The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-04-06

sider the subject of finance one of its
| principal features is to ascertain by what
means it may be brought within the
reach Of every man and woman in the
United States to earn an honest living.
and itmay be said that any one who is
will ng to work may find work, and Just
compensation for that work.
FINANCE DISCUSSED ABROAD.
The discussion OF the subject OF tinan-
ce, the interested and the active discus
sion of the subject of finance, is not con-
fined to this country; and even here it
has scarcely begun. This interesting
subject is being discussed in all civilized
countries, and in no country as far as
my observation enables me to judge. is
there a system which is entirely salts
factory. Meetings are being held by
the boards OF trade in every part of Eng
land, Scotland and Ireland. Delegates
have recently been appointed to attend
d representative meeting of all the the
boards of trade in the united kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland for he pur.
pose of petitioning the British Govern
ment to appoint a parliamentary COM
mission to examine into the condition Of
British finance, and to ascertain whether
it is or not practicable to have u system
money varies as it does now, from two
and one-half percent, per annum, up to
ten per cent. or more within short peri
DDS. The manufacturers say - often
90 into the market and purchase our raw
material when money is @orth only 2 1-2
per cent. per annuA When interest is
low, prices are high; we purchase our
raw material at i high hrice; 1--WE en-
gage in its manufacture it may take u.
six months before we are prepared to
turn out Il finished article ready for the
market: and when we are prepared to
turn out the flashed article we may find
the rates of interest double treble or
quadruble." money scarce, and prices
low. 1t has frequently been the case
that the rate of interest in England has
raised from two and one-half per cent. to
7 and 8 per cent within sixty days-and
that recently-and the rate has gone as
| high as Y per cent. The British mer
chants and manufacturers say to the
government, I'VE cannot stand this. II
turns us from being legitimate business
men, engaged by our labor in adding to
the value OF raw material by changing
its form into things OF use and enjoy
ment, looking to the return for our labor
in receiving an adequate price in the
market-it turns us from that business
to that of mere spectators. We find
that many of US will get rich faster, ap-
parently, by selling short what we have
not got, or buying long more than we
can pay for without a rise. rather than
manufacture" Applause. Let"some
one else do the work and We will guess
and see it we cannot make Il profit by
guessing"
Such is too much the condition all ov-
er the world; it is one OF the most i'm
portant problems that can empty the at
tcntion of an Industrious, enterprising
people, a civilized people, to ascertain
what is the present financial condition,
what are the objections TO the present
condition. and what are the possible
remedies.
FIJI VENETIAN SYSTEM.
Seven hundred and four years ago,
Venice, the queen of the Adriatic. then
mistress OF the comm ercial world, was
carrying on q war with the emperor OF
the East and with Greece. The Repub
lie needed money the Republic called
upon its citizens to bring in their golt
and silver, not only from motives Of
patriotism. bnt because the council oI
Ten. who were accustomed to seeins
that their orders We're ooeyed, h.d com
manded that every citizen should contri
butte means for the State according to hi
ability. Gold and silver were brough
to the treasury, and as each man passet
in his gold and silver he received credi
on the books of tho nation for tina
amount. as you would receive credit OIL
the books Of the merchant when you sci
and deliver the products OF your farm
or at the bank when you make your de
+ post. Each received credit on tn
books of the nation. and Venice agree,
{ to pay interest at the rate of tour pc
cent, per anum in coin upon every mar
balance in the treasury. No checks o
circulating notes were used; nothin!
was received. except IS q permanent in
vestment. to go into the hands OF tn
government. and &c be expended in ,lei
: foreign wars. Soon one of those me
creditors OF the nation died. pernap
leaving FIVE children. The questio
aIuSe- lHlS UDch circuit IS 10 us 3C
count. is in his name The admins:
| traitors desired to divide this estate
There were five heirs. Application wa
made to the proper authorities. Can
not this one account be divided into tiv
. accounts. and this account, be closed b
. having the gross amount credited i
: proportion to eacn Of the FIVE heirs
That Was approved. The same princir
e le was applied il dividing the assets {
g bankrupts. For V in Venice ther
were some bankruptcies. but not $
e many rs we have in the civilized cour
: tries OF these later DAYS, when bank
rupicy. sometimes during . bushes
lie. Is the general rule. and imunit
' from bankruptcy is the exception. Pc
!, haps some OF you are not aware that j
1870 the collsctor OF the port of Bos.o
e was investigating the
n SUBJECT OF BANKRUPTCY,
and ne found that in The city OF Ne
j. York there vas but one wealthy ma