New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-30
U. S. suit STRIKES
AT AMERICAN CAN
Demands Dissolution OF
One of Country's Great
est Corporations.
ANTITRUST LAW
VIOLATED, 1T SAYS
Competitors Crushed and Prices
Arbitrarily Fixed, 1t Is
Alleged.

Baltimore. Nov. 29.-Suit to dissolve
one OF the greatest industrial concerns
in the United States was begun To-Day
when the Department of Justice hieu
an action i'm the United States District
Court here against the American can
Company. alleging it to be cori-
hination in restraint OF trade in Vlola-
ton Of the sherman antitrust law
The government alleges that the COM
many. known as the tin can trust
arbitrarily fixes prices, forces COM
petitors out of the field and compeis
consumers TO buy from it exclusively
Attorney General McReynolds asks
that the alleged trust be dissolved into
units Of different ownership. to insure
the restoration of competition.
II is alleged that the combinations
domination Of the market is so aoso-
lutte that independents have oeen
forced to follow its prices. Customars'
the government charges, have been
compelled to make long term contracts
TO purchase cans exclusively from 1t
and other unlawful methods Of obtain
ing trade have been resorted to.
The alleged conspiracy in restraint
Of trade, according to the governments
complaint, was entered into in 19Ol by
I Hobart Moore. Daniel G. Reid, Fred
erick s. Wheeler Henry w. Phelps
William Graham, George g. Nc
Murty and others. The American Can
Company. the principal defendant, was
Incorporated in New Jersey, with
capital of SSs,OOO,OO0, and in few
months, the government charges, OBJ
tanned control of about one hundred
independent tin can plants.
Controls Half Industry.
The government seeks 10 prove that
for some time after its organization the
American company controlled about -
per cent Of the trade. While mat
quantity has diminished, it is said now
10 be close to 30 per cent In agree
ments made with the American com
panv by the concerns It absorbed they
were not to engage in tin can manu-
facture within radius Of 5000 miles
Of Chicago for fifteen years
The American Sheet and Tin Plate
Company is made a defendant because
Of an agreement it is alleged TO have
with the American Can Company 10
sell it tin NJ a preferential rate.
The Sanitary Can Company, the Mis-
souri, Can Company, the Martin Wag-
ner Company. the Boston Wharf Com
pany, the Max Ans Machine Company
the Freeman Duncan Transfer and
Realty Company and the Hawaiian
Pineapple Company, Limited, are also
named as defendants.
List of Plants Acquired.
The following list of plants acquired
by the American Can Company in 1901
shows the wide extent Of its opera
tions:
". II. Smyth. san Francisco; Charles
Josselyn and Axel Johnson, san Fran
cisco: Pacific Sheet Metal Works San
bins Press Works, San Francisco, Great
Western Can Company and San Jose Fruit
Packing Company. san Jose. Cal; Eaton
Ritchell Manufacturing Company. Denver ;
George VI. Tay. san Francisco; Champion
Chemical Company. Chicago; Frank Diesel
can Company. Illinois Can Company, j.
3 Long Manufacturing Company. Il. t.
Mason & Co, Norton Brothers, r. and
O. W. Norton. Charles =. Parrish 4 Co..
Franklin Rudolph, the Wilson factory and
Wright Jacket Can Company, all Of Chi
caGo; Union Can Company and Hoopeston
Can Company Hoopeston. H.; Sycamore
can Company Sycamore. III. j. l.. Board.
Chicago; Dugdale Can Company, Ind
annapolis; Davenport Canning and Manu-
featuring Company, Davenport, Iowa
American Lubricator Company, Des
Moines, Iowa: Tri-State Can Company,
Keol,uk. Iowa ]. NJ. Rude Manufacturing
Company, COvngton, Ky; Great Western
can Company and Louisville Can Com
pany. Louisville: North Lubec Can Com
many. North LubeC, Me; Baltimore Car
Manufacturing Company, Black & Krebs,
4. Booth & CO., II. G. Camper Co,
Daugherty & Mann, Eastern Can Com
many, William Fait Company. Gibbs Pre-
serving Company. Kirwan & Riggs. Line
weaver & Co. II. +. Miller & Son. William
NIunsen & sons. North Tin Can and Plate
Company. Phelps & Co, Timothy Ryan,
jr.. r. Tyneo Smith Can Company, Tyler
Can Company and Martin Wagner Com
pany, all Of Baltimore.
REYNOLDS Brothers Can Manufacturing
Company and S. j. Seneca, Havre de
Grace. Nd j. B. Hanway Canning Com
pany. BeIair, Md; L. r. Campbell and
New England Can Company, Boston;
Charles L. Pierce & Co. Cambridgeport
Mass: Clark Can Company and Detroit
can Company. Detroit; Hunt Stamping
Works. Kansas city, Mo: j. II. Pocock
can Company. Frederick Westerbeck and
\. Geisel Manufacturing Company, St
Iouis. National Metal Lithographing
Company. Camden, y. j.; w {. Garrison
Manufacturing Company Newark; Art
Metal Company, New Brunswick. \. j.;
Tanners Brothers Manufacturing Com
many. Belfast. y. Y: S. A. llsley, Brook
Ivn. Joseph lie Compile Manufacturing
Companv. Mersereau Manufacturing Com
many. Somers Brothers. and William
vogel &, Bros, all OF Brooklyn; Model
Snecialty Manufacturing Company and
United States Can Company, Buffalo: W.
Rates Manufacturing Company. Cuba,
~ V. Empire State Can Company.