Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1891 — Sherman’s Anti-Trout Laws. [ARTICLE]

Sherman’s Anti-Trout Laws.

Sherman's universal panacea for curing or killing trusts and combinations has put the McKinley organs, notably tho Oh cago Inter Ocean and the Cleveland Leader, In the hole. These high tariff journals declared after Its passage that it would effectually put an end to all trusts and combinations whatsoever, but not one has »o far succumbed to it, nor has a slnglo suit been brought by the Attorney General against them. And now thesi organs are wailing because the trusts have >yed the law nor heeded their warnings. In tho meantime the cartridge trust and the lead trust and others are getting onit of the tariff all there Is in it.

And in spite of the terror, which, according to these organs, ought to have been Inspired by the anti-trust law, thirteen of the largest flint glass companies have formed a trust under the name of the United Statos Glass Company, with a capitalization of $4,000,000. This now trust consists of the following concerns: King Glass Company, Ripley & Co., George Duncan & Sons, Adams & Co., O’Hara Glass Company (limited), and Bryce Bros., all of Pittsburg; Richards & Hartley Glass Company, Challinor, Taylor & Co. (limited), Tarontum; Gillindor & Sons, Groensburg; Hobbs Glass Company, Wheeling; Bellaire Goblet Company and the Columbia Glass Company, Findlay; and the Nickel-Plate Glass Company, Fostoria. The trust, by its control over the trade, will be able to raise the average of dividends to over 60 per cent., instead of from 40 to 50 per cent paid by these concerns during tho past ten years. Here are the dividends of one of these flint-glass companies: January, 1883, 20 percent.; August, 1883, 20 percent.; January, 1884, 40 per cent; July, 1884, 20 percent; January, 1885, 40 percent.; July, 1885, 30 per cent. Tho Nickel Plate Company, one of the members of the now trust, started three ycars ago. Since that time it doubled fits Capacity out of its earnings. The .stock of the Columbia Company, also iji the trust, lias Increased In value since 1885 over 200 per cent These are but characteristic instances. And now that the duty on the products of this trust has been increased by the McKinley tariff from 40 to 45 per cent, ad valorem to CO per cent., not counting duties on packing and other charges, the dividends will surely average over 60 per cont per year. Does this trust fear Sherman’s law? Not as long as a member of another glass trust occupies a place in tho Cabinet of the trust administration.