The evening world., 1912-05-07
STEEL Wire POOL
SECRETS TOLD IN
BIG TRUSTS TRIAL
Witness Buell. Testifies How
Competitors Business Was
Reported in Detail.
LITTLE FISHES
Expert Patterson Shows How
Early Trusts Were Soon
Absorbed.
LITTLE FISHES GOBBLED.

Absorbed.
whsn the hearing 10 the Governments
suit to smash the United States Steel
Corporation was ssumed to-day at the
Custom House before Henry p. Brown.
the examiner appointed BY the United
States Circuit Court At Trenton. Wal.
lace Buell.. formerly manager Of the
washburn 4 Mosn Manufacturing Com.
pany. . wire concern. was recalled 20
tell among other things what COM
petition his concern had In IL field.
Mr.. Buell. had been asked yesterday
by Chief Counsel Richard v. Linda
bury. for the Steel concern. 10 refresh
his memory along certain lines.
Former Secretary Of War Jacob n.
Dickinson. VINO 10 conducting the cass
Tor The Government. again submktsd
tAe ust nlsd by the American Steel and
Wire Company when II sousht TO have
~ steck listed IN IN. The list con.
tansd anne Of the firms that were
subsidiary TO the American Steel and
Wire Company.
Mr.. Buell. said he knew these to be
competitors Of his company from the
reports Of saissmsn.
NY knowisdgs Of the separate cem.
panlss y that the sAiss Of these con.
Germs were particularly In competition
with our Chicago Office" said Mr..
Buell.. 1T was . matter OF general
knowledge that these conesrns we're
competing"
Ths competition wss prior to 1893.
NJ. l~Andabury auestioasd Mr.. Buei
closely and the witness examined some
note books to ma entries that might
rsfrssh HE memory. He said that the
naMss he found IN the books had re-
called old transactions. but that was
- IN % he could 90. The notes, some
Of then made Sixtssn ysass ago. we're
only general reminders.
NJ. Buell. saia that the manassr Of
the Chioaso once had c~orrssponded
With him f~reausntay regarding arms
thst were making wire. His oonesrn
cent III product 70 the westsra terri.
WI.
~. Buell. AZ not recall what the
freight rates % stsd from New York
10 chioa0o or from Worcester to Chi.
cago were at that time. He thought
that Il wac enough to consums the
whole prodt On eemmon wire.
Frank n. Patterson. Secretary OF the
American sts& F~oundriss. which 10 IN
independent concern. succeeded Mr..
Buell. on the stand. Ills company
makes steel castings at works widely
scattered. Mr.. Patterson was win the
Consolidated Steel and Wire Company,
which was formed In 1898, and remained
with II unto u VA absorbed b. Nho
American stss, and Wire ComoSuy In
1898. =
Mr.. Pas<esson described No esaouNi.
ency Of the two conesens and admitted
they had bean comoetitors.
CroAo-examined by g. A. 0evoeanoo,
Mr.. Patteeson explained the e~oanpositiOn
Of the Columbia Patent Company. This
concern. no sAid. had acquired the
barbed wire patents. The leading manu-
factursrs Of barred wire were msshbses
OF It. end a OF it, ohisf splrits wa
John W. Oates.
Mr.. Severance then reed over Q ~,
OF companies that were not taken IA b.
the American Steel q Wire Co. Of New
Jersey. The v'itnoAs said their produc,
was sannalar q that Of constituent com.
panies Of the American Wire Comsany
ana that There was competition between
them and the concerns that had beer
gathered In by the combination.
What 10 your understanding about thS
ability OF Western concerns to com
East here n sell In competition Will
Sccal plantsf" asked Mr., Severance.
II don't think they did IT," replied IN,
witness.
samuel T. Bailey. secretary 70 naw,,
=. Jackson. Who was the supervisor o
the steel wire pools. t4stfAsd thst n
z shAsge o. the horse shoe poo
spsrN&s IN the sprins Of 10. Ne Ell,
the msnsbsrs Of the asspc4auou ha,
bound thsmsslvss TO the rvNo fxin,
prices and discounts. The Amssiosi
Steel and Wire Company vas repre-
scented at the msstin.s. which were hsd,
once q month.
The supervisor hxed ssAh month n
amount of business a member 0
the association could do, II Q menbe
exceeded this amount he was 70 "a
. certain percentage 10 the association
u no ala leas he was TO receive some
thina from h associations fund,
The oriEinAl minutes Of the aoous
lions meetinGs. the witness ASSUMED
had been destroyed.
Judge Dickinson read letters 10 Sho,
> b methods Of the pool In Covers
fnent bids. They were brought uu
through letters written by Jackso,
one TO the Dryden Hosseshoe Cor
; pany designated II as the bidder ID
. certain contract. The other men
bers Of the pool were Instructed /
bid from one cent to two cents . Ike
/. more.
Another letter referred 10 the isthmia
, Canal contract for which the Ameica
. Steel q Wire Company named as IN
: bidder. A letter written by Jasksc
> 10 the Dryden Company In 1907 referrs
: 20 q contract for shoes for army hors,
and mules that were 70 90 TO Man.l
I "Be careful" saad the letter. that .,
port prcss are not quoted 10 n jol
Der"
Export prices were opsn 10 comp
ttaou and local prices were put % a,ks
Judge Dickinson.
That's It," satd the witness.
CuAn f1~H L>,,~ n~-~