New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-06-01

maintenance for many years Of prices for tin
r,otes above those now quoted. the Weisn
makers combining to Ak prices at pleasure oe
oouso there was no competition here EXacti!
the same thing has been seen In many o'hei
Kinds of manufacture. and Is seen now I'D sohne
which have not yet been 80 estabisheu he'e
that home and foreign producers cannot reau
iIv combine to control prices. as the! 10 col'-
bine There Is no evidence whatever known
70 The Tribune tending to show that reiiei
from excessive prices can be secured ID! orNihk
mart Of the producers out OF the Dhsiness anu
leaving the rest. domestic and foreign 10 COLI
troll prices by combining.
Rut there is evidence, mountains OF IT, 10
nroye that continual encouragement or nome
manufacturers does create competition against
which no combination can fight without de-
struction. unless by putting prices SO low tha'
II shuts out competition. The steel rail- cou
hinatjon was destroyed In that way, the steei
beam combination little later, the old Nail
Trust the old Wire Trust. and who can reckon
how many trusts and combination IN other
| branches of business have been driven INTO
bankruptcy in the same fashion! Inc only
innortant combinations or trusts which nave
| heen able TO survive all competition thus far
are the Standard OIL Company. which mas no
duty ON imports to help II in the least ana
the Sugar Refining Company, which mas re-
| neatedly bought up one set Of competitors AFTER
another. only to find itself quickiJ confronted
| nv others more powerful. Duties on sugar
] long maintained for revenue purposes sufi1ce 10
| nromote the same never-endng competition
which every combination in protected INDUS
| tries hes TO face. The question whether CON
tinucd encouragement Of home competition
will more surely and more quickly break down
| combinations in a particular industry than n
removal Of all duties Is not one, IL may De al
| mitted which can be In every case decided by
INST experience alone. without regard to the
| conditions existing In that industry. But IL Is
| demonstrated BY experience, as surely as any
| thing can be, that in the great majority OF
| ooses that continuing force has broken down
| combinations. and secured permanent advan'
| tooas to consumers which could not otherwise
| have been attained.
| II "a this ultimate advantage which men
GRO ant 70 overlook. When they see that the
nrice Of any article Is too high the first Impulse
| ie IN hreak II down at once and by any means
! Rut ~ that course would destroy part OF the
| works engaged. and leave the market at the
| mercy Of n smaller number Of producers, wha
difference does Il make whether part OF them
| are foreign? The ocean has never yet proved
barrier against trade combinations found prohta
| ble TO men on both sides. The other remedy is u
draw into the business an increasing NUMBER
Of producers, enlarging and improving works
studying new processes, and ever trying u
secure larger markets for themselves. Ihi
addition Of works, with perpetual incentive t
improvements of methods and economy OF pro
duction almost invariably ends In collapse o
tho combination. and then the country has
producing power large enough or more thai
large enough to supply all it's needs. That oni!
gives ground TO hope for permanent cheapness
Frustrating part Of the works and reducing
tho nrodnction Is never a step toward perma
mont cheapness. though II may sometimes brin
nuick relief for the time.