Trust Is Demolished

Buffalo, N. Y., Sept. 14.- It is announce'd that the Western Elevator aseociation, the big elevator pool, which has withstocd all attacks for many years and was known as one of the most Buccessful combinations in the country, wculd break up at the end of the present sêason. The dissolution of the pool ■was brought about by compettion, the very thing it was organized to guard against. So many cutside elevators have started up in the city that the business of the pool was seriously interfered with. This led to hints of the' withdrawal of some of the members and it was agreed that the wisest thing would be to discontinue the organizaiion. May Break Up Sooner. Secretary Cook of the pool says the report is true, and that the end of the eeason would witness the end of the pool. He also added that there was a possibility of the breaking up coming before the close of navigation. Memtors cf the trade are divided over tliis, however. Some think it would be foolish to break up the association novv, when there is so much business for the elevators. But all are agreed that the encroachment of the Ryan, Raymond, and Export, especially the last, has been serious. In addition the new Northern levator, larger than all the rest of the opposition together, will be put in operation, and also the Electric. All these houses have refused to join the pool, and the Ryan and Raymond are at work at half rates. Almcst any development is to be expected thLs fall. End of a Big Trust. The end of the Elevator association is the end of one of the most succesful and at the same time hardest fought trusts in the country. It was formed to control all the elevating business in the port of Buffalo, whieh handles nearly all the grain carried on lake vessels. All houses, big and little, excepting a few canal and floating elevators, were taken into the pool and those which it was found unprofïtable to opérate were closed. The charges for handling grain, which were borne by the vessels. were fixed at a high figure, and there was no redress and no competition. Elevators not in the combine were frozen out of the field. The earnings of the levat tors in operation were so large that the little ones. which were kept closed, were able to pay more dividends on the investment than they cculd be running. Many Effortfl to ISreak Trast. Many determined efforts were made to hreak up the trust. The legislature of the state of New York had a hand at lt, but was unsuceessful. Last spring the Lake Carriers' association foreed a tslight reduction in charges, liut it amcunted to little. The worst blow delivered the pool was the erection of the Export elevator by Bartlett, Frazier & Co., of Chicago, which is managed by Armour & Co. By shipping their own grain to their own elevator here, these firms were enabled to do a large amount of the grain business, and thus develcped a strong opposition to the pool from the start. The new house made large earnings. and steadfastly refused to join the pool. Another Sfrans Oomjetitor. The Northern steel elevator has been In proeess of construction allsummerand will be ready soon for the fall trade. This will be.another strong competitor to the pool, and with so much business taken away from it the large houses ■were unable to continue the arrangement ■with the smaller ones. The charges for levating grain at Búfalo are borne by the vesgels, and the dissolution of the pool will be a great boon to the ship owners. With operf competition a great reduction in rates will be the natural outcome, which will result in smaller expenses for the vessels.