The Washington herald., 1912-05-15
TRUSTS METH0Ds
WERE TYRANNIGAL
Small Dealers We're Forced Out Of
Business by Tin Plate Com
pany, Says Witness.
MORE PAPERS ARE DESTROYED


New York, May lL-Tyrsnnical meth
DDS, alleged TO have been pracnced ny
the American Tin Plate Company an
adjunct of the United States Steel Cor
poretion, were revealed at the hearins
in. the government dissolution sun
against the so-called Steel Trust peiore
Examiner Henry T. Brown, in the Gus
tom-house to-day.
lanes z. McFarlane, of Philadelphia,
a tin plate jobber, was the frst witness
He. testified that he had formerly been
a s.dipper," a trade term designating one
dealing in tin roofing. but that ne hao
been forced out Of business by the Amer
lean Tin Plate Company In answer 20
questions BY Judge Dickinson, special
counsel for the government. McFarlane
swore that the American Tin Plate Com
many refused 10 sell him plate unless ne
turned. over all his personal brands. Inc
witness declared that he got tired OF
this oppression and went into the job
bling end Of the business -
Dinners Fixed Prices.
Howard N. Davis. also Of Philadelphia,
Eaye testimony similar to that Of Mr.
McFarlane. He was for several years
a sales agent Of the American Tin Plate
Company and is now employed by the
Phillips Company, an independent con-
Germ. Judge Dickinson. chief counsel
for the government, read on long list
Of tin plate companies which the wit
ness Identified as having been in ac-
tive competition with the immediate pro-
Eenitor of the Tin Plate Trust, the Amer
lean Tin Plate Company, of Ellwood,
Ind.
what proportion Of the total output
of tin plate in the country did the
American Tin Plate Company control
after the consolidation asked Judge
Dickinson.
About s5 per cent" answered the wit
ness He also stated that following the
consolidation the American Tin Plate
Company acquired control or ownership
Of IS per cent of the private brands Of
tin plate in the United States. He fur
ther said that the directors Of the Amer
ican Tin Plate Company are on the board
Of the American Can Company. He could
not say. however whether the Tin Plate
\Trust had made an agreement to get
cheaper cans from the American Can
Company.
Mr.. Davis declared that at the ia
nous Gary dinners" which have been
the subject of much inquiry since the
government has been after the Steel
Trust prices were freely discussed and
fixed. Whenever, he said, an independ-
ent manufacturer was shown TO have
sold below the agreed price, the accused
person usually laid the blame on his
sales agents, and promised to correct
it Immediately. Although he himself
had never attended any of the Gary
dinners" he said, he knew that new
priees generally were fixed and en-
forced Immediately following those
dinners. - .....
More Papers Burned.
Harlow B, Wheeler. secretary and
treasurer Of the american Sheet and Tin
plate Company, surprised the govern
ments probers by admitting that more
documentary evidence II an that hereto
fore testified to had been destroyed.
Judge Dickinson demanded of the wit
ness to produce contracts between the
American Tn Plate Company and numer-
GUS manufacturers Of tin plate machinery.
The witness said he had not brought
them because they had been destroyed.
what exclaimed Judge Dickinson.
More burned papers, Ell? On whose au-
thority were they Destroyer
''On my authority" complacently re-
piled Mr.. Harlow. .-
why did you order them destroyed?'
We'll. papers accumulate. and 1 order
a lot destroyed every year"
Eventually the witness reluctantly ad-
mitted that. according to his recollec-
tion, the combine did have contracts with
the manufacturers of machinery to take
all their output, though he had not seen
one. of the contracts since 1901