Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-02
ALLEGING cement TRUST
FEDERAL JURY |ND|CTS
Seventy-five Corporations and Fory-two Individuals
Are Named in the Count, Alleging Violation
Sherman Anti Trust Law

New York, March /. - Indictments
were handed down today by the special
federal grand jury investigating an
alleged building material combine,
against rs corporations and AZ indi-
viduals comprising an alleged cement
trust"
The indictments contained two counts
charging violation of the Sherman an
ti-trust law, one alleging combination
and restraint of trade ad the other
monopolies and attempts to monopoliae.
Among the corporations named are
the Alpha Portland Cement company,
tho Atlas Portland Cement company,
the Iehigh Portland Cement company,
the Atlas cement securities company,
the Giant Portland Cement company
and the Universal Portland Cement
company.
Tho indictments wero returned as n
result of evidence presented to the
grand jury by Assistant United States
Attorneys General William Rand and
B. A. Matthews.
1t is tho governments contention.
Mr.. Rand said, that the combination
has so effectually maintained unitor-
nifty of price. divided territories. limit
output and regulated the class and
character of customers who might buy
cement and the purpose to which ce-
| ment might be applied, as in effect TO
exclude cement from the ordinary
| channels of trade and commerce"
! The indictments alleged that the
! cement combination has formed as
sociations and bureaus thruout tho
! country ostensiby to quote prices as
/ to completed transactions, and for the
| purpose of recommending" uniform
| trade practices. The evidence indl-
| Gates. the indictments said. that the
ostensible purposes of these associa-
tions are merely sham and that the
so-called quotations of past transac-
| tions arc usad a~d means OF hNlnS a
| common price.
The government alleged that the
combination had been brought about
| thru activities of the five or six DOM
| inant cement companies, and that
their influence in the trade has been
SO great as to mako 1t easy, either to
persuade or coerce tho other cement
companies to follow their lead.
The government accused the Cement
Securities company, western con
jccrn. OF monopolizius its industry IT
the Rocky Mountain States ano
dominating the mills In California, the
northwest and Texas.
This company, government reprcsen
tativcs said. recently merged with the
Portland Cement company.
The indictment papers further
charged that inspectors are employed
by the cement manufacturers to sec
| IniI 10 tohlih'lS l'A A'S'
than he actually needs"
The building industry Is always
kept cement-hungry" tho indictments
continue.
Price raising is never embarrassed
by IA surrlus supply OF cement, FOR nc
cement can ever be found except IN
tho manufacturers bins or probably a
weak supply in the hands OF n dealer.
Similar stactics were employed with
cement dealers who are not allowed To
contract for a future period exceeding
fifteen days, the indictments charge
Tho following Denver, (Colo) COM
panies were indicted:
Nebraska Cement company; Cement
Securities company; Colorado Port
land Cement company: Three Fork,
Portland Cement company and United
States Portland Cement company.
| In California, tho Pacific Portland
Cement company. the Cowell Portland
Cement company ana the Santa Cruz
Portland Cement company all OF San
Francisco and tho Riverside Portland
Cement company. the Southwestern
Portland Cement company and tho