Imperial Valley press., 1924-10-06
ALUMINIUM CO. TO
BE INVESTIGATED
BY GOVERNMENT
by United Press Leased wire


WASHINGTON, Oct. 6.--The fed
eral government today prepared to
deal another blow to leading manu-
facturers of household utensils,
charged by the federal trade com
mission in a report to congress with
alleged violations of the Sherman
and Clayton antitrust laws.
Issuance of formal complaints by
the commission against the mannfac-
turers and through them, initiation
of a prolonged legal battle was seen
here as the next step in the pro-
ceedings.
The companies named include the
Aluminium Company of America, con
trolled by the family of Secretary of
the Treasury Mellon and also manu-
faeturers of washing machines,
vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and
brooms. The report, WHICH was made
i'll response to senate resolution
asking data ON trade conditions of
household utensils was not made
public in its entirety by the com
mission but its contents were sum
married by the commission in an
abstract as follows:
Reports Features
1.-The outstanding features of the
report are the control exercised by
patent pools among manufacturers
of washing machines, the shutting
out of competition in the vacuum
cleaner industry, the questionable
competitive tactics of the leading
manufacturer of aluminium cooking
utensils, which is affiliated with
the Aluminium Company oS Amer
ica; the monopolistic position of the
latter company, which has appar-
emily engaged in various practices
forbidden by a judicial degree under
the Sherman act; the dominating
position of the Singer company in
the sewing machine industry, the eff
forts of trade associations in the re-
frfgerator and broom industries to
enhance the prices of their products
and the competitive methods of re-
tail dealers i'll kitchen utensils and
domestic appliances.
The report said the Aluminium
Company of America has "practi-
cally complete method of the pro-
duction of aluminium i'll the United
States and by a high protective tar
iff,'' is able to "control the price
Of aluminium Various kinds of
price determinations were charged
to the Aluminium Goods Manufac-
turing company. The largest manu-
facturers of cooking utensils in the
country and affiliated with the
Aluminium Company of America.
The Vacuum Cleaners Manufacture
ers' association was charged with
putting competitors out of business
by refusing them licenses under
basic patents.
Form Pool
A patent pool said to have been
entered into by 26 manufacturers
of washing machines was cited as
controlling factor in that indus
try.
1.-The National Refrigerator Manu-
facturers association, whose mem
bership produce more than half the
total output of refrigerators, have
been engaged for several years i'll
price fixing activities,' the report
said.
"The inquiry discloses,' the alb
stract of the report continued, "that
the National Broom Manufacturers
and the American Brush Manufac-
turers' association has endeavored
in various ways to increase prices
or to prevent price reductions while
the records of the Retail Hardware
Dealers association indicate they
endeavor, through the manufactur-
er, to prevent mail order competi-
tion.
"The Singer Sewing Machince
company controls between 65 and rs
per cent of the production of sew
ing machines in the United
States,' the commission estimated.