Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-17
ALUMINIUM GO.
is DEFENDANT
Federal Government Files
Civil Antitrust Action.

y
Pittsburgh, May ia civil ant
trust against the Aluminium Compan,
of America has been fled here By tn
federal government. The suit will b
the basis for an agreed decree desig
mated to restrain the SO called alumni
ium trust from nonopolizing the manu-
facture Of aluminium and its products
including cooking utensils.
In q petition tn equity to the United
States court for the western distric
of Pennsylvania the company is charg
cd with being a monopoly restraining
interstate and foreign commerce II
violation Of the Sherman law. 1t Is
declared to have acquired a substan
tial control Of the aluminium industry
In the United States and to have charg
ed ~unreasonably high prices and profits
on Its products. The dissolution Of the
corporation is not sought, but the court
Is asked to issue nine broad tnjunc'
tons against alleged unlawful con
tracts, combinations, conspiracies and
practices.
Ownership Net Unlawful.
The government comedies that the
company's ownership of more than sc
per cent of the known deposits of
bauxite (base Of ~aluminium) In the
United States and Canada suitable for
the manufacture of the metal is not
within ITSELF unlawful. 1t is charged,
however, that the practical monopoly
In both bauxits and the manufacture
of aluminium. which the company le-
gally enjoyed upon the expiration OF
1909, has been maintained by unlawful
agreements and unfair methods toward
competitors.
The extent of other bauxite deposits
in the United States is not known al
this time, but 1t is pointed out that
there are inexhaustibls quantities
abroad which could be placed at the
disposal Of competitors for aluminium
manufacture II the restraint upon the
trade were removed.
SeFsoo pScTeS 10 hcaoys
The agreed decree, which will be en-.
tered within a few days, will follow
the governments prayer for restraints
upon the company. This agreement,
obvtatfns 4 prolonged battle in the
courts, was the result Of several weeks
OF negotiations between the depart
ment Of justice and the corporation.
1t is set forth In the suit that the use
Of aluminium in commerce and the In
Is a matter of comparatively
recent development. Though the metal
has been known since about 1922, yet
prior to 1889 1t WAS regarded as a pre-
cious metal, extracted only IN small
quantities at great expense and sold by
the ounce and at any price demanded.
In 1885 Charles M. Hall applied for a
on a process for the manufac-
ture of aluminium by which he was
able with the aid of the electric cur
rent to produce aluminium cheaply In
commercial quantities. A patent
thereon was granted to Hall on April
1880. In 1883 Charles s. Bradley
had applied for a patent under which,
also by using electricity, he was like
wise able to make aluminium In large
and cheaply. A patent was
granted to Bradley Feb. 2, 1892. 81
and Independently In
France a French inventor, Herroult,
discovered and applied substantially
the same process. The Pittsburgh Re
duetion company, under which name
was first Incorporated, was
Sept. IS, 1888, by the state
of Pennsylvania for the stated purpose
OF reducing refractory ores and pro
ducing bronzes and commercial alloys
and manufacturing and dealing in the
same" but In reality chiefly for the
purpose of manufacturing the metal
aluminium by the use of the Hall pat
ent process, Of which 1t had become
the owner. . The Cowles Electric com
pany of Lockport, N. Y, as assignees
by litigation established Its title to the
essentials of the Bradley process. Fl
nally on Oct. 20, 1903, it was held by
the circuit court of appeals of the sec
ond circuit that the Bradley patent was
infringed by the manufacture of alu-
minimum as it was being practiced and
carried IN by the Pittsburgh Reduction
company ostensibIy under its Hall pat,
ent.
Demand For Aluminium.
The demand for aluminium has In
creased chiefly along four general
lines, as follows;
Flrst.-For sheet and tube aluminium
In the manufacture of stamped and
spun cooking utensils, for which the
metal is especially well adapted be,
cause of its lightness, noncorrosive
quality and durability.
Second.-For castings, particularly In
the automobile industry, for which 1t is
20 well adapted because Of It's light
ness, combined with strength.
Third.-For wire and cable and SINH
lar forms because Of its lishtness
coupled with strength and conduc
ttvity, 1t being a better conductor
pound for pound. than copper.
Fourth.-ln the manufacture Of use
full and novelty articles Of every de
ncriptiOn, for which 1t is particularly
well adapted because Of Its Ightness