The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-18
SPITE
Hon. j. III. Walker
Talks on the
20 d
w. Trusts.
WERE BORN UNDER FREE TRADE.
Tariff Does Not Affect Com
bines at All, Says the
Ex-C Congressman.
WERE BORN UNDER FREE TRADE.

The declaration of President Have
meyer of the American Sugar Refining
Company before the industrial COM
mission, that "the customs tariff is
the mother of trusts" has aroused a
great deal of interest and. discussion
all through the country. 1t is generally
agreed that great question of public
policy is involved in the Havemeyer
statement.
1t is probable that no man in the
country certainly no man in the Amer
lean congress during his term of SER
vice. was more closely identified with
tariff matters or was considered a
greater authority than eX-Congress-
man Joseph H. Walker of this city. 1t
is reasonable to assume, therefore, that
his views at this time will have about
them more than the usual degree of
interest.
A Spy man found him busily engag-
ed at his office yesterday morning, but
not so busy as to prevent his discussing
a question to which he has given the
best efforts of his life. =
do you consider, Mr.. Walker, that
Havenseyer's statement that the GUS
toms tariff was the mother of trusts is
a correct one?" was asked.
NO" said he; the statement is an
exact opposite of the facts. 1t is i'm
possible that the tariff should in any
way affect the trusts one way or an
other in aAcountry with population OF
seventy millions of people. Every eco
nomic fact of our history proves. this
statement to be true Why, trusts eX-
listed in other leading nations long be-
fore they became so numerous here,
and they were dominant elsewhere long
before they became controlling inter
| est in America-dominant particularly
| in free trade England" 49,
why, then, should Mr.. Havemeyel
have made this declaration, Mr. Walk
er?'' ~.
I'm spite, because he was not especi-
ally favored in the duty on sugar after
| he had spent thousands of dollars and
then found the American congress was
| not puchaseable. Indeed, it would be
| greatly to his advantage to have free
| trade in sugar rather than the duty
| that was imposed to take care of oul
| farmers in raising sugar raw mater
| ials."
MIR Walker, if the tariff were taker
away, could the trusts eXist?'
ut would not affect them in the
| slightest degree. The trusts in this
| and other countries could amalgamatt
| far more easily than the American
| trusts combined originally. There
would be only four or five to enter If
| and it would be easier than when there
| were many, and easier to make a sec
| ond combine among a few after the
first has been formed, than among
| many -...-- ae- - =.7@ it7. e1
rs there any way of getting rid d
the trust incubus except through leg
al control of prices?"
"A legal control of prices is impos
| sible. 1t has been tried by nearly ev'
| cry government on the face of the
earth, time without number, and was
| never in one instance successful save ir
raising prices to the masses of the peo'
pie"
what then is to be done?"
Make the doings of anything ana
everything to the detriment of the
masses of people, whether by single
individual or a corporation, punishable
by fine or Imprisonment, measured by
the offence. Where trusts benefit the
people by lowering prices or otherwise
they ought to be permitted. Where
they have contrary effect they should
come in contact with the law severely
enough to make it hazardous and un.
profitable to them.
when l was a boy there was Ter
times the cutlery against corporations
of any name or nature than there is
against the trusts today restrained as
they ought to be in many cases."