The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-26
A GREAT BLESSING.
HOW THE GREEDY SUGAR TRus
PROTECTS THE PUBLIC.

It Mnintains n High Price For Refine
Sugar While the Raw Material Decline
Consumers E1ecced, Labor Tvr,nn,,.
and Legislators IsrIbed.
We have often heard of the llessino
OF trusts-bow they can cheaper the sci
ing price of articles by practicing tn
economics of production" which ca
only come from the concentration {
capital; how they can make better an
purer articles by gaining control of pai
ents, etc.; how they can regulate suppl
SO as to prevent the terrible evils Ito TIL
constituents of the trust) of "overprt
duction," and how they can accomplis,
many other marvellous and bereficen
things. But npon close investigation al
OF these theoretical blessings vanish. an.
the trust is seen to be selfish. gree
aggregation of capital bent on ruinin,
competitors by fair or foul means an,
on heecing producers of raw material
at one end of the line and consumers o
finished products at the other end.
1t checks or prevents the natural de
cline in prices if it does not advanc
them, often considerably; it become
the chief buyer of raw materials an,
can dictate prices for them; it can, by
means of rebates. and other forms O
brides and penalties. compel its Gus
toners to purchase only of it; it is tn;
only employer of labor in its line anc
can arbitrarily fix the rates of wage.
and the hours of labor; it can close M
half of its mills and throw labor out OF
employment in order to regulate" pro
duction and Sustain" prices; it can an
proprlate percentage of its millions O,
capital to Influence" municipal, state
and national legislation; it can eyade
state corporation taxes and ut the same
time secure federal (tariff or excise) tax
alton worth millions to it; it can waite,
Its stock to many times its actual value
TO make 1T more attractive to Wall
street spectators; it can sell cheaper tc
unprotected and untaxed foreigners than
to protected and taxed citizens.
All of these things and many others
just as crooked can the trust do, and il
usually does them to the full extent OF
its power. The old fashioned corpora.
ton was heartless. The modern trust
Is both heartless and constituencies.
When it cannot make its own laws.
it breaks the laws of the people. 1t is nj
once tyrant, robber, a traitor and an
anarchist of the most dangerous type.
But now we hear of a really good trust
one that is performing a most useful
function during these hard times. We
.uotc from Willett 81 Gray's Sugar Trade
Journal of Aug. II:
From what we have said about raws
1t will be noted that the production is
being adjusted to demand. Europe goes
up and Down in prices as spectators
make the moves; but as refined was not
advanced on the last European up move
ment from los. Cd. to 16s. 3d., SO there is
no occasion for reducing prices on Eu-
ropes decline again to 10 shillings. I'm
der the present nervous strain in all
commercial business it is indeed bless
ing to find one article that does not make
violent fluctuations. Grocers can order
With confidence such an amount of re-
fined rs they can readily dispose of with
out fear of suffering loss while in proc
ess of distribution"
What blessing to be under the pro-
tecting wings OF powerful trust which
IS able to overcome uncertain fiuctua-
tons, and which. assisted by a duty of
a half cent per pound on refined sugar,
can guarantee not to reduce prices of re-
fined, no matter what may happen to
raw sugars at home or to prices of re-
fined sugars abroad. Observe the beau
ties of steady prices!
The price of granulated sugar on this
date-Aug. 30-is 800 cents. 1t has not
changed since July 81. For raw sugar
(96 degrees centrifugaD $50 is asked,
but "the Offering seems Indifferent"
says The Journal of Commerce and Com
Bulletin, ''the buyer making a
standoff with apparent intention of
the value line if possible"
The same journal says:
Refined, it is believed, would find o.
very full and even an interesting de-
mand if worked down to somewhere
near a parity of raws. Even as it is,
and while paying an immense tribute
into the Golfers of the combine, buyers
are taking hold with some freedom in
meeting their absolute wants."
On June % the price of raw was 4.5O;
of granulated, scr. Willett & Gray's
Journal, a seniofficial organ of the trust,
then said warningly: "Production of re-
fined will continue on a smaller scale
than heretofore, independent of the ques-
ton of supplies. Any further difficulty
with workmen might even induce q
closing of some refneries,
although this is probably not contem-
plated now"
AT the time of this threat strike was