Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1912-10-10
THE BUSTING ! |. ! I
''|'|I| TOBACCO !! TRUST |. l|
DISSOLUTION BY COURT DECREE
Has NOT 4 FAVORED N d IL coNsUM-
ER OR PRODUCER

5 III +
ER OR sPRoDUCER: ....,.
~ IS - y, : q q Il Il. ''s "
s Washington, Oct. What has the
adjusting, Of the great tobacco trust
done for the ordinarys consumer of
tobacco? Does cigar, box of
cigarettes, or plug Of chewing to-
bacco cost him any less money than
it did before the monopoly was dis
solved by court decree? 1'.. Z
4 Any person who uses tobacco can
quote you comparative prices which
turn a flood of light upon the prac-
tical operation of trust busting as
viewed from the standpoint of the
ordinary citizen. He will tell you
that he pays today for his tobacco
exactly what he paid q year ago be-
fore the American Tobacco company
was broken up into IA corporations
for the ostensible purpose Of restor-
ing competition in the tobacco trade.
8, Retail Prices About the Same.
The results of the investigation
disclose that retail prices are prac-
tically the same as they were year
ago and that where changes have
taken place the fluctuations were
not due to the dissolution last win
ter, but to competition among re-
tailers which began before the first
step was taken toward the disinte-
grafton of the monopoly. Whole
sale prices also remain practically
the same, the quotations on some
grades having increased slightly
while none has decreased.
Nor does it appear that there is
any more competition among the
manufacturers in the purchase OF
the raw material from the producers
than there is in the sale of the man
ufactured product to the consumer.
Tobacco Growers Disappointed.
About the same prices are paid
for leaf tobacco now as before the
dissolution and in some instances
the trust is shown to have paid more,
than the new companies are paying
now. The tobacco growers have
been disappointed in the expectation
that the breaking up of the trust
would produce real competition in
the leaf tobacco market and conse-
quentIy rise of price for their pro-
duct.
The United Cigar Stores company
was the re.ai' selling branch OF the
tobacco trust. This concern was not
dissolved, although the independents
asked the court to split it up, and
Attorney General eWickersham pro-
posed that it be divorced from con-
troll by the Dukes and the rest OF
the twenty-nine individuals who
dominated the tobacco trust.
The court rejected these pleas and
merely required that the United Ci-
gar Stores company stock be dis
tributed among the holders OF Annex
lean Tobacco company common
stock. So the United retail concern
was the one conspicuous part OF the
trust left undisturbed and it is
fourishing today under the control
aof the original owners.
4 Competition Began Ten Years Ago.
4 AZ The United Cigar stores have been
I responsible for the greater part OF.
sthe competition in the retail tobac-
sco trade, but this competition, began
zee soon as the stores were estab-
Slished about ten years ago. ;,4
4 I Now there are scores ofa these
J trust stores III every large city, and
they maintain q constant warfare on
the Independent tobacco dealers.
The most conspicuous cuts IN pric-
es IN the last two years have been
il the cigaret trade, and they were
initiated by the United. The inde-
pendents have been compelled to
meet the cut and many Of the higher
priced brands OF cigarets now are
considerably cheaper. But these
price cuts apparently have no rela-
\ ton to the dissolution Of the trust.
The men behind the cigar cases
il the United stores and the inde- e
pendent dealers are unanimous IN
/ Declaring that the dissolution Of the,
1 trn,st has had no effect upon retail
and practically none on wholesale
prices. II
enoLERA |: / RAGING IN Japan. !.
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folsebasssa:: t,s
| d X \ III insxnn. Oct. 81. Ch0IeFas - ept;