Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-10
LORDS OF INDUSTRY"
Combinations in stoves, Matches, and
Paper,

\
Paper,
There has been since 1872 a national
combination of the manufacturers of
the stoves, into which the com binaton
coal must be put; and its effect, the
founder said, in MS speech at the an
nual banquet in Cleveland last Febru-
airy, had been to change the balance
from the wrong TO the right side of
the ledger. Until lately, at least,
combination matches lighted the fire
OF combination cCal in these combina-
ton stoves, and it is combination oil
which the cook, contrary to orders,
puts on The fires to make them burn
faster The combination of match
manufacturers was perfected by the
experience OF sixteen years Of fuslonS,
till lately 1t shared with the coal com
blnatlon the pleasure of advancing
the price of fire by proclamation on
the approach of winter. 1t is now at
war with the new companies which
nave gone into the manufacture since
the repeal of the internal revenue tax
These II IS attempting to conquer by
underselling them, tactics which have
hitherto never failed. TIE govern
ment of the United States, before
which all men are equal, helped this
combination to kill off its competitors,
shielding 1t from foreign competition
/ by tax of 80 per cent on the impOr-
tatlon of matches from abroad, and
/ shielding it from domestic competition
by administering the internal revenue
! = 10 ,al 70 N -
pay 10 per cent. more tax. This drove
them into bankruptcy, or combination
with the ring, at the rate of
one or two every month. The
railroads, like the government,
helped to transfer this business
from the many to few by carrying
the combinations matches at lower
rates than were given to its little com
petitors. When the house maid strikes
a combination match on the wall
paper she leaves a mark on an article
manufacture, sale, and price of which
are rigidly regulated by the American
Wallpaper Manufacturers associa-
ton. A recent writer has described
this oath bound combination which
has established a wall paper monarchy
in the United States. When the cook
takes the paper from off the express
package, the hardware, the dry goods,
the groceries, the candy, the ham,
which have been sent home, she is
still handling an article the price of
which is fixed by private enactmcnts.
The Western Wrapping Paper associ-
alton, ever since 1880 has, with more
or less success, been struggling to
keep down the deluge of too much
wrapping paper, and to fix the prices
of all kinds, from the paper under the
carpet to that which is used in roofing.
1t recently failed, but was at once re
organized on a hrmer footing than
before, and its mills are now allowed
to turn out but one-half as much as
they can produce. Besides this, the
wood pulp and straw-papcr industries
have been amalgamated. The Amen-
can Paper association aims to control
the prices and production of paper for
newspapers and books and for writing.
The dealers in old rags and old paper
formed an association IN Cleveland
three wears ago To deal with the " old
rag problem of how to cut down the
enormous profits the women of our
country are making out of the rag
bags. Ia January, 1883, the trade met
at Rochester, formed two rational
associations, aAd solemnly agreed up
on the prices to be paid for mixed rags
chat we gather from house to house, "
and for brown paper and rag carpet
4" No change of prices for rags or
PAPER" runs the decree OF the old rag
barons. it is to be made without con
sultation of every member of the eX-
ecutive committee. The Western
Woodenware association discovered
last December. that there were too
many pals. tubs, and bowls, and or
dered ITS members to manufacture but
one-ifth of their capacity. In Febru-
ary it gave them permission tolpcrease
this to oue-half. The Western Cracker
Bakers association met III Chicago in
February to consider, among other
things. " the reprehensible system Of
cutting prices They first had ban
ouet. After their merriment and
diversion. the jewellers, true to
Adam Smiths description, turned to
consider some contrivance to raise
prices. The price-lsts were per-
fected," said the newspaper report,
and then they adjourned North
American Review.