The anti-monopolist., 1875-09-13
CORRESPONDENCE
Useful Work for Middlemen.


New York, Aug, y, 1875.
Editor of Anh- Nonopolist:
Gen. O. B. Smith, an intelligent Callfor-
MIA writer, asks and answers the question:
ssWhat is to become of the middlemen whom
we propose to dispense with by our co-ope-
rative associations?" He asserts with rea-
son that 'sthey will be driven into the ranks
of labor, already overburdened with idle
laborers But labor, although reduced to
desperation, by greater competition, will
gain by the auspices of intelligence, and
then the final struggle will come That will
break up the servile system that enables one
class to make slaves Of their fellowmen."
This fact that SO much brains will be
driven back among the workers is very
important one The greatest obstacle to the
advancement of the real producers OF this
country is, that as soon as man In the
ranks finds that he is apt at money making
he tries, and usually with success. to step
up and out of his class. This has left the
mechanics and laborers, and even the small
farmers, without suffciency of suitable
leaders When the best brains are forced to
stay in the producing classes and guide
them, they can show such solid successes as
->o''
come to negotiate with us
HOW TO GET CHEAP FREIGHTs.
One of the Eastern associations that is
going to interest Western people is
the "Cheap Transportation Association" 2"
This is composed of active men, mostly be-
longing to the Produce Exchange. They are
working for their own interests of course,
but it seems to me that as far as transporta-
tion is concerned, these are identical with
those of western producers.
F. B. Thurber, Secretary Of the Associa-
ton, is a brother and partner of II. X.
Thurber, now about the most prominent
wholesale grocer here. Having had occa-
sion to visit Mr.. Thurber to get facts about
cheap working mems trains in England and
Massachusetts, was equally surprised to
find how radical he was. He went bey
me in denouncing shams of trade. He seems
to be very active, shrewd, and honest man.
and liked to help cheap transportation very
much He is careful student of statistics
and has given me some interesting facts,
He showed me letter from Mr. Albert
Fink, of the Louisville, Nashville and Great
Southern r. r., an engineer of high reputa-
ton, who says Of the cost of carrying freigh,
upon a double track freight r. r.: II esti-
mate that the cost eff transporting one ton
per mile could be reduced to , l-2 mills
and 1-2 mill additional for interest on the
investment"
| went to see Mr.. Thurber to-day to gel
the latest news, but he was out of town
had an interview to-day with an Eng
lish engineer who has large railroad con-
tracts in this country and whose hobby is
An exclusively freight road-all cars to rur
at about ten miles an hour, following each
other like canal boats never stopping OF
turning out until arrived Mt their destina
ton. As our trunk roads are now miles o
freight cars are switched for days together
to get them out Of the way of passenger
trains and then they are ratified about a
no freight rolling stock should be, to max,
up for lost time.
A strong argument in favor Of q new
cheap trunk road is, that it would take th
s'intlation' water out Of the old roads
There are many who believe that dividend
never should be paid upon the larger par
of the outstanding obligations of the thre
trunk lines. 1t is estimated that the com
bined obligations Of the Pennsylvania Cen
tral, Erie and NY. Central roads, with thei
connections, exceed at this time in the rate
of three to one, the amount ever paid in b
their stock and bondholders.
HOW TO STOP LYING CROP REPORTS
Nothing puzzles people more, East Q
West or South, than how to find how an
crop is prospering throughout any lare
section of country. Editors, speculator
all interested, spend hours daily, at critic,
periods, studying the various conflicting r,
ports. Many . correspondence had wit
certain managing editor this spring an
summer over the question: How mue
damage have the grasshoppers dones"
concluded that we could not trust the r
prots from the Associated Press or the p
pers in the large towns. Our theory wa
it is for the interest Of grain and produ
spectators to make out that all crops q
immense, until they have bought them in
low figures Then they begin to grow di
NAL over "the short crop here and abroad
Therefore reports procured by them "
not fully represent damages from any eau
in spring and summer, while in autun
and winter they exaggerate damages. 1t
for the interest of railroads to swear, at ,
seasons, that 1.-THE crops of all kinds La
been immense'-for that means immen
frieghts and high prices for their stocf
and excuse for more water" So as I
telegraph companies and the chief pap<
play naturally into the hands of the "a
roads, we saw that we could get no fair e
eral idea Of the grasshopper or food da
ages, and could only get stray hints fr,
private letters, and the outcries Of small
cal papers, where the burden came heayie