The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-04-08
Governmental
Let the Price
The Next Thing Beyond.
Sy ThOs. e. Hill

wv other word about trusts, at
present, but the act of the
insurance commissioner in Vermont IN
deciding what the rates of insurance
shall be, decides us to add a word
more.
The law permits any person., in that
state, who thinks. that he is charged
too much for insurance to appeal to
the insurance commissioner. If he
thinks the rate is too high he deter
mines what the rate shall be. and the
insurance company must charge ac-
cordingly. In other words the gov
ernment determines the rates of in
surance in Vermont and the companies
are simply agents. e.. ~. i
This is only a beginning. The day
is coming in the opinion of many peo-
pie when the government will fix the
price on all goods that. are sold. If
the law can determine what shall he
the price of insurance, street car and
railroad rates, it will ultimately fix
the price on all things sold. =. 4,
It is the opinion of conservative men
that the government should fix the
price of labor, in all general employ
ment, for the advantage of all parties
concerned; .-.>.g:. .#.E%i5eE 3 T. a. =
We judge, from taking up the morn
ing paper, that a dozen strikes are now
in progress in different parts of the
United States. Because of these fire.
quent strikes employers are unable to
make definite contracts, and employees,
who belong to unions, are liable to be
drawn into the strike, stop work, and
greatly impoverish themselves and
families. Whereas, were the wages
determined by q government commits
sioner, the smanufa ottnre could govern
himself accordingly. The workman
would know what he was to get and all
hescould receive, labor conditions
would be settled and a large amount
of loss now incurred because Of strikes
would be avoided. .....
So far as the trust is concerned it
is a move in the direction Of general
economy. 1t is estimated that twenty
cigar manufacturers send their travel
ing men into the little village of Two
Harbors Several times a year. 1t
would be different for a commercial
traveller to. visit Two Harbors or less
than three dollars counting his own
salary and travelling expenses, so that
the cost for one visit =. of > all :. these
twenty men is $50. -, -. ~. -
-. As: statesmen generally make their
rounds once month that would make
24O calls, that the tobacco dealers win
receive from tobacco statesmen in Two
Harbors during the year, their actua 1
total expenses being $720 in order to
induce merchants in Two Harbors to
buy tobacco. Il
The supposition would be that the
merchants :: of Two Harbors would
know enough themselves to order to-
bacco, if they ran short Of stock, but
tobacco manufacturers seem to doubt
that, as indicated in the fact that they
are willing to spend $72o a year in
simply asking. Two Harbor merchants
if they want tobacco. ----.. o., -, -.
1t cannot be that any less tobacco
would be used if tobacco statesmen did
not go there. When a customer wants
tobacco he wants it and is sure to get
it Independent of any statesmen. There
fore, if just as much tobacco is going
to be used in Two Harbors, whether
statesmen go there OF not, what folly
to spend $72O for nothing.
Ah, but Jones, the cigar maker,
thinks that Smith, the other gar man,
would get all the trade if he does not
send in salesman imself. and so
twenty firms have each salesman and
sthe supposition is that the cost OF
these twenty statesmen is about $500 Il
day for soliciting trade.
1t is readily seen that this is a tre-
mendous waste, of over $210.000 year
to the twenty tobacco factories, as all
this expenditure Of money does not in
crease the sale of tobacco one pound.
At last manufacturers have conclud
ed to stop cutting each others throats.
They have grown up to that point
where they can cooperate and cooper
alton is the trust. They have resolved
to put their institutions. together, bear