The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-30
PRICES SHRINK; VALUES STAND.

in improved and cheapened transporta-
tion.''
PRICES SHRINK; VALUES STAND.
Among the Democratic papers of the
state that persist In declining to knock
off the shoulder Of the Republican
party the chip 1t is defying Demo-
preferring, for some undiscoverable
reason. unless 1t be the mere force
Of momentum, to insist upon the vital
ity of another issue, borrowed from
the Populists and branded beyond
doubt Of it's paternity with their regis
tered mark. Recently 1t commented
not values, and attributed it, after the
fashion Of our Republican protection
lists, to a coincidence which it terms
a cause. Whereupon the Clio e.
noting that the subscription price Of
it's contemporary remained at $3.50 per
annun, unaffected all these years by
the Journal upon having escaped the
common fate, and asked its editor to
explain how he managed 1t.
Thereupon the Journal makes reply
that it notes with sorrow that the sub
scription price of the G o b e, that
was So a year in 1898, is now 81, and
marvels that the G o b e should have
the nerve to sustain a financial sys-
tenn that reduces one-half the price of
it's subscription. This is so plainly a
clever dodge of the question that we
might let it pass as such, except that
it affords an opportunity to state again
what should be apparent to all, the
economic conditions that have forced
down prices, while affecting but little
relative values, conditions existing
independently of any system" and
conditions that have come to stay. The
Clio b e no more than any other pro-
ducer likes to have the price Of it's
product reduced, and it held out
against it as long as it was possible;
but it was forced to submit to the
universal movement, and, submitting,
it is wise enough to see the un1ver-
salty of the cause, and philosoph1c
enough to find the compensations that
accompany it. Unless one is in a vo-
cation that Is fortified against natural
laws by monopolistic powers. either
natural or artificial, it is impossible to
hold continuously the advantages gain
ed by reduced cost of production
against the forces that work to COM
pei the sharing of the gain with ALL
For instance it costs the farmer less
than half to produce a bushel OF
wheat what it did thirty years ago,
but the gain in diminished cost, made
by the use of labor saving machinery,
has been shared by him with the con-
su1ners of his produce In the manu-
featuring world it is the same, and
the persons who use the things made
in. the mills and factories get, in les
sened price, their share Of the gain
that has come through the adoption Of
improved processes Of. manufacture.
Neither the farmer nor the manufac-
turer gave up cheerfully. their increase
Of profit, but above their wills and
wishes the immutable laws Of trade
had their way.
So with newspapers. There was
growing balance on the profit side Of
the trial balance when the price Of
print paper gradually fell from six to
two cents a pound, and when the
perfecting press let the hourly product
leap from hundreds to thousands, and
again when the linotype came to re-
duce the cost of composition over so
per cent and grant release from the
combination that ruled the type
foundries. Could subscription prices
have been maintained proprietors Of
papers would have simply appropriated
for themselves benefits belonging to
their patrons quite as much as TO
them, because they had not created
the conditions out of which the gains
came. That they would have done SO
if they could is very likely, but be-
cause they could not, we can see no
reason why they should go into the
dumps about it and appeal to Jupiter
to restore conditions that especially
favored them They see, as any sensI-
ble person in like circumstances may
see if he will but use his eyes ana
work his brains, that decrease in price
does not mean loss when decreases
ire general; that there is no loss when
one dollar, got for what once produced
two, will purchase as much as the
two dollars did, and, where lessened
price comes from reduction of produc-
tive cost, will buy more. He Will
rather prefer to see, if he care to take
the broader view, the good that comes
to the greater number from this In
ability of men to hold for their own
profits that come through the use Of
improved and cheapened processes OF
production and distribution.
STILL COLOR PROBLEMS.
It is thirty-four years since the negro