South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-09-13
TRUSTS & MONoPOLIEs
TARIFFS AS NURSING MOTHERS.
Conditions That Favor Trusts.
NUMBER TX.

We have now reached the stage in our
discussion where We mey probably inquire
what the conditions are under which trusts
can be successfully formed and maintained.
These will be found primarily to be two
il number
First. II muet be possible to bring into
the trust all or nearly ell who supply the
market with the particular commodity.
Second The commodity itself must be
one OF necessary or general consUDp ton
which the public cannot do without. or OF
least will not cesse 10 prrch ase, because OF
the proposed advance in price. Any COM
ninstGn among loss number of traders or
among those Of some local market
which can easily and readily 0e supplied
from eleewbsre, cannot eousibly or long
sffect prices
Consumes, too, will stint. dcslioe 10 ues
aru clea OF voluntary use If they dhd an att
tempt is made 10 raise their price artificial
iy.
wHEs COMBINATION sscoyrs sA3Y.
No~ suck a combination among traders
vii become feasible when they arc feg in
number, and their nun5e- may be limited
either by nsiaTal or artificial canses.
IA instance OF the one would be 10 am
article where the pr oduction Is confined - =
small area, so that those who own or con-
troll that hrea may Join to "a the prices az
any figures the tariff will boar.
An ins;auCe OF the second kind would be
where tie State. or any othet effective pow
er, inter eDeG emorg tfeies 10 give SONS
special advantages 90 part or 10 imDo5e
come epecial disabilities on them; ia either
case a part are driven from the 6e!d.
As the oil fields were for many yea liui-
ted TO certain districts 10 Pennsy lvania and
the 1jacent border OF New York, q corrbi-
nation could have been made among the
producers of Grade OIL to increase its price !,
beoauee nature had Limited 20 their territory
the accessible supply for onT own and for.
eign countries.
But the combination did not take place
among the producers, for whom there was
uatufai Limitation Of supply but among the
Oil reHners, whose business was open 10 gen.
eral prosecution, aud vas brought about by
artificial limitation OF the number OF those
who could successfully prosecute u. How,
then, did business, open TO all who chose
to enter upon II, become n virtual monopoly
in the hands OF a fevf The answer was
given in former paper, which told how
the railroad companies possessing the only
high ways TO market, exocted soch heavy
tolls OF all other refners SIS 10 7est 10 Gin
gle favored company aud its associates the
refining busiDess OF toe country.
The managers OF the railroad companies
through secret contracts, ADD doubtless for
secret ressons, gave protection 70 this one
combination against its competitors until
they fos'ered 10 into monopoly stfGpg e.
rough not only 10 overwhem its rivals but
to defy its creators aud also the public.
While competing producers lost 10 tie
bligttinR OF their prosperity aud the ruin OF
their business, end while the railroad com.
panies eventually lost the oil carrying
trade the great consuming public are the
chief losers, for they are made permanently
tributary TO the truat
The STANDARD Oil Trust is, therefore. the
Creature OF tie railroad companies, made so
strong through their favoTiilsm aud proiec.
ton that IL became at last their iuperious
master.
the SUGAR TRUST BORN OF tbs TLRTT
In the case Of the sugar ttust the iulerfer..
ence With free compeiition has come, DOT
from natural causes, nor from the fsvofil-
lem oftbe railroads, bat FrOu tbe protection
o. the gOVernmept. Under our tsi6 laws
The government, says to the onsumers OF So.
gar, You shall not buy pound OF sugsr
brought from abroad without paying ne a
tax or hne more than tbreesfourths the value
q The sugar Being thus relieved from
the lear OF outside competition, the great
concerns into whose hands the large bolk
OF the refining business had pesssd found j.
very easy 20 form trus. tdat can raise and
keep up the price of SINGER. The only LIMIT
TO ihis increase OF price y Tho price OF cor
responding grades Of foreign sugar, With
costs q ffeigh, snd the govern rnepl tax al
ded. Not until that limit IL reached can
the public obtsiD relief from the eEac,ioas
Of the sugar trust Tho sugar trust 10
therefore the child " the tariff. Tbs Gfsi.
born Of iD prolific and ever increasing
brood Of trusts. Without the keeping oct
Of foreign sngofs By The a0yetnmsnt
through It's hign ter upoG them, .t could
no, for = day hold he power 10 tbs Ameri.
can market
THS WHISKY TaUiT A uytptn.
The whisky trust osonUt be charged e
am ooe origin, fOg q - favored " fcysrA
rather complex influences the iaiarnaf
revenue tax, the tarf tax aud tha hsoib
and tastes Of the people All concur 70 make
Il possible, and TO insure i; oimost compiots
Of he hOure market TIE iour
1ai revenue TAI helps W show tbe pfOduc.
ion OF liquors Into the hands o. TO- large
i!stllier5, because capital 30 needed Cran
more for advancing the government tax
Iban 'of producing, BAT gm e5a yiocod thst /
he removal 81 ihlt TAX v7uli not. a. IRE.
lueDuy con'ended pern.lt .le sueli i.s'i.lr ,