New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-09
BOSTON MERCHANTS DINE.
WELI.KNOWN SPEAKERS DISCUSS COMBL
NATION AND COMPETITION.
JUDGE COOLEY DENOUNCEs TRUSTS, AND MR.
TIIURBER ANNOUNCES HIS CONVERSION.
lnY IELEGKAPM To TIE TRIDuNE.l

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBusEl
Boston, jan S-Thc Boston Merchants Asso-
cIation gave Its fifth annual banquet at the ho'ci
yendomc this evening. Tho Interstate commerce
question was under consideration. After dinner
Jonathan A. Lane president OF the association rear
lcttors Of regret from many prominent mon 'i''
Potter said: Tho result Of the recent eiec'oh mas
not shown that 1t was an error In Judgment W
attempt to relieve the stress Of the surplus oy rc'""'
ing our National debt at two and one'han per 'o"''
at time when 1t could have been done easily IN
stoad Of making the reduction Of the tarin oatlo
line, which gave immeasurably the advantage to tho
opponents OF tariff reform. We're now IN .ohgreSS
l would s urge the refunding OF me m,u. coo,ov
Tho speakers of the evening wcro 'uuso IVvtloy.
chairman OF the Interstate Commerce commission
RSssG Richard f. EN- OF ee G"W Of Eoo
Iyn: Colonel Elliot +. Shepard OF New-i0rh fiancis
d. Thurber OF New-York, and D. T. L. Dodd' Oh
The speaking took wide range and was not con
fined TO tho subject OF interstate commerce, ath1usn
that was the point about which most or the speakers
revolved Governor Amcs was the first speaker
after Chairman Lane. and Mayor Hart was the second
S. c. T. Dodge, of Ncw-York, said that America has
got far enough 10 SS c deSons have BEEN given
which would condemn simple c0partnership OF Two
person, IN an %ms Of o 1an"facturng and tho
influence of the standard OIL Company showing how
The formation Of this csmRadS naa ho5 the
Judge Cooley in his speech dwelt combinations
and Concentration Of interests, with special reference
10 the business of abroad trans portaon. He called
MSiea the law Operated most to the benefit the rail-
roads precisely that during which S ITS 3doTasp ny
which the law complained of least. ..,..o..,a
The speaker continued There aIc very vigorous us
complaints now They relate mainly 10 the Clause
of the act which forbds the greater charge on tho
shorter haul the same line In me same diiecuoh
and that which makes pooling unlawful The first
mentioned clause embodes principle rght IN nsp h
The 9laa and ' a ps desry opposed ,pf to the intent
OF the law, If not TO IFS terms; Now when parues
are thus busy in eon bS Of for prpos are
seen to have direct tendency TO diminish the cor
porate revenues they arc hardly the parties TO pus
themselves upon the stand to prove mat the Id" ~
iniurnG their rods: a., ...,or
q Putting aside for the time being the question
must insist that the argument now made for II is
radically unsonnd and yons bseaais n rests T. npon
fcation for violation By anothcr.
most as great that between despot on the throne
and III, player who mimics him on the age , lrnss
and aS n o va G Ss pnep Of liz in @
attempt not TO curb competition merely but u, eSt
country has been such as to emphasize the fear OF
them. and the benefits hat have come from IFS
When contrasted with the mischcfs that have fol-
lowed the exhibitions. ia many forms Of the merciless
Ono OF the CRYING evils in railroad services now
needing attention is the combination between the
scalpcr and the unscrpuons general PASSENGER agent
This will be broken up Just as soon as there are APP
piled tn railroad matters The same general maxlms
Of business prudence which are expected TO control
In other interests"
"A careful study OF during the last
fifteen years has changed nv views materially there
was time when IT seemed to me that combination
would overcome the force Of competition; THAI
monopollrs would be created. and capital would
Cypress labor and the public. but the experience OF
the last few years has shown that OvcTestmated
this danger and that In the long run the competition
OF capital with capital Will protect the public inter
est Indeed, the share that capital receives In tho
profits of production and distribution is generally
csscning. while that OF labor Is increasing.
I have prepared table showing the average whole
market prices OF the principal food products In
New York for the last eighteen years which shows
occasioned sometimes by combinations and sometimes
by the conditions OF supply and demand prices as
whole have largely declined :. ~ this IL VIII
he sean that cranulacd has declined In Sgh-
teen years fIom 13 cents per pound TO 3S cents
medium Japan tea from A cents per pound To IL
cents butter State dairy. from 81 cents per pounn
to % cents choose, factory. from IL cents per pound
To II cents mess pork from F26 SO per barrel TO
SI5 80 wheat from Al 90 per bushfl TO 81 %. ana
the last four years Il has averaged under 81 per
bushel corn from ~ per bushel 10 40 cents
Ard this + I'm SIN greater degree. OF cloth
nc and the various manufactured articles which enter
into our domestic consumption
Elliott F. shepard OF New-York, spoke OF the
antlquity OF trust under other The remainder
of his address mainly felicatlng those present
FX Mayor Low explained how one original gas
company grow 10 be five. There was no relief 10 the
people a. regards prices till the LEGISLATURE stepped tn
Major stewart. OF Texas, the closing speaker, took
for his subject the needs Of the South.