The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-04-07

dition in the construction industry
The alleged methods of the "com-
bination" are described in great de-
tail in the indictment.
1t is charged that they have form
ed associations and bureaus through
out the country, ostensibly for the
purpose of quoting prices as to COM
pleted transactions, and for the fur
Their purpose of recommending uni
form trade practices. The evidence,
according to government officials in
dicates that the ostensible purposes
of these associations are merely a
sham" and that the so-called quota
tions on past transactions are used
as a means of fixing a common price,
an dthe s~o-called recommendations"
of trade practices really amounts to a
fiat from the large companies. In
fact, it is charged, all of the so-caIled
trade practices are used as a means
of maintaining price, limiting output
and interfering with the purchasers
free. use Of the cement which he had
bought.
Some of the more reprehensible of
these trade practices, the indictment
oSto lOICu, are WHdt dI6 huOWu 10
delivery prices,'' arbitrary trade
base" Specific job contract and
warehouse deliveries" Government
officials briefly describe these meth
DDS.
All cement manufacturers, they as
sert, insist on quoting at the point of
delivery, irrespective of the proxim-
ity of the delivery point to the mill
or the quantity purchased. The Gus
toner himself is not permitted to un-
dertake the cost of transportation,
but this must be included in the
price. This trade practice is natur
ally linked with the next one mem
Arbitrary Freight Bases.
The arbitrary freight bases are ar
oitrary points, one or more, adopted
or each of the territorial subdivi-
;ions of the United States. Each mill
n quoting to a prospective customer,
Il computing the price, figures not
IN the freight charge from the mill
o the point of delivery, but from the
arbitrary freight base to the point of
ielivery. (,
1.-THE way it works out in practice =,
me of the prosecutors said sis this: ,
n fixing the price of cement three :
are aded-the mill base price :
# cement, the cost of bags in which :
he cement is shipped and the freight :
barge. The mill base price within :
territorial subdivision at any given !;
ime is the same at all mills. A :
barge for bags, invariably uniform, :
5 added, and finally a freight rate !.
igure by each mill from the arbit- :
airy proximity to or distance from !
ne point of delivery, is included. :
he result is manifest. The mill base !,
rice, bag cost and freight charge
eing identical, quotations to the I
lstomer are always the same. =
Construction men still go through y
lie idle ceremony of asking for quo :,
ltions. This is simply through force -
habit. They know in advance that =
lie quoted price will invariably be L
lie same to a penny" y,
The specific work contract, accord -
to the government investigators, =
employed in this wise: =
A prospective builder is permitted =
contract only for the amount of -
'ment actually to be employed on y
S job. The uniform contract alleg- y
to be employed by all of these de- e
ndants requires. a representation al
the builder that the cement is -
necessary for his job and is
be used on no other jobs. inspect
S are employed by the cement man
acturers to see that no builder con- III
act for more than he actually TO
eds. If, by chance, a builder should yi'
we more than his requirements and ssyU
ould attempt to use the surplus on V,
her work, very effectual methods er
e employed to prevent him from do az an
g so. This ingenious device serves ca
prevent any surplus supply of p
ment from being available. The sSaa
Hiding industry is always kept Pc
ment hungry. Price raising is never Sc
l~barrassed by surplus supply of r p
ment on the market, for nc cement Or
q ever be found except in the