The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-05-17
How Trusts Affect Prices

How Trusts Affect Frlces.
Oae of the great fallioies of the
eager friends of the grasping and
syrannioal trust is shat these monsters
10 iuiquity and oppressioa makes prices
lower. They poins to one trust only to
make good their coutention-to the .s
Standard Oil Company. They fail
| however to state, which candor aud
fairness certainly require. that this
company has mouopolised not because
there was 90 opposition to be offered,
bot because the opposite was made
ineffective bocause Of the great discrin
ioatiou in rates against it aud 10 favor
of the trust. That is true, and it was
so great as to positively prevent COM
petition on the part of several compa-
nies.
But do tue trusts really favor the
people by reducing prices and main
tanning the average quality OF goods Z
governor Voorhees,, Of New Jersey. de,
fends the action Of his state in fostering
SO macy monsters ou the score of
ECONOMY in production''-io making
| prices lower to the buyers. That it is
a deceptive. base plea is probably true.
The governor pointed to two examples
aud said ''the low prices at which oil
and sugar sell are pretty good evidence
that the public does not suffer from
these gigantic combinations This
matter is Of so much importance to a
long.suferiog aud outraged public that
we yield much space to show that the
plea set up by the grabbers aud atti'o-
ters is specious aad ucsrue 10 the light
Of facts
The New York World has rendered
good service and supplied much needed
information in this particular. It gives
many examples aud facts as to the
operations Of but one month, April We
think it is. 1t says:
Since the organization of the Amer
lean Steel and Wire Nail Company
there has been an increase of 100 per
ceos. 10 prices. With the latest
advance of Is cents. small lots no1
cost 81 80 keg, G. $46 ton 10
addition to this, thousands OF vorkmen
in shut-down plants have been thrown
out of employment.
At the meeting of the Missouri
Retail Hardware and Stove Dealers
Association in St. Louis it vas decided
that there is 40 alternative for retailers
but to advance their prices for stoves,
as the manufacturers combination has
advanced prices 20 per cent. since
March /.
Asa meeting Of the Gas and Vapor
Stove Manufacturers at Cleveland on
Aor;l 6 the prices we're advanced from
Is to 80 per cent.
Galvanized eaves-troughs. water
pals, fire pals, etc we're advanced
125 ceass a. the same time.
a. an opening of bids in Chicago for
cas-. irou pipes the Uoi.ed States Con-,
oapy of Cleveland, which controls ~
per cent. Of the output. fixed the price
st 40 increase Of So ton over last
YEARS eou,ract-an advance OF more
than so pee cent.
a, the same time brick trust 10
Chicago raised the price Oh so. 600. 600
brick required in city work this year
from 81 IS to IS and $3.50 per
1000.
Iron castings were raised 6ve-eighshs
Of a ceat pouod Oh April l through
out New Eogland
The American Window-Glass Com
pany, controlling the supply Of the
East and the Central West, has with
drawn irs schedules preparatory to a
general increase of prices on all its
goods Preparatory to this the
com pauy shu. dovo a large portion of
lis worx at Pistsburg for the purpose OF
creating an artificial scarcity on which
to base its rise 10 prices.
Tiu plate has been so mnch advanced
10 price that importa.ions were threat
eoed. aud the trust keeps the price just
at the poiot to prevent foTe'go
competition.
These are but samples. They indi
cate what the trusts are organized to-.
Monopoly can always be trusted tt
make the price 'all the market vii
bear '"-Wilnipgtou Messenger.
Mothers, We call your attention to pl'ts