New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-21
PRICES LOUER THAN EYER.

TRUSTS and all sorts OF combinations OF dealers
and noanufart lrcrs have prcvuied OF late more tAah
oor I, * commonly said that they have dohe
marc mischief in this country than IN any other'
,S,a.i,r .bc ncoule without mercy and cnhanc-
,ho cos, Of rroducts and of living. That they
do some harm and wrong is perfectly obvious
d., bovy comcs il 10 pass that the average prices
- all commodities were never so low IN May rs
,bov arc M this hour? The same commodities
and quantities, several hundred IN nhmper' repre-
senting more than scven-clghths OF INC eh'lre
consumption Of the people annually, Wh'ch womb
La,.o cot 500 in My, $50, would now cost in
'%. mo market .,nout SO %, fall of nearly
o. ,cr cent. The decline was shade greater
=, ,bc lowest point Ia sS6, in August. 1t WAS
about IL per cent greater at the lowest poLiC
in 1886 in July. But with these two eNcep-
,ors prices have never been as low in this country
at any season they are now
To opprecigte this statement II must ne re
membercd that there is q perlodlcal rIee anu i"ll
Of prlccs resulting from the season aS pro"uCt'
OF the farm approach scarcity before new suPPi'eS
come forward, they are apt TO command higher
prife Thus it is that about May prices are
ordinarily higher than in the summer, IL crops
nrc az oil adequate. In n year OF ordinary ylcIu
and fair prosperity tho difference between Al'E
prices and summer prices IS commonly hs nuch
as 4 per cent. Comparing present prices WIN
those OF other years in May therefore, lhe
investigator hnds that the level Is lower no"
than ever BEFORE and is moved TO inquire whether
combinations and trusts, and all other devices 10
fix markets and fleece consumers, have on inc
ubole done as much hnrm as many suppose.
It. is evident in these days, with the iresh
recollection OF a smash in lin, and a smash IN
lead and a greater smash IN copper, ana WIN
wrecks OF wheat speculation scattered MI over the
land, eS On in State prisons, that the collapse OF
the combinations T. apt TO send prices aOhofm'IH
low. Given great many OF these combinations
and the number that has recently collapsed is
| il,plv at any time ~ be considerable The de-
| nycssion in prices OF these products must con-
| sideraby effect tho general average but u II
also true that the most effective ana hsuhg rus'o
| have been those which have not advanced prices
| ~ all that other, have tried but have made
little success; and that the most mis- hlevous ana
harmful of all the trusts have but lifted price
| LacL mart - the way toward a level from which
| IL had declined, thus denying to the people phr'
| ~ tho bcnprts of science and invention WITHIN
| the past thirty years.
| Tho reduction Of prices since 1860 has been
| greater IN this country than IN any other ana ye'
| by no mean, so great rs the marvellous improve
! mcnt in manufactures only might lead one !"
| srpposr The tendency hns been for farm produc''
| 10 advance in value with the increased cost OF
| land and the enlarged home demand Tor Them pul
| this tendency has been checked by the wohdcrlu
| cbcopening Of transportation. the multiplication
| and extension Of railway and steamship Inns, th'
usc of machinery on FARMS and the enormous I'M
! migrntiun Of farming workers from the Old "or'l
10 whom free land has here been offered
Other products have declined much more thar
| those Of the farm, 20 that the balance OF hcncht'
rest, in this country with the tilcrs of the soil