Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-02-21
A WEAK APOLOGIST.

The newspaper houses and whole
sale dealers in job stock have caused to
be printed many copies of an editorial
taken from the Milwaukee Evening
Wisconsin and are industriously circu-
lating them among publishers. The
INDEX is in receipt of one of them and
it has been carefully read. 1t is mani
testify weak in setting forth causes of
rise in price of merchandise as the clip
ping here shows:
"a material rise in the price of all
commodities is a natural cOncomitant
of revival in business such as the
United States has experienced during
the past three years. The demand for
all manufactured products has been so
great that the capacity of the manufac-
turing plants has been taxed to the ut
most, and in some instances it has been
utterly impossible to fill orders. This
has been the case in the market for
structural iron and steel, the demand
for which has been remarkable.
1.-The paper manufacturers have
also been driven to their utmost. and 1t
is impossible to secure some grades of
paper in large quantities. The price of
print paper of newspaper grades has
gone up nearly go per cent, and will
probably remain at it's present level.
This has interfered greatly with the
calculations of the publishers of news.
papers and brought the owners of the
weekly newspapers which have been
sent to subscribers for one dollar a wear
up against problem in finance that
can be solved only by an advance in the
annual subscription"
1t is easy to see that the writer of the
article under discussion is an apologiss
for trusts and combined wealth and it's
circulation at this time is for the pur-
pose of deceiving those whom the rise
in prices effects. It is not necessary to
enter into an argument to a great
length to dispute what the circular sets
forth. 1t is we'll known that there is
no more demand for the merchandise
specified than at times before, and it is
equally well known that the cost of pro.
duction in this day is less than at any
time before. A true solution of the
causes of the great rise in prices can be
found from careful perusal of the
earnings and profits of the trusts which
control their manufacture and sale. Sal.
aries of officers are greater than thew
have been in the history OF corporations
and the same can be said of dividends.
This can be explained in only one
way, and that is the consumers pay it.
1t is folly to even presume that the
prices have advanced on account of
scarcity of either manufactured goods
or raw material. 1t is simply a beg
ging of the question and a false pre-
sumption. Very few mills or furnaces
are operating at their full capacity and
raw material is as cheap and i'm no
greater demand than it was one. two.
three and four years ago.
We quite agree that 1.-THE owners of
weekly newspapers are up against
problem in finance" and there are 9TH
ers. The retailer in every branch of
business is at the mercy of the trusts
and will remain so until there is rad
ical change, and it is just such rot as is
circulated in the shape Of the art:c!s
above quoted that keeps the people in
blindness and ignorance. Il is anus
ing aud yet disgusting to see some
newspapers squirm as they are heing
pincned. Most of them are grapI,iy
around in darkness and il seams TO lie
only a guessing contest as To causes
and remedies, and ridiculoa, gaess:rg
at that.