More Mergers

Amusements. Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corp. is the name of the new company formed by the merger last week of the chief U. S. vaudeville interests--B. F. Keith Corp., Orpheum Circuit Inc., B. F. Keith-Albee Vaudeville Exchange and Greater New York Vaudeville Theatres Corp. Their combined assets total $100,000,000, the seating capacity of their theatres 1,050,000. Theatres include new ones to be completed within a few weeks in--

Boston Sioux City, Iowa

Cincinnati New York City

And others under construction in--

Baltimore Rochester, N. Y.

Milwaukee Huntington, W. Va.

Toledo, Ohio Richmond Hill, L. I.

Memphis, Tenn. Flushing, L. I.

Edward F. Albee of the Keith group is to be president of the consolidation, Marcus Heiman of the Orpheum group executive vice president.

In England, Gainsborough Pictures Ltd., one of the largest British cinema companies, discussed merger plans with the Gaumont Pictures Corp.

Chocolate. In Europe Suchard's swiss chocolate sells in vast quantities, in the U. S. it has been practically unknown. No sluggards, the manufacturers studied the U. S. market, intending to develop sales there. At the same time H. O. Wilbur & Sons, Inc., famed Philadelphia chocolate makers, were planning to expand. Common intentions led to the formation of a new company, the Wilbur-Suchard Chocolate Co., which has exclusive rights to manufacture Suchard products in the U. S.

Department Store. In Tennessee and Kentucky the Reynolds chain of department stores and the Crawford-Gatlin chain together own 16 stores. Last week they merged.

Banks. In San Francisco, directors of the Crocker First National Bank and of the Crocker First Federal Trust Co. have decided to absorb the Humboldt Bank. Humboldt directors have agreed. The enlarged Crocker First National Bank will have resources of $150,000,000.

In New York City, the Financial & Industrial Securities Corp. (the investment organization of the Manufacturers Trust Co.) controls the Capitol National Bank, the Longacre Bank, and the United National Bank. Last week the Financial & Industrial Securities Corp. decided to merge those three banks as the $60,000,000 United Capitol Bank & Trust Co.

Public Utilities. The Pacific Gas & Electric Co. sent letters to stockholders of the Coast Valleys Gas & Electric Co., the Western States Gas & Electric Co. of California and the Western States Gas & Electric Co. of Delaware announcing that it had bought control of those companies and intended to merge them. Recipients of the letters might trade their stocks for stock in the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. or might sell them.

At Philadelphia stockholders approved the $200,000,000 consolidation of the United Gas Improvement Co. and the Philadelphia Electric Co.

Steel. The Timken Roller Bearing Co. has proposed a merger with the Ohio Seamless Tube Co. So said President A. C. Morse of the tube company.

Six Ohio manufacturers of sheet steel decided to merge their 61 rolling mills and other assets worth $18,000,000. President William H. Davey of the Mansfield Sheet & Tin Plate Co., the nucleus of the merger, will be president of the new corporation. The companies concerned are:

Mansfield Sheet & Tin Plate Co., Mansfield

Falcon Steel Co., Niles

Waddell Steel Co., Niles

Thomas Sheet Steel Co., Niles

Empire Rolling Mills Co., Cleveland

Ashtabula Sheet Steel Co., Ashtabula.