Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-04-26
The Organizing Mania.

The extent to which the mania for organ
ization will go is hard Just now to define.
Labor has organized until every depart.
ment has its lodge or union and is in state
Of ferment. The excitement incident to
this field has spread into others and led to
the organization of clerks, statesmen and
men engaged in various other lines. 1t has
now invaded another province and the
butchers are organizing to shut out Chicago
dressed beef. If this organization can effect
it's purpose the great lever of competition
will he broken and prices of meats will 20
up Just as certain as it is done. For beeyes
cannot be brought here, fed and kept and
butchered rs cheaply rs they can where
hundreds are killed and dressed in day,
fresh from their pastures and unheated and
undiseased by long confinement in cars and
the privations of transportation. Hence the
exclusion of Chicago beef means higher
prices for meat.
If this succeeds then the farmers next
will organize against western flour and
wheat. The time was when Maryland far
mers had no western competition in this
line, but the construction of railroads has
brought the western graineries and mills to
our very doors, and hence the Maryland
farmer gets almost nothing for his wheat.
If he combines and keeps western wheat
out, on the ground that such wheat il full
Of smut and has other deeterious qualities.
the price of bread must go up too. Then il
will be in order for the truck men to organ
ize and demand that southern fruits and veg
etables be excluded from our markets. The
time was when the truckmen Of Baltimore
and Anne Arundel counties had o mo-
nopoly of cur markets and cid
very well. They got remunerative prices
for their products and grew rich until the
South began to send up early vegetables and
to take all the edge Off the market hy fore
stalling the local crops rhe result is that
the truck raisers Of Anne Arundel, Balii-
more, Howard, Hartford and Carroll coun.
ties cannot get their stuff to market until
the season is almost over and then tho su.
prior flavor and freshness of their produce
do not secure for them half what the chilled
and almost tasteless products Of the South
brought in the early months. Aud tho
dealers in poultry, milk, eggs, butter, &C.,
all may combine to put up prices.
And so this organizing may go on indef-
prices will be 40 high, that any possible or
pIdCtiChl CaSS III tLO WI
wages will not avail him and he will not
get as good a living at the advance as he
did from the original schedule of wages.
His organizing will thus defeat itself. For
when you begin this kind of thing it is very
apt to go all round. The putting up OF
prices will not only affect the wage Garner
in his personal expenses, but will eventual.
ly cut him of from all wages at all. IF the
brckman is to put up the price OF bricks
and the lumberman of lumber, it will be
poor consolation to the bricklayer to know
that his schedule of wages calls for four dol
lars day, if the building of houses is
stopped by the cost of construction and he
finds no wages at all.
So that whilst organization sometimes is
good thing mania for it promises very
serious and unpleasant results. But lit looks
as if an effort was to be made to test both
its virtues and its vices to their legitimate
result-Balto. NelUs.