Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1895-04-09
OVERPRODUCTION,

|
ing "hard times" can no longer
take refuge under the assertion
that the present depression, Il
any, is only temporary, and that
there is no unusual distress. The
distress is too apparent, too
great and too lasting to he
longer ignored or denied by the
gold-monometa]lists They are
forced to advance a reason forit.
How, then, do they explain the
enforced idleness and resulting
poverty and unrest that exists
in a country with unlimited
natural resources, with hundreds
of thousands OF unemployed men
and millions OF dollars of idle
capital, where there is no lack Of
a disposition on the part OF the
owners OF unemployed capital to
secure a return for it's use, and
where the thousands Of idle men
are willing and anxious to work?
OverproductiOn is the cause,
says one; Under-consumption,
chimes another. High-sounding,
phrases, surely; but both resting,
on absurdities. Do our gold
monometal]ic friends, when they
advance these theories, forget
that all producers are also con-
sumers, that men produce only
what they desire to consume? Do
they believe that mans desires
will ever he completely sat isfe'l?
Do they not know that as soon
as one want is satisfied man will
have another? Did they ever
know a community which could
not consume more than it did?
The limit of consumption has
never been reached, and it never
will be. There can be a partial
Overproduction of one article or
one Kind Of goods, OF course, but
overproduction Of everything at
one time is an impossib'lity.
But what an absurdity it is on
| the face of it to cry Overproduc-
ton when thousands are starry
ing for want OF food, when thou
sands OF Others are freezing for
lack OF clothing, and when many
have no home to shelter them.
Too much food, too much cloth
ing, too many houses, indeed!
Are these the causes of our dis.
tress? The most hardened mono.
metallist who cries Overproduc.
ton, as he cries Dishonest dollar
endeavoring to mislead the
people by high-sounding phrases
will hardly dare to answer this
question in the affirmative whet
placed in it's true meaning. Yet
when he cries Overproductiol
this is what he says.
The leaders of the gold-mono
metallic party know well enough
the cause of the distress. But t.
continue the depression Of prices
thus enhancing the value OF th'
money paid them in settlement
Of debts by their desparing debt
ors, they must continue to mis-
lead the people. Hence the or.
Overproduction, a phrase with
, out foundation, but which the.
support by asking. Do not tn
J stores OF iron, cotton and woolel
goods, etc., which, although re
t duced in price, are unstable
e show overproduction? The
g show nothing OF thek Thes
stores of unsold goods are tn
result of a contracted supply {
1 money resulting in a depressio
Y Of pricessthat has made it in
D possible would-be consumer
e who are also producers, to di
r pose of their own product 6
k prices which will enable them t
r purchase the articles which the
r. need. The contraction OF tt
Y money of the world has made e!
O changes so difficult, has made tt
r medium by which. they must
,. accomplished, money, SO cost.
t. and made the struggle to obta
T. it so severe, that the middlema
j. the owner Of money, absorbs 6
;e the profit which the produc
It should receive for his produc
,e thus leaving him without tt
] means to purchase these thin!
m which he wants. Thus the pr
Is ducer's demands as a~~consum
r. are limited or stopped and,
r. his industry brings him no resu
8. incentive to further productit
" is destroyed: The reason tn
mills and factories are closed
he running on part time, that sto1
Isl of goods remain undisposed
de- while at the same time those vi
q should consume these goods q
~ suffering for their want, is tn
be the owners of money, by maxi
or it scarce, have caused a fall
AZ prices which enables them :.
* obtain such a large share Of
ID surplus labor that the produ'
Of can be only a consumer to
1is small extent, and as he does +
SO realize the expected advantat
] a from his industry he has no !