The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-06-22
THE ANTI TRUST BILL.


On the subject OF this important bill
the Jefferson City correspondent of
the st. Louis Republic, in last Sun
days issue, remarks:-It was gener-
ally expected that the bill prohibiting
trusts and trade cOnspiracies would
receive the violent oppositions of all
the large commercial institutions of st.
Louis and Kansas City; but to the
astonishment of Gov. Francis and the
general assembly, many of those who
were expected to be enemies have
proved to be ardent friends of the
measure, and the governors desk was
piled high with petitions from moneyed
men, IA well as from oppressed citizens
and consumers, asking him 10 sign the
Dlll One petition signed by nearly all
the grocery houses in st. Louis, read as
follows: "We, merchants of st. Louis,
are in favor of the bill known as the
anti-tr bill, if the same can and will
be enforced" An extract from an ed
itorial in the ST. Louis Grocer, en-
closed to the governor, is also worthy
OF notice. 1t reads: "The system of
limited contract goods has been curse
to the trade of st. LOUIS. 1t has cur.
tailed her business, corrupted her mer-
chants, caused dealers to be spies upon
each other, made her commercial trav-
elers hypocrites and liars, and created
such distrust which, If it existed in
private affairs, would destroy all So
ciety. 1t is such a system as this
that the antitrust laws will destroy,
and the day cannot be too soon hast
ened." -
One of the largest wholesale tobacco
houses in st. Louis thus refers to the
provisions of the anti trust bill, and the
statements made reveal such a condi-
ton of affairs in mercantile circles as is
well worth the study of the general
public. This firm mwrites:-"Under the
existing conditions of trade, if this bill
becomes law, there is no doubt but
that the consumers and the public in
general will be greatly benefited by
the same, for the following reasons:
We, ior instance, now buy most OF
| our goods by signing a So called IRON
clad agreement, under which we are
compelled to charge a very large profit
on goods that we sell 10 retailers, and
| the factories, being in position to
force us TO sign these agreements, are
Il hlsO Clduitu w ludht very ldERe
These two profits would be cut down
by the passage of the bill, and great
many small manufactures would be
able to spring up and the retailer
would therefore buy the goods all the
way from 10 to 10 per cent. cheaper,
and, the competition being greater in
the brands, il will also enable him t.
sell the goods cheaper to the conSnm-
er, aud in The end there is 40 { GU IL
our mind but that the goods ". uld &c
| to the consumer at twenty per cent
less in onr line than they do at present
aud while the present system of bus
mess benefits a few large manufac
lures, the law will benefit thousands i
it goes into effect. The manufacturer
of tobaccos have become so powerful
that they not only compel us 10 keel
up the price on their goods, but they
also compel us to make affidavits prov
ing their innocence whenever they Cal
on us with All affidavit for that purpos,
in place OF proving the parties guilty
There is another reason why we woulI
respectfully urge you TO sign the meas
ure, and that is that under the existing
powerful contracts which we are com
PEELED TO sign we are compelled to re
strict our sales to the immediate vicin
ity OF st. Louis, as those institution
allow the jobbers in Kansas, Arkansas
Illinois and all other surrounding ter
ritorles, to sell the goods at the SAM
prices at which we are 10 sell tn
goods in the city OF st. Louis
and will under no circumstances ALLOW
, us to prepay the freight to those point
| al 80, h,, NJ
iition and shnt us out of the trade
We would furthermore respectful
urge the signing of tie measure on tn
ground that competition builds up au
: industry, aud consequently is bound
! build up the state of Missouri, and
competition is shut out and the house
r are restricted in doing business, it
simply matter of time when sort {
dry rot enters the institutions, aud d
, life is gone.
We have heard the argument use
that trusts cheaper the goods to tn
consumer. In reply to that, we wi
. simply cite one instance that (
: = matches. How much more expensiy
are they to. day than before the ant
:, trusts? How many people are throw
= = cut of employment the minute the
. form trusts and close up part of the il
= stitution in order to cut down the pr,
. duction and be able to create a scarcit
= on the market? We have been inform
ed that the tobacco men are conteu
plating trust, and if they are no
=. compelling us TO sign documents SUI
~ as we have described, what will thC
y do if they have the leadiI
" manufacturers of this count
- in a combination? Why shou
y they have as many factories 10 ma
ufacture the goods for the trusts
they have to day, and why should tn,
er then employ as many people TO intr
v duce their goods, etc. as they have
Ia day, when they can simply compel t
D. retailers and the Jobbers to buy the
r goods and at such prices as they dee
to best? We hardly think there are Al
sh who have gone into the trust who W
of stand no and say they went into
III trust for any other purpose than to c
nc down the expenses of their busine
IN and in place of making less profit, {
,d to make more profit, and, therefor
III beyond any uOubt, make the cOnsum
lit pay for the large fortunes which tn
al make every year"
~ THESE extraordinary 1actS are c'
nd tainly worthy of consideration by |
ce few who imagine the legislature did
&c know what it was doing, or that /
Oy governor had not been fully advis
of in the premises when he signed
'St anti trust and anti conspiracy bill
ny -------------
an IS THE PUBLIC SERVICE EOONOA
W. GAL2