The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-06
COMING HOME TO US.

In at least two cases which affect the American
producer in the most intimate and Important rela-
tons Of his daily life we able to understand inst
at this moment the vital influence Of the trusts
Within the present week it has been brought home
to the American householder how utterly HELPLESS
he is to protect himself in the prices which he is
called on to pay for the necessaries of life. On the
score Of meat and fuel he has learned through the
daily press that the burdensome conditions which
exist are likely to remain in operation for an indef-
mite period of time.
The bids made in this city and Minneapolis for SUD-
plying the needed fuel for our public schools present
a very dark prospect for the consumer of anthra-
cite coal during the coming winter. The mayor of
the latter city has called on to enter his protest
against what presents itself to him as determined
purpose the part Of the coal concerns to exact
such prices they have determined shall be paid
An Associated Press dispatch from Pittsburg, which
appears in these columns today shows that local coal
dealers have little if anything say to the price
which shall be paid. An advance has been deter
mined on by those who control the fuel supply and
of course it idle under the circumstances to seek
to hold those responsible who occupy in the trade
Ony the relation of agents, Or properly, brok-
erS.
For the meaning Of the prices charged, as we'll
for the significance of the statement which is
current that coal will hereafter be sold direct
~ to consumers, without the Intervention of retail
dealers, must look to the coal fields and to the
tenants of the Trinity building in New York, in
which located the principal offices of the great
coal mining corporations of Pennsylvania. Unless
all the intelligence which is available this general
subject is misleading the prospect is quite strong
of local of anthracite coal paying for that
commodity the highest price realized since the win
ter of 1887, when the figures stood at $40 ton.
Since shortly after the outbreak of the war with
Spain the prices to consumers of all the customary
lines of meat for domestic consumption have adj
lyaneed 20 per cent Sroin steak could before that
time be bought for a shilling a pound. So with
mutton lamb and veal. Today the established price
is 10 cents. OF course to all intents the
sumers are helpless. They take what they get,
and glad to get it, since they have other
But the retail butchers have decided mat
they suffer in their trade by the prevailing prices,
and they enter their protest. They have deter
mined, according to the press dispatches, to call
convention to put an end to the trade tyranny of
which they the victims. They have Organiza-
ton. at least in the East and they not wholly
powerless. They find that for the higher class Of
meat usually consumed by their customers there is
a greatly reduced sale. Their customers buy the
inferior classes of meat and the trade
of the retail butchers accordingly seriously af
fected. Hence their protest Whether that protest
is to be followed by proposition to dispose of
products directly through the whoesalers-the large
slaughter houses constituting the recognized mo-
nOpoly in meats matter entirely beyond the con-
troll of the consumer the retailer to determine.
All the indications certainly that the large pack
ing houses of the country have the situation
pletely in their control that they will or not do
what they believe to be promotive of the con-
troll which they have of the meat market The
possibility of the retailer restoring the old condition
when the local butcher bought his meat from
the neighboring farmer is too remote to be en-
titled to serious discussion.
We doubt whether two more striking illustrations
could be given to the average head of an American
family of the actual tangible operation upon his
daily life of the present tendency toward consoda-
ton in commercial life which is generally designated
the trust movement. Others will doubt come
to him before the movement has progressed much
farther. but none carry direct and i'm
mediate lesson of the meaning to him of the COM
mercial and industrial situation which the trusts
have called into existence.