The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-22
On the Industries of the State
of Kansas.
WILL TAKE ACTION.
Club Devising Means to ThWart
the Combinations
Which Are Threatening the Life
of the Progressive Idea.
Public Ownership Daily Grow
ing in Favor.

The manufacturing committee of the
Commercial club in whose hands the
question of dealing with the trusts was
placed, has not yet evolved a satisfac-
tory plan of procedure, but several ex-
periments have been suggested. The
matter has been left in the hands of a
subcommittee composed of Chairman
Billiard, Secretary Anderson, Z. C
Glenn and John r. Mulvane.
Secretary Anderson of the CONNER
cial club will carry on his correspond
ence with the starch trust, relative TO
the opening of the Topeka starch fac
tory, informing the officers of the trust
of the attitude of the business men OF
Topeka on the subject.
IF we can't do anything else" said
Secretary Anderson, I'VE can go to the
county commissioner and get them TO
raise the valuation on the plant here
three or four times and get something
out of them in the way of taxes That
is one way to reach an institution that
is opposed to the interests of the com
munity. I am told that the commis-
siOners of Douglas county have already
raised the valuation of the wire plant
down there about three times, because
it has been shut down by the na1t
and wire trust.
I understand there has been
starch factory started in Kansas City
in opposition to the trust. L am look
ing it up. and if that is the case we VIII
consider the proposition by asking oth-
er commercial clubs to cooperate with
us in giving trade to that factory. we
will try to get other clubs to cooperate
with us in fighting the trusts anyway
It's a hard proposition to deal with.
and the subcommittee Will gather IN
suggestions on the subject.
Hostility to trusts has increased IN
Kansas probably ten-fOld within the
past three months. The reason for TINS
is that the matter has been forced
home upon the people of the state by
the recent attack of the trusts upon
Kansas industries The people were
startled when it was announced that
the wire trust had purchased the Law
renee wire mill and had 1t smut down.
This announcement was Followed tne
next day by an interview Win NJ ".
Henley, who has been proprietor OF ene
Lawrence mill in the State journal, IN
which he stated that he had spent 70
years of his life in building up the wire
Industry of Kansas, and that II mao
been like parting with one of his own
family to sell the plant, but that the
trust got it's clutches on him ana lhete
was no other course open.
The Lawrence wire mill was supposed
to be one of the strong institutions OIL
the state-one that could Withstand the
trusts if anything could. by It's CLOS
ing 300 men, most of them with ram
lilies were thrown out of employment
and nearly all of them will be COM
PEELED to leave Lawrence to find work
Soon after the closing of the Lawrence
mill it was discovered that an eastern
syndicate, probably backed by the
Standard Oil trust, is endeaVor1ng 10
secure control of the entire salt industry
in Kansas by freezing out the Kansas
companies. The Standard Oil trust has
had virtual control of the entire oil out
put of the country, but is not satlsned
with that, and within the past year OF
two has invested largely in mining,
smelling and shipping properties, ana
salt manufacturing is its latest ven
ture Within the past month or two
the salt industry of New York has been
secured by the trust. In view of these
facts it will not be surprising if the
trust also freezes out the Kansas salt
John W. Prudential, who keeps tab
on the movements of trusts and has
done so for years, prophes1es that with
in a few years practlcally universal
trust will be organized with John D.
Rockefeller at its head and the Stan
dard Oil company as the controlling
power. Others who have been watching
the growth of trusts are coming TO the
same opinion regarding the Organiza-
tion of one immense trust to control all
lines of business within the next few
years.
There are Just two ways of meeting
the trusts" said Judge S. H. Allen to
a journal reporter today. One is by
going back to the days of small indus
tries and individual enterprises But
society seldom takes backward step,
and it is doubtful if a plan could be
devised by which these big combina-
tions could be broken up.
The other plan is for the people to
take charge of these combinations as
soon as they become too large for the
government to handle. When they be-
come so large that they dictate the af-
fairs of the government it will be time
for the government to take control OF
them.
There are arguments on the side of
the trusts. 1t is a fact it is in their
power to lessen the cost of production
and thereby lessen the cost to consum-
ers. They can also regulate the output
of factories better than individuals can
do, by preventing an oVer-supply at
times and a famine at other times
Com mbinations and individual enter
prise have developed some lines of in
dustry far better than the government
could have done. They have done the
pioneer work in these industries and
reaped a rich reward but when they
become too large to obey laws it is time
for the government to interpose- I be-
lieve that it is a fact that the trusts
themselves are educating the people
faster along the line of public ownership
than any other influence"
E. D. McKeeVer, who heard Judge
Allen make this remark, said: 4 be-
lieve it is a fact that the trusts are
increasina this sentiment among the
people, although L am not in favor of
it myself The trusts are becoming so
arrogant that the people will rise up
some of these days and overdo the mat