Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-23

Nv SPS~s~s ""sS's ~
aividuals make with corporations ar
subjects Of such profound sccresy, and
arc 20 strongly guarded by persona
interest that the public seldom acquire
a full knowledge Of all the details o.
the plans by which Wholesale swind
ling operations are conducted, and any
statement Of them, if inaccurate onl,
in the most unimportant item, is de-
clarcd to be "mere fabrication,
when in fact it is substantially true
1t is in this way-if at all-that thu
Register can justify its denial Of tn
facts to which we made allusion.
The Company has recently adopted
new and higher schedule Of rates, ani
the Register says I" it could not we'll d
otherwise in its embarrassed 6nancia
situation" Its rates were formerly q
high as those charged by any othe
road for like distances. Has the Com
pany. because it is " embarrassed " an,
right to levy black mail upon the con,
munity? lift should do so, would i
be likely to increase its business there
by3
Suppose one Of the heavy dry good
houses in Austin, were bankrupt; tina
it could meet its liabilities only by sell
ing its stock at an advance Of twenty
FIVE per cent, upon the general market,
for similar goods; could such action b.
justified upon the ground Of an en-
barrasscd financial situation" and il
so. would it furnish the required re.
lief?
If the construction Of this road wat
IN unfortunate project, or if misman'
asement has reduced it to financial
extremity, it is in either case, a calami,
ty, perhaps, but the community through
which the road runs, ought not to be
ovcrshadowed by it, neither will they
The regular market price Of wheat il
reduced by just so much as has been
added to the cost Of transportation. 1t
is rule among wheat buyers, necessi
tated by the very close competition
which exists, to pay within one Or two
cents per bushel Of what they can gel
for it in Milwaukee, after paying the
freight.
If these operators reserve a margin
ofonly one OF two cents, Mr.. Easton, o,
any other man having rebates and spe'
cial privileges, can bid enough to over.
come the figure Of his competition
although it may not exceed it by moro
than . half cent-and take the wheat
In that case, he realizes out of the
producer, the amount Of freight
charged, in excess Of former rates.
None of these dealers use the special
advantages which they enjoy, for the
benefit Of the farmer. They figure
to crowd every thing into thei,
own pockets. Suppose they raise
the price Of wheat three cents per bush,
el above the highest figure which com.
petitors can pay, and keep it there until
the field is deserted by all except them.
selves, the reaction will carry wheat at
rates 20 much lower than those former.
ly ruling, as to make the average
price less by some cents per bushel, than
i would otherwise have been, resulting
to the community, in loss, even upon
wheat. Now look at the other side ;
consider those things which you buy,
instead Of those which you sell.
The lumber which the State will use
this year, will cost as much money al
the last wheat crop has produced.
Nine-tenths oft must be freighted over
railroads. Hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars,will be paid to these corporations
for the transportation Of farm machine
~. Every thing which We buy to eat
AID to wear, finds its way to US over
some one of these corporate thorough
fares. If then, the average price of
our great staple production is reduced
by scheming manipulators, below the
actual value, and the cost Of importing
everything which we buy is increased
at least ten per cent, by extortionate
freights, there is no future before Us
which promises the laborer reasonable
compensation for his unrcmitting toll
Some locality or class may be tcmpora.
rily benefited by these fluctuations, blu,
the general effect upon the country mus.
be to unscttlc every branch of indus.
try, and to unbalance all departments
Of trade. Whatever promotes the in.
tcrests Of the laborins classes, contrib.
utes to the advancement of all leciti.
mate business interests, and tends to the
harmonious development of the rcsour
ccs Of the country. Labor is the onl,
means by which wealth is created. Il
is true that tho employ ment Of capita
supplements labor, and increases its cf
ficlency,but work is the only producip.
energy, and If wealth is amasscd in on,
other way, it produces the same ctfec
upon the industries Of the country tina
huge carbuncle on one member Of tn
body, does upon the entire physica
structure. Something is extracted iron
every vein and nerve and fibre, to sup
port and feed and build it up,and whe'
it has swelled to its amplcst proportions
it is found to have a reactionary powe
~ which it controls aud corrupts ant