"TRUSTS " IN THE UNITED STATES. [To THY EDITOR OP
TEL "SPECTATOR.'] Sin,—Your concluding paragraph on the above subject, in the Spectator of October 3rd, says :—" We are not liable (in England) to the tyranny of trusts and combinations in the world of pure commerce." Unfortunately this is not quite correct, for trusts are beginning to take possession of some of our British trades. At the present time there exists—with its headquarters in Birmingham—a combination or trust in the metallic bedstead trade throughout Great Britain, which
is so cleverly arranged that it is practically impossible for any outsider to start making brass or iron bedsteads unless he joins the combination, and even then he has to sue for admit- tance, which will probably be denied him. If, however, he tried to start independently of it, he would be unable to buy his raw material or get any workmen used to the trade, as all the makers of iron and brass for bedsteads have agreed to
4 only supply the combination, and the workmen are all pledged by their Union to only work for makers belonging to it. Con- sumers have therefore to look to foreign competition alone if prices are to be kept down. This bedstead trust is at present successful, so many other local trades are now emulating its example, but at present have fortunately not accomplished
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