The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-08-27
COMMERCIAL COMBINATIONS.
The Mania for Association, and what II
IL Doing.


The Mania for Association, and what IL
is Doing. .
1t is interesting, and not little curl
GUS, says the New York Times, to no.
tice how rapidly our people are develop
ing plans for consolidation, co-opera-
ton, and combined interest. There are
combinations of producers and combi-
nations of consumers. The railroad
companies make ring to keep up rates
of freight the grain-farmers and deal
ers make another ring to compel lower
charges. Working men combine to
force higher wages and fewer hours of
labor I; master mechanics form an asso-
citation to protect themselves against
what they consider to be extravagant
demands. Laborers out of employment
organize an industrial society to pro-
duce and sell the work of their hands
consumers associate themselves to-
gether to buy what they want at whole
sale prices. Exactly where this is to
end none can tell. 1t is pretty evident
that the tendency of the times is toward
a condition that may be described as
armed observation. The combinations
are no longer for mutual protection
merely they are for aggressive pur-
poses.
A very good example of this is found
in the organization of body known as
the "Sovereigns of Industry" This
is an association founded on the same
principles as that which underlaid the
Protective Union," society we'll
known throughout New England some
twenty-five years ago. The Protective
Union was made up of heads of fami-
lies, who employed purchasing agent,
usually one of their own number, who
bought for the union, at wholesale
prices, such articles of home consump-
tion as could be kept in store without
danger of loss by decay. These were
retailed to members at cost price, the
necessary expenses only being added
thereto. Probably some of these unions
are yet in existence, but in many iu-
stances they failed on account of losses
from dishonest agents and non-paying
members. The Sovereigns of Industry
-high title-propose to emu
late the Union and the Patrons of Hus-
bandry in doing away with middle-men
and their profits. In Massachusetts,,
where this organization has begun its
operations, every species of goods will
be embraced in the catalogue of pur-
chases made directly for the consumer.
For example, Sovereign" is to be
entitled to discount of six per cent.
on toe wholesale price of clothing, pro-
vided he buys of a dealer with whom
his Executive Council has made a
treaty, his only credentials being his
certificate of neutrality-suspicious.
of sovereingty, We suppose we should
say. The Executive Council agrees
with various dealers to send the "Sov-
ereigns" to their establishments for
goods ; and the dealers consent to the
discount for the sake of securing large
number of customers.
In this way, it is said, discounts of
various rates are to be procured for the
"sovefeigns" on -four, groceries, coal,
dry goods, furniture, crockery, stoves
and tir w1re, and even pianos and melo-
deons. We do rot understand that
there is lim'G to the membership, nor
any spec;.l O ,alifcation therefor ac-
cordipgly we are roi surprised at being
told THAI tue ords is iuc, easing rapidly
throu ybont tire country TIE only
wonder is that every body does not Join
it as soon as the"e is cha zee. We can
only guess wbav tle lesulS will be when
every ybody c'n buy every tainy at a
slight advar ce first cost. 1t is pretty
evident that we shall then be in the
condition Of thct colony of shipwrec'Sed
Yankees, who mace their living on a
desert island by swapping jack-knives
with each other.
Ii is only necessary to refer to this
latest ''jndustrial scheme to show
that 1t is as possible for one class of
monopoisfs to go TO extre.ne as an
other. -Four or five wealthy corpora
tions combine to put up toe price OF
coal. That bls been done his sum-
mer, and there is no apparent legal
remedy against ex,oltion. Eut how
abouj combination of bljckl3 vecs to
put up the price oi their labo =? We
must have tie fuel, and We mult hive
bricks laid. Each o ,5anizavion is
taking advantage of the public neces.
sity, and the result in each case only il.
lustrates the general principle, which,
if universally carried out, would bring
us into inextricable confusion. Wher
labor, in all its branches, is thoroughly
organized on one side, capital will be rs
| NhOSSuuiiJ oSoOSlauCu OL ullC OuuCi olSS
The producers will be opposed by the
combined consumers the buyers viii
constitute one well-guarded phalanx
and the sellers will be organized into
another. Society, industrial and com
mercial, will be divided into hostile
camps. OF course, there are certain
laws of trade and political econom,
that will prevent such disaster +; but i
is only necessary to indicate the drift
of things to show how false is the prin
ciple on which most of these latter-da,
combinations are formed. In highe
state of life than we have now, monop
olies, rings, and "corners will be i'm
possible. Meantime it is the duty O
every honest citizen to be careful as t.
all such combinations. Mutual conf
dence is the basis of all social pros
perity. 1t will be bad day for all O
us when we find society armed agains
itself and associated in cliques for ag
gressive purposes rather than for cour
sci, mutual support, and rational ez
change of opinions.