The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-31
SALT MONOPOLIES.

| hatched under the viyi6c Influence of pro-
which has for its chief characteristic the
guardianship of practices peculiar to free
hooters. In recent speech made by Mr..
Hatch, OF Missouri, he demonstrated. be-
yond caviI, that the salt monopoly of the
United States is thoroughly organized sys-
tenn of robbery-wIthout one single redeem
ing quality. What is strange about
such matters is that a few monopo-
lists can IN the face of all
things just honorable and equitable main
tain their ascendency in Congress, ana by
the vote of the peoples representatives per
petuate their robberies. Mr.. Hatch presented
in his speech a comparative statement of the
salt industry of the country according to the
census reports of 1860 1870 and 1880, and
from these statements it appears, said Mr..
Hatch, that "the number of establishments
manufacturing salt in the United States in
1850 was 264; in 1879. ten years before, there
were 2S2; in 1860, twenty years before, there
were 500 But mark the increase in the pro-
duct. In 1860 there were produced 12,717,-
1873 bushels; in 1870 there were produced
Il, SOC 1O5 bushels; and in 1880 there were
produced 2O,SO0, 29S bushels. 1 call the at
tsntion of the Committee to these facts be-
cause they show that while the number of
establishments has decreased by reason of
the monopoly and the close corporations that
control the manufacture of salt, the prod
bac Cd ~
~ 100 per cent. The average number of
hsnds employed in the entire industry in
these 26f establishments is males, 1920; fe-
males, 10; children, 40; total, 4,075. Aud
vet o protect the owners of 26i salt estab-
lishments in the United States, employing
United States using salt in large quantities
are taxed about 100 per cent. on the value of
the amount used, or twelve cents on every
100 pounds imported in packages" "But the
iniquity of this salt tax" continued Mr..
Hasch. lilies in the fact that these two hun
red and siKty-four manufactures OF salt are
really represented by three or four perhaps
not to exceed six pools. syndicates or mon
opolies in the United States; two in Michi-
gan, one in New York, one in West Virginia
and probably one in Ohio. 1 will show that
the price OF salt is fixed, not by the manu-
facturers, not by the amount produced not
by the supply and demand; but it is fixed
by the pool or syndicates representing every
single one Of these sslt-wOrks. In this way
they are freezing out great many of these
t. Sc
so much month, and when they find the
amount OF stock they have on hand they
place on it price to suit themselves. And
even the manufacturers, except through
these syndicates, have nothing 10 do
with the price fixed on salt from
month to month" At Saginaw, Mich,
100000 bushels of salt were made
in 1881. One concern made 900 barrels
per month at cost not exceeding 50 cents
per barrel, including the cost of the barrel,
all of which was sold by the pool-master at
80 cents per barrel-over 50 cents per barrel
clear profit, or 81 500 per month clear profit
Now every farmer and every packer in the
West paid G cents per bushel, or q cents per
barrel, of that profit because of the duty of
imported salt. Even with salt duty free the
Saginaw profit would be 25 cents per barrel,
and their industry would not suffer. Ali
the sales Of salt are pooled. No producer Of
salt sells his own product. Monthly reports
of production are made to the pooi-maSter,
who takes the account and fixes prices, and
in this way competition disappears and
prices are made at any figure that
the necessities of the people will enable
these monopolists to exto-t. The argument
used by protectionists is that the salt in
dustry ought to be protected, and to protect
about 900 iaborers engaged in the manu-
faeture of salt, four hundred times four
thousand laborers are compelled to pay tax
on salt of about 100 per cent. on the cost of
production. To further show the almost
unparalleled infamy of the tariff which COM
pels the people to pay 100 per cent. advance
on salt above its cost, statement prepared
by the Superintendent of the Census is pub
lished showing the number of beef and pork
packing establishments in the United
States, and the number of hands employed
by them, etc. This statement of meat pack
ing as per census of 1880 is as follows:
Number of esta .lfshmentS .. SD