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Show I ,; TRJSJ H H ;- CLWVHTjAND, March 3. H The United States government H -f- begun here today a Oght B -f- against "what tfl altegod to bo 4- H 4- oho of tho moet complete mo- 1 nopolics in the country, when 4- Hl 4- suit -was flled npnlnst 35 con- 4- H - corns engaged In mo manufac- 4- 1 -V- lure of Incandescent electric 4- H 4- lights. M .. .f- 4- -r- -f-r- B The national Electric Jyamp com- M pany, which has Its headquarters hero H and tho General Electric company of H Now York are named as two of the H defendants and arc ennrged with "be- M ' lnff the keysfono of a trust Uiut has M ramifications In every state In tho H union. mU According to the govern nrent's petl- H , tlon. tho dofendant companies aro In H a consplrncy In restraint of trade and M thereby havo control of 37 per cent H . of tho- countrv's supply of electric H lights. M I Trust Originated In 1909. H i The trust is alleged to have had its H ' origin soon after 1909. the year in H which Uig patents on carbon filaments B lamps expired. In 1909, a combination H known aa the Independent Lamp Man- H ufacturcra' association, is charged : with having obtained' control of the H lamp output and with having fixed H . prices, and prescribed rules of sale H I for Its members. H The General Electric company of fl ' New York, Is stated to have owned H 75.2 per cent of the stock in this H combination and is accused of ob- H ' tain Ing exorbitant profits by restralu.- H Ing trade and forcing high prices. H Enormous Profits of Trust. M The petition asserts tnat the prof- H lift UL LUIS LVUiUluaiiVil lli J41 111 u.,- H ' dends wero SI 05,000 in IDO-I, $200,000 H ' in 1909 and $300,000 in 1910 Last H ' year the company is said to have held H f 1,439,1 5S as an undivided surplus. M ' Tho capital s now listed at $5,000,000. H The extent of the Industry Urns H ' brought under Are is shown in the H statement that approximately S 0,000,- Hl 000 lamps aro sold in this country H every year for an aggregate purchas- H ' ing amount of $1S,000,000. M Last Blow at Electrical Trust. H "WASHINGTON. March 3 The gov- fl ornment suit flled at Cleveland today H against the General Electric company H of New York, tho WestlnghouRe Elec- H trie and -Manufacturing company of H Pennsylvania, tho National Electric H Lamp company of New Jersey and H thirty-two other defendants may bo M , the last blow struck &:. tho so-called H j olectrlcal trust; as tne first Intlma- H , tlon that the corporations comprising H the trust might voluntarily discon- H H tin no tho practices to which the gov- U ' ' ernmont objects is contained In a Hp statement made hy Attornej- General H WickerBham today. H "The dofendantg have already indi- H ! cated a disposition to conform to the H requirements of the government," ho H N said, "and tho department hopes that H a dissolution of the combination will H be effected without prolouged litlga- H tlon." Tho suit relates only to an alleged H combination and conspiracy in the H 1 manufacture and sale or incandescent H lamps. M ' AVhother they will bo brought in H i court probably depends upon the out- H come or the suit just nled. H The government's Invostigatlon H dates back to May, 190S, when tlie H navy department invited bids for fur- H nlshlng 340.000 incandescent lamps. H liDurteou bids were received and H I thirteen of them were identical, $50,- M j 031,23. Investigation aoveloped that M oach year 0,000,000 incandescent M y lamps are used in the United States H I valued at about $1S,000.000. H ' Thp defendants in the suit filed to- H J j day are charged s'Ith controlling the H I nianufacturo nnd sale of 97 per cent H of these lamps. Hj j no acts or wnicn tlie government H t- complains bpgan August 4, 189C, when H , the defendants organized an assocla- H tlon called "The Incandescent Lamp j Manufacturers." In December of that H year It Is charged, unlawful price H . i fixing agreements were made. H Tho petition declares that In 1901, H I there wore seven ludependeut lamp H coiiipanles and the incandescent lamp H ' manufacturers "determined to crush H , absolutely all coinpotiuon then exJst- H Ing, or which should later arise," and M formed the Natipnal Electric Lamp H company of New Jercy, "which pro- H ceeded to buy control of all oxlstlng 1 lndopendeul companies save one " 1 The petition seeks to show that as 1 Econ as the patents on tho old style H carbon filament lamp expired in 1894, H a monopoly of trade was effected al- H though the right to make, uso and H dell becamo free to all as a matter of H law. Tho introduction or the so-called H Tungsten and Tantalum lamp adds H another chapter to the story and the H petition alleges tho defendants havo H unlawfully acquired tho patents to 1 that stylo of lamp H Unfair competition, tho sale of in 1 ferlor lamps to customers of inde- ' pendent companies at greatly reduced j prices, sales of lamps undor false H brauds and other offenses are charged. |