The herald., 1895-04-06
COMBINATION STILL GOES ON

COMBINATION STILL GOES ON
The attest is that of the manufacturers
of paper from wood pulp. The principal
establishments in New England have
united and their capital is S35 600, 600.
The parties to the arrangement give II
out that the object is not to increase
prices, but to cheaper production. How
is production to be cheapened? Certainly
not IN the cost of material nor in the
employment of a smaller mum Der of peo-
pie, nor by consolidation of all in one
mammoth plant, for manufacturing is
still to be carried on in the plants as
they now exist. There will perhaps be
some slight saving OF expense as the par
ties to the combine will constitute one
company instead of several, and there will
be fewer salaried officers. The combina-
tion will be in better position to dictate
wages than when the parties act separ
ately. In this way cost of manufactur-
ing may be materially cheapened. 1t is
not pretended that consumers are to get
the product for less than they have been
paying, so that any reduction OF the cost
of production will inure to the sole ben
of the combination will be to remove
competition. There is danger that hav
ing a monopoly the prices will be ad-
vanced at any rate the public will be
powerless to prevent it.
Another arrangement in the nature of
a com bination is that between W. P. Full
Ter & Co. of San Francisco and the Stand
ard Oil company of Cleveland, Ohio. The
former goes out of the oil business on the
Pacific coast and turns it over to the lat
ter, and the latter goes out of the white
lead trust and turns it over to the former
with some reservation touching its own
consumption. We suppose this has been
done not to increase prices to the con-
sumner but to cheaper manufacture.
Com binations of this character are not
prompted by humane feelings; they are
for money making purposes or they
would not be entered into. The greatest
accumulations of wealth in this or any
other country have been by the Standard
oil magnates and in the shortest time.
In the last thirty years the Rockefelers,
the Paynes, the Flaglers and others have
made half billion dollars out of the
American people. There is no end to the
ambition of that monopoly. 1t has
reached out to all countries where the
lighting fluid is used. 1t may not ad-
vance prices but it can and nobody will
be able to resist it. The company has
this country dt least by the heels.
Movements of this kind have been 60
ing on for years. and TO such an extent
that production and distrib button are very
largely. almost wholly, in the hands of
monopolists. Corporations and trusts
apportion among themselves the business
of the country with the assurance that
European representatives of crowned
heads in congress assem- bled reconstruct
the map OF that continent. They are so
arranged among themselves that the bal
ance of power is presumed, and their
peace and power cannot be disturbed.
Manifestations on the part of the masses
which smack of communism are roundly
denounced by capitalists as revolutionary
and danger to the public peace. yet the
communism of capital is not regarded as
peril and upon it no denunciation is
pronounced Capital points out the way
and is doing more to propagate commun-
ism than ali the labor and social orsaniza-
tions of the country. If capitalists can
properly combine to promote their class
interests, certainly laborers and other
classes can do the same.
1t is the desire of al right minded men
that capital shall be respected and pro-
tected but if methods IN vogue are con-
tinued and extended, the people will be-
come bound hand and foot. Alarm is
more general than appears on the surface.
Americans may be long suffering, but at
the same time they are resistful. Happily
in this country there is a peaceful way
in which the masses are able to protect
themselve The better way for the
country is that all monopolizng schemes
shall be abandoned and the business of
the country restored to the old principle
of competition. With the prevalence of
that principle there will be assured larger
fields for e ploymenr, a better distribu-
tion of business ana hlore general pros
perity.