The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-09

OAssect1On OF the trust AS a De-
velOpment of Modern Trade Con-
ditiOns and Necessities Offers
Great Opportunities.
Industrial Combinations was the sub
ject Of the lecture delivered by Rev. s. G.
Smith at Y. NJ c. A. hall last evening.
The question Of the relation of capital
and labor was reviewed by the lecturer,
who said in part:
'"The effect of the general union upon
the strike is very important. No strike
can be instituted by local union. The
central union must take the initiative.
Removed from the local influences, 1t sur
veys the question coolly, impartially, and
upon its merits. In all labor unions there
is a periodical study of economic and so.
cial questions, and the ordinary working
man as result is better Informed today
on those points than the average citizen,
who has not the same means of acquiring
knowledge. The union, besides, exerts a
leVeling influence. 1t is democracy in its
very nature. 1t places limitations upon
apprentices, and prevents the different
crafts from becoming over crowded.
makes wages suffer first The working
man says, and justly, that wages should
be the last thing to be cut. When wages
are cut the power Of consumption Of the
workingmen is correspondingly reduced.
There are. however, limitations TO the
union. If the unionists have right to
organize, others have a right to stay
out. When the labor union attempts to
cGerce those who refuse to join, 1t is vio-
Iatfng the very principle upon which the
unions are organized. A labor union is
Just as legitimate as church
Inc corporation is the effect Of the
FACTORY system. Partnerships are
clumsy. When one partner DIES. a re-
organization is necessitated. The corpo
ration Is born for this reason The trusts
are later development of the corpora.
tlons. A trust is an organization of every
concern III any one line of business in a
ccpSoI1dat1on. A trust is a giant cor
pOration.
competition Is wasteful, unholv and
destructive. The trust does awav with
competition. 1t is able to buy it's raw ma
terlaI cheaper, because 1t purchases in
larger quantities than an individual buyer
could 1t Is able to sell easier and at
less expense. The railroads give special
rates, there are fewer travelling men. Fur
thermore, the trust is enabled to avoid
over production. and to provide only for
the actual consumption. The whisky
trust shut off from 80 to so per cent of
the distilleries, and yet the drinking man
TO-DAY can obtain better whisky for less
money than before the trust was formed
The workingmen employed by the trusts
know what to expect, instead Of their
former spasmodic employment. The trust
mas plenty Of capital. The trust intro
duces new and higher order Of the d.
vision of labor.
The trust is enabled to take a very
profitable control of its products The
trust can and does cheaper production 1t
not only may, but generally does cheaper
prices. There is a difference between the
legitimate trust and the corner or mon
oPoly, for speculative purposes. The
consumer is benefited by the trust In re-
spect to the lowering Of prices. If you
cheaper production you increase con-
sumption and reduce prices
THE Standard Oil company has reduc-
ed the price Of oil rs per cent since its
inception 1t is bad for small concerns,
but not for the people at large Compe-
tittoE Is not vice peculiar to the cor
poratiOn or trust. If it is a vice, it is q
vice of trade in general.
''The more efficiently any nation Is or
ganiZed, the greater will be it's success as
a competitor in the markets of the world
SO much for foreign relations. We don't
need a remedy for the trusts, but for
their management. There has never been
time when the poor boy has had a
better chance than at the present. Brains,
under this higher organization, count
more than individual fortune. You can't
put the trusts out Of existence, because
they exist under state laws. Managers,
however, should be held to a stricter &C.
counting.
Compulsory arbitration has been ad-
vanced as a solution of the problem Of
capital and labor. The problem is a diff
ficult one. We can't wait while they
fight 1t out. The general public has a
vital interest in this question. The true
solution is that the workingman should
aspire to own shares in the business for
which he works Identity of interest is
the watchword and cooperation the
key