Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-03-17
INDUSTRIAL DESPOTISM,

number-represent in capital stock an
aggregate sum of S,20S, S66,30O, OF
nearly billion and a quarter dollars.
This Is an average of about $40,O00,-
600 per trust. In 1898 there were in
corporated in New Jersey 1,103 COM
panies, with a total capitalization OF
$S10,S40, 900, nearly billion dollars.
There are about 10000 chartered conf
panies doing business under New Jer-
sey charters. More than billion dol
lars of trust stocks represent not one
dollar of investment in New Jersey.
The Jersey people reap a rich harvest
from their liberal corporation laws.
The amount received from the corpo-
ration tax was $1,197,O70 in the year
just closed, collected from 5,022 COM
panies, and added to the fees for the
filing of certificates, $1,162,16S, makes
a revenue from this source of 1858, lSS.
Wherefore there Is no need of d.
rect tax upon the people of the state
for the expenses of government
Pittsburg Post
One of the evidences of marvellous
prosperity during the year lately
closed, due, of course, to the magic
of the advance agent" and his fol-
lowers. is seen in the activity OF the
New Jersey trust mill. But 1t appears
that the legislature of that state has
under consideration measure which
may drive the business of manufacture
ing corporations into some other state.
A bill has been introduced changing
the tax from $40 year for each mil
lion of capital stock of any corpora
ton over 100000 to $500 for each
million over $4,000, 900, or nearly six
and half times as much. The Jer-
sey legislators may think they can col
lect the additional tax for the reason
that the trusts cannot reorganize I'M
der the laws of any other state with
out mourning disadvantages from
which they would suffer more than
they would by paying the additional
tax. However that may be, we may
expect the combines to multiply and
thrive as long as a motive to their or
ganization is supplied by our tarin
laws. OF the thirty-two great COM
bines above referred to all but five are
protected by duties ranging from thr-
ty per cent upward, and all but two
are protected by our tariff or otner
laws to some extent.-Chicago Chron-
icle.
The old sticking point in the adop-
ton of a scheme of reciprocal TRADE
between the United States and Canada
is the abolition of the tariff on forest
products. The only opponents to alb
clifton are the trusts. The trusts
would lose by reciprocity percent
age of their unearned profits; the peo-
ple of the United States would gain
in cheapened timber, lumber, pulp,
paper, and the multitudinous articles
of which wood is the rag material, in
Guiding books and newspapers, and
they would also gain in the widened
market opened up for all products OF
their factories. The American joint
high commissioners will, therefore,
have to make a direct choice between
the interests of the people and the In
terest of their plunderers. They will
have to reject a demand upon the part
of the Canadians which is in the ma
ture of a proffered advantage and an
invitation to continued amity or else
pull down the tariff obstruction. The
nation will know that the trusts have
been able for their sordid and self
seeking ends to thrust themselves as
an obstacle in the way Of better I'M
derstanding and better trade relations
between the two great English
speaking countries of America.-Phil-
adelphia Ledger.
What hope has young mechanic Of
setting up a shop of his own and In
time working up to a mandatory, as
some of the older men in the business
were able to do? He goes into shop
or factory and learns to do one thing
only and that mechanically as part
of the machine he tends. Suppose
that by some unusual piece of good
fortune he gains sufficient knowledge
and a little capital to set up small
factory. He can do nothing in COM
petition with the great concern that
has undertaken to monopolize that
particular industry in which he is try
ing to make living and win his way
to the front. If he makes Roadway
enough to come under the observation
of his big competitor he is soon brush
ed aside and his place is closed. The
future threatens to be worse. Without
large capital at his back to fight his
way into trust" or to organize one
himself he must be content to become
a wage worker, powerless to resist the
dictation of the corporation that en-
ploys him.-Cleveland Plaindealer.
Activity in the formation of trusts
continues undated The record of a
day which does not reach into the hun
%