New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-02
BECKER TO ASK
IF BIG BAKERS
FORMED TRUST
Deputy Attorney General
to Question Cushman's
About Combination.
UNION OF COMPANIES
TO BE LOOKED INTO
General Baking Co. Said to Hold
Some of the StOck-GeOrge
S. Ward SubpPnaed.

Has New York new bread trust
This is a question Deputy Attorney
General Becker will endeavor TO answer
ut the resumption to-day of the Attor-
ney Generals investigation Of te ad-
vance Of the price of bread -four and
wheat. Several witnesses have been
subp9naed as hopeful sources OF in
formation in this turn of the inquiry.
The coming hearings are expected to
develop sensational evidence AS to pos
sible local combinations of large bak-
ing concerns and their ramifications
outside the city.
r.. ST. John Taylor. a member Of the
executive committee OF the firm of s.
Cushman's Sons. Inc, large bread
makers. is expected TO testify to-day,
according to Mr.. Becker. The Deputy
Attorney General is anxious TO examine
Mr.. Taylor regarding the reported for
nation of a new and large combination
Of bakers in this city. Information is
in the hands of the Attorney General.
Mr. Becker said, tending to show that
on or about December |, 1914, several
Of the Cushman organizations, each Of
which. originally, il said to have been
a consolidation of small bakers, further
combined into one large organization
known as 5. Cushman's Sons, Inc.
Some Of the firms which are sup
posed TO be included in this latest COM
bination, according 10 the Attorney
Generals information. are Herschman &
Blcier. 100 East Seventy-second Street,
who have six stores; the Cushman
Bread Company, SO Lawrence Street,
three branches; $. Cushman's Sons,
Inc, 517 West Fifty-ninth Street, seven
branches; the Cushman Globe Com
pany. 415 Amsterdam Avenue, ten
branches, and B. A. Cushman g. Co.,
Amsterdam Avenue and 146th Street
other Cushman firms which Mr.
Becker said he was not sure were in
the new combination. but would seek TO
ascertain their status, are II. Il. Cush-
man e. Co., 10 Greenwich Avenue; ~.
a. Cushman, 3l5 West Sixth-sixth
Street; O. L. Cushman e. Co., al
Fourth Avenue, and :. Cushman &
Sons, 2165 Eighth Avenue.
The object of the inquiry along these
lines is TO determine whether any local
combination of bakers has beer formed
in such manner as to constitute
violation of the antitrust laws in re-
straint Of trade. So far, Mr.. Becker
said. there was no evidence that any
of these firms had combined illegally.
Further information in the hands
of the Attorney General is said to IN
dictate that some of the capital of the
Cushman firms may be invested in the
General Baking Company. one of the
largest firms Of its kind in the coun-
try. with two bakeries in this city and
bakeries in other large cities. The
capital of the General Baking Company
is 100000, 900. and il has plants in
Providence. Washington. Buffalo, Can
ton, Cleveland. Toledo, Rochester, Bos-
ton. Pittsburgh. Wheeling and Wells
burg, ". Va: st. Louis. Detroit, New
Orleans, Newark and Jersey City.
The possibility Of intcrockirs di-
roctorates in the Cushman combna-
ton and the General Baking Company
has been suggested 10 the Attorney
General by the discovery. according TO
Ny. Becker, that Louis J. Cobb, OF
Philadelphia, chairman of the eNecu-
tive committee of the General Baking
Company, was president of the Cush-
man Globe Company and the Cushman
Bread Company at the time the new
"trust" was supposed TO have been
formed.
The Attorney Generals Office was
successful last night in getting service
Of a subpoena OH George ). Ward,
president Of the Ward company. Mr..
Becker has been anxious to subpoena
Mr.. Ward ever since the investigation
began, two weeks ago. but Nj. Ward
had been out of the city during that
period. The Deputy Attorney General