Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-18
THE EVILS OF TRUSTS.
Something About the Way That
They Operate.

To the Editor of the Dispatch:
There are terms known 10 every school-
box, plus and minus. These terms cannot
~ tho same time be used with the same
numeral-that is, you can say 40 Plus ";
or Won can say 40 minus 90; you cannot
cav 40 Mus minus %, without utterinS
nonsense. And so, when the promoters
NJ trusts claim that they increase the
number Of employees, and have added to
the price paid in wages they utter an
acknowledgements they also claim 10
have reduced the cost of living TO con-
sumers The minus term is applied every
Tina in their transactions. Minus TO the
FUNERAL expressing the number OF en-
n,ovees. minus to the numeral indicating
the pay Of employees, and minus 10 inc
nrice paid for raw material, ana MINUS
IN all carriers Of their product. lhese
man sre rare arithmetcans. They start
with bloated, balloon shares IN ther III
COMBINATIONS. the, basket representing inc
nreferred shares. and the gas-holdins part
representing the common SHARES anu
like the balloon, they fly hish; Dut pricA
\ hole I'm the gas-holder ana there VIII
he q collapse. And then, If these ailtI'ilie-
ticians can make 20 per cent. OF soma as-
cots nav 100 cents liabilities, indeed II
u,u1 la time 10 change our multiplication
.h,o aud reform our teaching on auul-
tto, and subtraction. 1t IS claimed ny
onologtsts Of trusts that the chedpenlhs
of What is consumed by the whole people
10 a blessing. but are not the producers
of the. raw material part OF inc peoPi1
paonIa who work in the fields 10 Ia'se
corr. wheat, sugar. and those WHO l"''C
hoes. and those who work III mines wa
silver. gold. and iron-ml mes NJ
these the people? And If their wages anu
nrofits are lessened by trust comDlnauoI9'
who then Is benefited? If irom lhe SN'09
there was given an income 10 every per
son on earth there would he no queSu'iI
of the soundness OF the u"s"i" -
chcap articles Tor the sustenance OF ne
wo,IId be for the happiness Of manklnu'
but when TO buy what is needed money
has to be made from employments Whlch
are destroyed or harassed by great com
binations. then cheapness means Wdn'
of demand and inability TO buy, ana pach
OF that turks privation, lack or 1904 anu
raiment. anxious thought a true say ms
l. Il that he is to be called blessed VINO
makes two blades Of grass grow wheie
once grew but one. Diffusion OF weaith'
with the greatest good to the sreateSS
number is sound political economy anu
the great Henry ~, of France utteIeu
as sound political maxim as ever came
from the pen of Adam Smith or Johh
smart Mill when he said that he intend
ed TO make France so prosperous ana
happy that every peasant should nave
fowl in the pot. Brave, mashahihious'
wise was such q ruler. But, according 10
,rust formers and their apolog!sts, what
e ~ 600 dr,Immers are thrown out OF en-
ployment? What if 10000 iaboring men
are discharged from manufacturing es-
refreshments? What If wheat ana corn
have a price fixed below cost OF proouc-
ton? They do not say II IN pam "oruS'
hut IL comes to that These trusts mean
Int every man take care OF himself, ana
the devil take the hindmost.
''' f. c. GODDIM