The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-03-02
OVER ONE HUNDRED INDICTMENTS HANDED
DOWN AGAINST SO-CALLED CEMENT TRUST
F ederaI Grand Jury at New
York Investigating Alleged
Building Materials Com
bine Finds Alleged Viola
tons of Anti Law
and Attempts al Monopoly

\.w York, Mar. Indictments were
u..uLrd down today b. the special grand
Jury investigating .,I alleged building
uAtcr.a! combine. against - corpora
ICONS and - !nd.y!dua:s COMPRISING an
alleged cement tru>;.
The :ni.ctm"nts contained two counts
..argi". violation or The Sherman anti
trust law. "nc alleging combination anH
restraint o: trade ard the oth"r mono
po!:rs and attempts - monopol'zr
Among The CORPORATIONS named are
TO Alpha Portland Cemcn. company
IL" Alas Portland Cement company the
!.rhirh Portland Cement company. IN"
A,,as Cement Securities company, N"
Giant Portland Cement company. an!
IA" Universal Portland Cemen' COM
pany.
Tl. indictments were returned as a
r"su.t of cvidcnc" presented 10 me
.rar4 iury by Assistant United states
A.:nrn,.y Generals william! RsnH and
Eeu T. Matthews.
PROSECUTORS Statement
Ar."r the Indictments Were hanGe4
DOWN. Mr. Rand said
I: ,,u ~ reasonably cTp""tcd mat
. ~r., s->>!G. prosecution 0: the comoin-
a,.vr VII, materially contribute u
LrinEiug about :, whO,"s"m" CONDITION
n he construction industry.
1T is the governments cont"nt."n'
Mr Rand said. that tie combination
l:,.. - Successfully maintained uniform
iiy Of prices. divided territories. limited
ru,uut. and regulated the class ami
character oC customers who might buy
cement. and the purpose 10 which GEM
-nt ,n!,;n, be applied. a. in effect 10 eN-
,.lul.. cement from the ord:nar! c!.ahhc!S
ui rad" and commcrcc.
In fact. he said, "a the term - used
"uIrr ordinary competitive CondlliOhS'
,,r.rr: : 10 longer AN Item OF nar'cr
ami sac. 90 freely in ia" market put
instead - controlled BY III" nanuia'-
rurers I'D 20 the mo;I:rnt :: is actually
employed N construction Wo'"'
Price Fixing Charged.
The rud'ctmcnt alleged that IN" zee
: men. combination" has formed aSSo'!"- =
lions and BUREAUS tlrOuENuu; IN" C"uH-
try. ost"ns.bly for III" pGrpoS" or quot
jp,- rr.rrs aS 10 .omplrtcG tran 4n'tionS.
urd for H.. rli-pus" Of Recommending
uniform trade practices. Ia" evidence
:rLi,t.rS. III, jud.ctmrntS said. tn" "H-
tcnSjhl.. purpuS"s Of th"s" Associations
ar. merely slam ard that the SOCIAL"
,Iuo,at.onH .: past transactions arc NScH
- q mean" ui Using a common price,
Continuing. the indictments Sa'd;
some -: Tho more rrrr"hcHs!o.e or
;nr>, tad" rrlct;'rN are what IS hh""n
:.S delivery prices 'arh!;raiorN trad"
base Specific job cnn;r~St and ware
house deliveries
The rov-rnmcur further alleged that
,n. combination had hc"n brought about
,hrourh IA. activities Of tn" iiy" or SIX
dominant c"m"rt compa MOS ~ IN"
country. and tnat thn:r !nhu"n"" III the
trade has been SO great aS !" MAKE x a"
cas, task To either persuade "T '"er%e
49,. o,hc; cement. companies I" folio"
t'".r lead
Th,, go,rrrmrn, accused he cement
Securities Company. n western corpora
-.,,, IF luonorui.2:ug ITS Industry n IN"
Rocky Mountain states and d"1n)nh' !nS
-, mills in raiiforn'a, t,.r northwest
and TEXAS. This company. Eovcr"r""l
representatives said recently rr"s""
with ,h, Portland trm"n: con '"ar" one
,C ,hr a:ari corporations Of IN" east.
rhay further alleged thn' IA" govern
n,,n, lad cry coAvincinE "v!dC'C"
tia, liz" cement Securities. Alpha ami
..-h,rh ,ompau!cS. haSc operated rh'iT
oo,rnor understanding on a.. points
which might ordinarily b. regarded as
,umncut."v.
TN. ,ndi,tmnn: papers further
.r.-rrI ths, "iuSprrforS ar" "nipi"Nfi
by l,c csrncn; manufacturers to s"c tha'
-, huj,d,r contrasts FOR more than hr
actually n"~ds II. by chance. hui!dr7
,...,rL t.t,., ,rrr,. than his rH1G ErNl'~ltS =