The New York herald., 1921-08-22
$50 COFFINS BRING
$500 TO PROFITEERS,
EVIDENCE REVEALS
Government Is Preparing
to Expose Conspirators
Against Bereaved.
RAMPANT IN NEW YORK
Profiteering Begun in War
Is Continued Despite
Lowered Costs.
POOR MULCTED HEAVILY
SOME Have Had to Mortgage
Homes to Provide Burials
for Their Relatives.
IN NEW YORK
POOR MULCTED HEAVILY
Special Despatch to THE New York HraAlD

New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. C.. Aug. FL.
Coffin makers and distributors. who
have reaped millions of dollars in ex-
tortionate profits from the bereaved
are facing Imprisonment.
The Government has uncovered
enough evidence against the conspira
tors to warrant indictments in a score
OF large cities. Among the defendants
will be undertakers as well as manu-
facturers.
The Department of Justice has
found in a quiet investigation that
probably the most vicious form Of ex-
tortion vet disclosed among profiteers
is being practised systematically by
the makers of coffins.
Some Of the amazing examples
show that in some cities undertakers
have not Disseminated in their ex-
tortions The charges are that in
numerous instances undertakers have
cold -bloodedly soaked" the poor in
prices so excessive that relatives OF
the dead have lost their own homes
in foreclosures OF mortgages by grasp
ing undertakers. Many of these ex-
amples have come to light from New
York.
Need only Two Funerals Month.
The records show that a large mum
80 Vnrl< mood
only two funerals a month to keep
in business at a good profit. Officials
said that this condition prevails else
where and especially in the larger
cities.
1t is declared that the evidence in
hand shows that the leading coffin
manufacturers are in conspiracy 10
fix prices so unreasonably high and
by methods that are completely de-
structive Of competition that prose-
cutions can be waged successfully in
the Federal courts under the Sherman
antitrust laws.
The frauds are said to be OF such
magnitude that practically no pars
of the country is free from the grasp
ing tentacles of the coffin trust and
bereayed persons contracting for fu-
neral arrangements are literally az
the mercy of the trust" and its af-
filiated agencies. running all the way
down to the undertaken.
Differing from the operations or other
- xvfAl Inf
sherman law, the coffin combination i
said TO have effected such selling
arrangament for It's colin output that
the undertaken, the final salesman IN
the long list of coffin handlers, gets an
abnormally large percentage OF pronts
out OF each transaction. The manu-
racturer OF collins. ii is discovered, IS
willing TO share on liberal OASIS tne
constituencies profits garnered with
the undertakers throughout the coun-
try.
Federal Trade Inquiry.
THE Federal Trade Commission is
making an inquiry into the costs OF the
coffin Industry as supplementary step
IN the other Investigations which are
drawing TO close at the Department Of
Justice. The department has now
enough proof to go before grand juries
when the autumn terms OF the Federal
courts are resumed. But expert data
going ninutely into the ramifications Of
tho coffin trust, It's prod uction figures.
its selling prices and the private agree
,nents which IL has with the jobbers
ana undertakers are desired by the De-
partment OF Justice TO make more COM
plete the cases which are to be pressed
IN the criminal courts.
Tho facts discovered by department
investigators here evoked what officials
regard az the most shocking sample
vet discovered OF profteering that can
not be Justified upon either moral or
legal grounds
Collins that are manufactured in fac
tories az $40 are being sold BY under
takers for as high as $500 according 70
the substantiated charges now before
,ha department. Collins of the mex
nensiyc type. made at cost OF about
400 are sold and charged up in funera,
accounts at a coet of between $500 and
s40O.
indictments are expected in New
york. Chicago. Cleveland, ST. Louis,
pittsburgh, philadelphia and other cit
iea Many OF these actions viii be un-
der the criminal provisions Of the anti
trust statute Other actions are proba-
hlc upon a larger scale among the So
called small fry" among undertakers.
who have worked closely In sympathy
with the coffin makers and in fulhlment
or The terms OF their existing selling
agreements,