The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-20
IT FILES A BRIEF
Steel Trust Sets Forth Its Side
Of the Case.
Every Charge Of Wrong Doing
Is Specifically Denied.

Philadelphia. Oct. 2O.-The brief
Med by the United States Steel COR
poration reviewing the law which the
government applies to the case and
also reviewing the evidence declares
what competition existed among the
companies acquired by the big COR
poration was greatly limited. It is
declared the steel corporations pro-
portion of the country's total produce
ton of finished products in 1901.
when the corporation was formed
was only SOL per cent, that It has
since been reduced to 45.7 per cent
OF the country. production for all
the markets of the world. and to 4O.S
per cent of the total production for
the domestic market.
The supply of ore in the Lake Su-
perior district constituted only 43 per
cent of the total amount Of ore in the
ranges of that district known in 1914.
The brief states that the corporations
present supply there constitutes only
So per cent and that of the total ores
available for American iron and steel
manufacturers the ores Of the Lake
SUPERB r district constitute a small
fraction.
In denying the steel corporation
suppressed competition. the brief
states that the rganization of the
company was but a natural and nor
NAL development from existing trade
and manufacturing conditions. The
brief calls attention to the corpora
tons efforts in building up a large
foreign trade for American iron and
steel products. and states that the rec
ords do not show single instance OF
freight rebates having been asked or
given by the steel, corporation or its
subsidiaries since the organization Of
the concern.
Wages Have Increased.
With respect to its employees the
brief says the corporation has reduced
period of its existence; that this was
occasioned by a severe business de-
preston in 1904, and since it's forma-
ton the wages Of the corporations en-
ployees have been increased on an
average Of 2S.5 per cent. The price Of
its products, the brief continues, is
shown to have decreased on the aver
age about 50 ton since 1t was form
ed 1t was also shown that the price
of steel products as compared with
other commodities has diminished 1875
per cent since the corporation was
formed and since 1903 has been less
in the United States than in either
England or Germany.
The brief denies allegations that the
steel corporation took advantage of the
1907 panic to acquire control Of the
Tennessee Coal & Iron company. The
brief declares that Tennessee was not
a substantial competitor of the steel
corporation because it had never been
a. success: that the steel corporation
had declined repeated offers of the
Tennessee property and reiterates the
former statements of the corporation
that the. stock was taken over only
when it became apparent that nothing
else would save Moore & Schley, the
New York firm. from failure and pre-.
vent the spread Of the panic. '--'---T = :.
Evidence shows, the brief sums up.
that no artificial barriers exist in the
steel trade: that for nearly ten years
competitive conditions have been ideal,
and that under these conditions new
competitors have grown up and ex-
banded. products have Improved,
prices have declined and trade has
flourished as never before.