstate and
foreign trade but II any of said last
lively show the restoration Of reasonably
competitive conditions. such defendant
may apply to the United States circuit
court In New York city for a modifca-
ton. suspension or dissolution Of the In
junction herein granted.
8. Ehe American Tobacco Company
American Snun Company. American CT
gar Company, p. Lorillard Company, r.
J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Black
wells Durham Tobacco Company and
Conley Foil Company are enjoined from
acquiring the business Of any corpora
tlon wherein any one Of them now holds
or owns stock. and from voting such
STOCK, aand from exercising any control
over the acts Of such corporation.
o. Each defendant corporation. the
stock OF which Is held by any other de-
fendant corporation. Is enjoined from per-
mitting the stock SO held to be voted by
and from permitting any other defendant
corporation to exercise any control over
its corporate act.
It win be observed that no time is set
within which to obey the decree such as
was done IN the oil case
I'VE admit we are big" says the to-
bacco combination. 1--WE will even own
up that we have got everything In our
own hands: but, you see. we don't abuse
oil fellows" >'''
And as a matter Of fact It Is generally
admitted that the competitive methods OF
the American Tobacco Company. bad as
they are alleged to be. are not so Oppressive
as those OF the Standard Oil Company.
There Is no question that the govern
ment's case against the tobacco trust Is
not SO strong as that against the oil trust.
Even the Judges OF the United States cir
cult court In New York, who sentenced
the tobacco combination to be broken on
the rack, said nice things about their
victims.
X X
Judge Lacombe said there was no evil
dence in the increase OF tobacco products
to the consumers, nor had 1t been proven
that the tobacco combination had used
unfair or improper practices in bringing
competitors into the fold. The Judge
quotes the statement OF an independent
dealer. a secretary OF the Independent To-
bacco Manufacturers Association. that
he had gone into the tobacco combination
voluntarily. This is what the independent
dealer swore to: .
MY business was conducted by me
alone / had no partner nor corporation.
1t had got to be a large business. and
II anything happened to me there was
no one there to continue II. The value
Of the business was in a brand, and be-
came fearsome what would happen to It
II / would be disabled in any way 1t
would not be much value to my estate
unless some one had a knowledge of the
business and knew how to manage II.
And then I believed there was a maxi
mum business beyond which you cannot
conduct 1t profitably personally. 1t will
get so great that it requires an organiza-
ton. And then. too, / was only identified
as a scrap tobacco manufactures, and,
going by precedent. the consuming pubic
of tobacco changes every ten, twelve or
fifteen years, and I have figured that
might happen again. and II wouldn't use
scrap tobacco. and might use some
thing else. and then / would not
have much business, l thought Whereas
the American Tobacco Company had been
in conference with me: I knew the Of
hcers. and / made up my mind when q
proper proposition was made to me-such
as was satisfactory to mel would be
very anxious to affiliate myself with a
good big tobacco organization, large
enough and strong enough to take care
OF all conditions that might come up I
was not induced to sell out by a decrease
OF profits or by any unfair competition
never had any fear that they could
drive me out Of business"
And Judge Laconlbe adds that during