The Washington times., 1912-02-03
IN
BATHTUB TRUST
Sixteen Firms and Thirty-two individuals Involved in
Criminal Cases-Trial Of Suit Will Be Begun
in Detroit Next Tuesday

DETROIT. Feb. 3-Thc Governments
criminal case against the sixteen firms
and thirty-two individuals in the So
called Bathtub trust. who are alleged
to have obtained control Of IS per cent
OF the annual output Of enamel tronware
bathtubs. sinks, lavatories, etc., In the
United States. will be called for trial
In the Federal court here Tuesday. The
case. which has been pending in the
courts for nearly two years, Is re-
garded as one of the most important In
the antitrust campaign Of Attorney
General wickersham.
The criminal proceedings grew out OF
civil suit to dissolve the alleged COM
bination, begun by the Government in
the Federal court at Baltimore in 1870
The evidence adduced in the hearings
OF the civil suit was presented to the
grand jury here by Edwin p. Gros-
venor. special assistant to the Attorney
General and indictments were handed
down on December 8. 1910.
The Federal Charge.
1t is charged by the Federal officials
that as result Of ten days meetins
at Mt. Clemens. Mich, In April. 1910.
fund Of $1,000 was sufficient to set In
motion a plant that resulted in giving
to the defendants control of sixteen
manufacturers and nearly 400 jobbers,
representing an output Of approximately
$10, 600, 600 a year.
The indictments charge that the de-
fendants compelled the jobbers tc enter
into uniform contracts. and that all the
defendants refused to sell to any Job
ber unless he would sign such q con-
tract. The Government officials take
the ground that the evidence in the
civil suit showed that the defendants
attempted to disguise their combination
by the subterfuge OF purchasing the
patents on certain tools and licensing
certain firms to use these tools.
on the testimony Of Edwin L. way
man, OF Pittsburgh, who is described
as the licenser of the alleged combine
ton, and whose testimony in the civil
suit has made him immune from being
defendant In the criminal proceed
ings The Government charges that
Wayman obtained 5000 from the
Peoples State Bank, of Detroit, by Civ
Ing loo shares of the Standard Sanitary
manufacturing Company as security,
and that. in using this fund to purchase
several patents, 5000 went back to the
Standard Manufacturing Company for
patents that 1t is alleged to have turn
Su oNSt " COIuDlnaI1On. Inc tN3OV-
ernment charges that wayman collect
ed % per furnace per day from each
OF the sixteen defendant firms, some Of
which had as many as eighty furnaces,
and that after two months those firms
that did not violate the agreement were
to receive a rebate of 30 per cent Of
this contribution. Wayman's collec-
tions. It is alleged. ran as high as 500
per day.
Full plans for the license of the firms
ard individuals under Indictment have
been made at a conference here of at
torneys. The attorneys appear satisfied
that they will be able to put up a strong
defense of the indicted men. They con-
tend the case hinges On the exact classi-
fication Of the Arrott patent, for the use
Of which licenses were issued to the
sixteen indicted firms, thus creating the
alleged trust. The points involved be-
ing so finely technical. the attorneys
say the defense still Is surprised that
the Government attorneys. talk of ask