Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-06-23

B P. E. Dove, president Of the Ameri-.
can Commercial Travellers League,
testified before the Industrial Com.
mission at Washington that the
trusts had thrown thousands out of
employment, and reduced the sala-
ries of those who were still employed.
Commenting. on this, the Little
Falls Transcript says: If business
development has enabled the pro-
ducer and consumer to get goods
from the possession of one to the
other at less expense than before it
is not in itself an evil, on the con-
trary it is a benefit, and should help
tn: conditions of BOTH" II this is
good OF one trust, or of many, why
wouldn't it be true of a universal
trust, a trust OF trusts? Why not
turn over all industries OF every
XII nd to one organization, dispensing
with middlemen? Wouldn't that
''help the condition of both?" This
wo uld in effect be a form OF socia-
lism, which hi gh tariff, rabid pro-
tectionist papers like the Transcript
fleet to despise, and yet the tariff
and trusts have helped the canse of
socialism in this country more than
all the writings of the socialists.
The American system OF protection
is an organized greed, a method OF
enabling one man to profit at
another's expense, under the sane
tion OF law. The socialist says: eff
we are going to protect, let's pro-
tect all. Let there be no discrimi-
nation" Morally socialism is far
above protectionism. The for
mer intends at least the welfare Of
all, the latter is the privilege OF a
favored few. But some OF MIR.
Dowle's testimony, which the Tran
script fails to give, shows that there
has been but little benefit to the
consumer. He said that the trust
combinations had raised the prices
Of the commodities they controlled
from 5 to 100 per cent in almost
every instance, except coffee and
sugar. In these they were still f ght.
ing for control of the field. He
said his figures in this line were alb
solutely correct, being from reliable
commercial acquaintance. The
examples he gave were: Iron pipe,
oyer 100 per cent; tinware and enam-
elihed ware, about 33 per cent; brass
goods, so per cent; chair trust, just
formed. will advance prices 80 per
cent; rubber overshoes Omitted
States Rubber company advanced
prices something like 80 per cent,
newspaper 4 to X cent a pound; a
further: advance in prospect; book
papers; S and 10 per cent; an ad-
vance is expected in writing paper;
ia common soap 25 to so cents a
box a'nu glass bottles will be ad-
vanced. 10 per cent or more; jobbers
and manufacturers OF clocks have
advanced the wholesale price on
account OF. the advance of metals 60
per cent; all metal goods have been
advanced; brass pins 25 per cent;
pipes and brushes Tx per cent;
combs X per cent; rib
bons 10 per cent; school furniture
has gone up, as well as paper bags
and wrapping paper.
"The umbrella trust failed four
years ago, but it advanced prices
while in existence, and after it's
break up the return to legitimate
and healthy prices caused loss to the
retailer, throughthe stock on hand"
So that not only has the consumer
s Uttered j; as above described, but
the throwing out. OF thousands of
co mmereiial traYelers, forcing *ales-
men in many !! cases probably untitled
for other work to compete in otter
lines ofindustry cannot fail to serious
y affect Il; lines s5 they go into. Certainly
the travelling; men, who were such eff
Gent workers >for' mckinley in 1896,
cannot be blamed, 't4r Questioning the
benefit Of Trusts, and for denouncing
an administration which idoes not
ev yer g .1,, m q pretence of at
tempting Tito regulate them, and
which is bound hand and foot to the