Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-02
PRIVATE MoNopoLIEs.
What Il tho BreAdth aud soops of Thla
Expression nv U.ed In the Kansas
CITY PiatfOrmf


the finished product, thus rObblng both
producer and consumer, They lessen the
employment OF labor, and arbitrarily hS
The terms ana conditions thereof, ana dee
prlve individual energy and small capl-
thl OF their opportunity for betterment'
They are the most efficient means yet
devised for npprOpriatlng the fruits or
Industry 10 the beneht Of the few nj tho
expense OF the many, aud unless thelr
insaIlate greed In checked all wealth viii
be aggregated In q few hands and the
republic destroyed,
The foregoing declarations would
be immeNsurably more satisfactory
and less ambiguous, II something ap-
proachlng 10 u definition OF the term
"priyate monopOlies" had been for
mulated, As, for mstOnse, are rail-
ronds private monopoles; or pack
houses and stock yardsj or the
ownership Of coal and iron mines, or
oil fields? Many true reformers,
stnunch supporters Of Bryan, GER
tninly consider all the foregoing Ns
included in the list of "private mo-
n0pollcs,"
Thus we find Louis i, Post, In his
paper, The Public writing ns followsi
A majority Of the stockholders OF the
National Wan Paper company known M
the wall paper trust, have decided 10 dis
solve, This decision was made on the
nth at q stockholders meeting In New
York The reason for II II that the trust
was unable 10 stand up against outside
competition No better example could he
desired Of the truth that trusts not but
trossed by leRnllgod monopolles nre Of
few days ana fun OF trouble, No trust
can long resist outside competition with
no bottcr weapon than organization, 70
succeed, II must have either directly from
the government or indirectly ps the lessee
Of some government beneficiary, u mo-
nopOly of trade, transportation or land.
Monopolcs Of trade are made by pro-
tcctvo tariffs, Monopolles Of transpor-
totlon are made by railroad franchises,
Monopolics Of land are given by title
deeds, These are the things that make
trusts possible, Mere organization IN re-
straInt Of connection cannot long sur
vlvo, OF that fact the dissolution of
the wall paper trust X one moIo Illus
triuus example,
While the Farmers Voice. trenting
more at length the same subject, says;
"rhe power Of the combines TO force
up prices when there Is no iustillca-
tion in market conditions for so do
ing, Is illustrated in the action of the
big Chicago packers recently when
they raised the prices Of beef TO the
retailers TO nine cents pound by the
carcass, and compelled the retailers in
turn TO advance the price OF steaks
TO the consumer from two to four
cents pound, Cuts which formerly
commanded II and lG cents pound
now command from 10 TO 20 cents,
and the people have no assurance that
the prices may not still further ud.
vance, This rise reflects no better pri-
ces to the farmer who raises the beef.
On the same day the receipts Of cattle
nt the Union stock yards were $1,000
head, the best grades bringing only
$40, and lower grndcs, which usually
are made 10 do service In Chicago,
only $3.50 70 $40 per hundred pounds.
Butchers declare IL costs only GO cents
TO prepare The cnrcuss for market
Thus ii will he seen that the packers
had no legitimate basis for their nc.
tion, but did II simply TO make big
ger dividends. We hear much of the
greater economy of production by the
operation Of the trust, and we have
many reasons 10 believe that ultimate.
ly in all competitive lines this econ-
omy will be made TO show in lower
prices as we'll as in larger dividends,
but up TO date the men who get the
dividends are advantage, while those
who look for and most need lower
prices are being left completely ont of
account. We repeat that competitive
lines of commodities ultimately must
come down TO fair prices because COM
petition will compel them so TO do;
but the trusia which lave their foun-
dationsin the control Of great natural |
Ike the oil wells, coal
mines, copper mines, etc, or in fran
chise grants, win pursue the even
tenor of their way let The public
think or say what it may
just here, it may he remarked |
(parcnthcticnlly), that the packing
house combine is not based upon
either tariff, or land monopoly, Willie
il is probible thar the rates OF trans
portaton have but little bearing or
influence upon it, Continuing, the
Voice says:
striking example of the essential
difference between the special privi-
legged trust and the trust which in its
nature is subject to competition, is
found in two interesting facts which
came to public notice recently. One
is the report that Andrew Carnegie,
having secured still greater hold upon
The iron and steel producing interests
Of the country, has forced the other
engaged in that line of
TO agree to n scUlc Of
prices, which, within certain bounds,
shall be permanent. At first sight
such an agreement Is likely TO be pro-
nounced impossible, but when II is
considered that the great combna-
lions of steel and iron producers have
heir foundations laid deep in monop-
1ly of limited product of nuture-
that they control, in other words,
The iron mines of the country, and
,nn opernte or shut Them down at