Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1888-08-10
LIMITING PRODUCTION.

At the rate the trusts are making their
appearance in the business world it will not
take long for them to have complete posses
commerce. A twelve-month more will suf-
flee to place the whole country and every
one in it within the grip of the combinations.
When that time comes the end will be at
hand The people will stand it no longer
and will find short and effective way to
free themselves from the clutches of the
monopolists. 1t may be that like the blind
Sampson they will in their desperation pull
down the whole fabric and bury themselves
in the ruins with the oppressors, but if they
do so the responsibility for the general wreck
will rest with the monopolists who in their
greed oppressed the people beyond the limit
of endurance.
Turn where we will now their is either
trust in existence or in progress of formation.
The object of all these combinations is the
same 1t is to keep up or force up prices
by limiting production. No matter what
the excuse may be, that is the fact. Com
petition is to be prevented so that prices may
be continued or made higher and profits
maintained at their present rate, if not in
creased.
Here and there a pretense is made that
the movement is in the interest of the work
ingmen that wages may be retained at the
existing rate, although the thinness OF that
pretense is seen when the agreed restriction
of production shuts down the mills, factories
and shops for part Of the year and GER
tain proportion of them altogether, leaving
the workmen without any wages for that
time. But even that pretense is now rarely
made. The concerns in particular line OF
business combine in trust without giving
any other reason for it than it will be for
the profit of those in the combination. The
workmen must shift for themselves and if
they don't like being turned out of employ
ment or their wages cut down they can dis
like ii and help themselves the best way
they can. They are coolly told that capital
can stand it longer than they can. The
shutting down of the factories will make Il
scarcity of the product, enable the accumu-
lated stock to be sold off at an enhanced
price and thus fix higher standard of
prices when work is resumed. But the
standard of wages will not be higher when
resumption of work comes. There will then
be a scarcity of the product and glut of
labor seeking employment. The price OF
the product will go up through the over
demand and the price of the producing labor
go down through an over supply.
! A trust is corner of the producing power
| and of the product. To be Immediately
successful the combine must be able to CON
troll the stock in the market and the sources
from which that stock is supplied. If it
| cannot get possession of the stock in sight
| its object will be accomplished more slowly
perhaps, but just as certainly if the produc.
ton can be limited by its dictation.
1t is almost impossible to do this when
the market is open to the product of the
world. That it can be done when a Chinese
wall of prohibitory duties is built around
the country has been demonstrated by the
trusts already formed, and those in process
of formation base their plans on that TACT
| What is the natural result of this? The
springing up of trusts in all directions is fast
converting the doubtful to the necessity oil
such notifications in the tariff as will make
these combinations less practicable. Unless
such moderate measures as are proposed in
the tariff reform bill that has passed the
House are adopted and prove efficaciouS
there will be rapid tendency in the direc.
ton OF more radical remedies. If it is the
purpose of the manufacturers and capitalist.
interested in the trusts and combines tt
bring about free trade without any inter
mediate steps they are taking the most etfec
tive way OF accomplishing the object. Il
that what they want,