The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1890-03-21

Mo ~ " PHr WIFI EiBntCentn century
highway fobbsry. Yet In sugar, petro.
leuIn, cotton seed oil, white lead, cop.
per and many other substances, prices
aro nrtiilcfally maintained by trust mo.
nopolios. For n%xnmple, he United States
have ly far tho richest copper mines in
tho world. With improved appliances
used here. tho output of orc by each man
makes the cost of wages very low. 1t
was shown some years ago, in Il report
OF the Tamuraclk Copper Mining COM
pnny, that copper ore could DO brought
to the surface of the mine ut less than
four cents. 1t was further shown in the
same report that, after paying tho cx.
penses of smelling, refining, freight and
commission, copper could be laid down
in New York city for less than six cents.
Yet the present price of Lake Superior
copper in tho New York Metal Exchange
Is eleven cents II pound, or just enough
to prevent the importation of foreign
copper, with II protective duty Of four
cents ~ pound. What this means hardly
needs to bo told. The copper mining
companies IN tho Lake Superior district
have paid enormous dividends. more
than their capital stock many times
ovcr, to their owners. Every brass lock,
every pair Of laced shoes. every piece Of
copper wire. every copper cent has paid
tribute TO these robbers.
Similarly with sugar. Tho Sugar trust
practically controls all tho rcfincries in
tho United States. except that Of Claus
| S%prGckcls, in California. Tho cost of
refining raw sugar, including Il moder.
alto profit, is fivc-eighths of II cent. The
Stiror frrct ohnrnnpt n Uncft, ,1,,i1> tlto
amount, or II and q quarter cents. The
Sugar trust owners boast that tho United
States reilncrics can turn out refined
sugar cheaper than any other rctincrics
IN the world. Why should they not be
taken at their word and DO allowed to
beat the world IN III unprotected market,
to the great advantage Of the consumer?
III like manner the White Lead trust
keeps up the price OF white lead, and con-
scquently of all kinds Of paints; the
Steel Rail trust keeps up tho price Of
steel rails, and increases tho expense Of
building railways; tho Cotton Seed Oil
trust keeps up the price Of cotton seed
oil, and incidentally has that article sub.
stituted rs n counterfeit of table salad
oil.
Everywhere that q protected industry
is small enough to be ~monopolizcd by n
few rich capitalists q trust is formed, not
to reduce expenses and cheaper prices,
but to curtail production and lcvy cx~
orbitant profits off the consumer.
But somo persons may say, "NVhy
don't the farmers form u trust to raise
tho price Of wheat and ~cattle!' The
answer to this is, that the unfortunate
farmer cannot afford TO do SO. AS long
MS the price Of wheat depends on its OK
port value, the foreigner who now buys
American wheat would, if the price Of
American wheat sensibly raised, buy
Indian or Russian wheat. So with cattle.
There arc broad spreading pastures in
Australia and the Argentine Republic on
which cattle can be reared TO compete
against American cattle in tho open
markets Of tho world.
Fortrusts there is only one prompt and
eilicaciols remedy. Whenever Il trust
is formed to raise prices in a protected
industry, tho tariff on that protected III
dustry should DO lowered until prices arc
forced back again to their natural level.
This is the only specific for trusts.