The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-31

The business Of the country appears to be
drifting into a gigantic system Of trusts.
These trusts are monopolies, and they arc
not only anti-republican and anti-ABlerican,
but they are gradually placing the people at
the mercy Of rings Of monopolsts.
Besides the Standard Oil Trust. the coal,
cotton seed oil, rubber, telephone and fertilizer
trusts, there are many others, and
new ones are rapidly organizing, In New
York the entire mutton supply of the markets
is controlled by a score Of men, and there is a
similar monopoly growing up in beef These
rings have formed close corporations and will
admit no outsider. They control the meat
market, and propose to keep it in their hands.
One days supply Of mutton is from 10000 to
$4,000 head OF sheep. 4 farmer is compelled
to sell his sheep to brokers belonging to the
ring, and they in turn sell to the ring butchers.
Of course these trusts can control the supply
of mutton, and buy and sell at their own fig
uros. They have no competition.
The rope mills have combined themselves
into trust, and the paper bag manufacturers.
the blank. book men, the lard men, the cotton
duck manufacturers, the electric light com
pancs, and scores of other lines of business,
have formed similar combinations. IN steel
and iron there are trusts and combinations as
hard and as strong as the metals with which
they arc concerned. The largest and most inn
portant of these organizations is probably the
Bessemer steel association. Al the mills in
the country which turn out steel rails belong
to this pool, which is the successor of the old
Bessemer rail monopoly. This monopoly ran
things with & very high hand as long as
the Bessemer patents lasted 1t had an
impregnabe organization. 1t dictated
prices, regulated production, and did
about rs it pleased with the market for steel
rails in this country under the protection of
the high tariff. But about year and half
ago the Bessemer process patents began to run
out, and the old monopoly found itself losing
its grip to a certain extent. Then the present
combination was formed. 1t is not trust in
the strict sense Of the word All the mills
preserve their autonomy, and are under the
control OF the original owners, but production
is limited by amcahle arrangement and prices
are fixed irreyocahly at general meetings of
the association That the combination is
strong one is evidenced by the fact that it was
able to advance the price of steel rails from
SGT to $40 ton. Ii is true that SCI was too
low price for money making but on the
othor hand $40 left the large margin OF SIS
ton profit. Andrew Carnegie, whose steel
works near Pitisbnrg employ 5000 men, and
are said &c bc the largest OF their kind in the
world, and j.. &. Clarke of the great Thomas
Iron company, are the leading men in the
Bcssemcr Steel association.
The whisky trust is also big tling, The
effect of the combination of Kentucky dstli-
eiS to limit the whisky production has been
felt already One jrm is reported 10 have
made profit of $4,000 10y the appreciation in
value OF their stock. As yet, however, the
combination has been in operation not quite
two months. Ii is not trust exactly, but an
agreement to cease production for one year.
The distillers bind themselves to pay tc a lru>-
toe twenty cents per proof gallon fer each gal
lon manufactured in excess of the amount set
opposite the namo OF each Signer. This
amount is merely a nominal one, put in TO
make the contract valid. and IS only one hun
bred callouS in each case.
This stale of affairs is growing worse, Small
dealers and new men stand no chance. The
big combinations are gobb.ing mp everything,
and the consumers have 70 pay the piper. The
evils OF the trust system affect every man, We
man and child in the country. Everything
that we cal, drink and wear Is controlled by q
combine Our coal. gas and scores OF other
necessities are in the hands Of these specuia-
tors. Combination is the order OF the day
ana il viii soon make competition impossi-
DE.