Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-10-13
BURDEN Of
THE TRUSTS
Felt by Every Workingman In
the United States.
BEARS HEAVILY ON THE FARMERS.
Asric1Itur1l Implements Cost More,
Cotton Goods Are Dearer, Shoes
Have Advanced In Price, Yet the
Workers In These Industries Have
lind Their WnEcs Reduced.
Especial Washington letter.

The events of the last few weeks
have forced the trust issue to the front
The miners strike empha sizes the fact.
Coal is now 81 n ton higher than it
was three weeks ago, although there
IS no scarcity. The miners are getting
no wages at all, and this is an adyan-
tage TO the coal combine. They are
on strike against a 30 cent day wage.
The COIL combine proposes to keep
up its prices and net at least 100000
by the recent advance. The men
struck because they found that their
wages have been going down since
1896 and their condition becoming
worse. The coal combine periodically
puts prices up and bleeds the CON
sumner. The wOrkmen never share ever
SO slightly in tie advance. The coal
trust. assuming a monopoly Of what
rightfully belongs to tEc entire peo-
pic. treats It's worknon worse than
slaves.
This is not the only trust which
fiecncs tao public and takes all the
profit for itself. 1t is easy to study
the trust problem. You encounter trust
prices every time you make pur-
chase. If a wOrkingman. you recog-
ceiye your weekly pay envelope You
may not work directly for Il big COM
hination. but the trust qualifications
are so many and thorough that scarce
~ any wage Garner or producer of
wealth escapes their influence.
Here are few Illustrations. They
can be multiplied indefinitely:
1t requires 81 per cent more wheat
to buy stove than it did il 1896. The
stove moldcr gets no higher wages.
1t requires II more bushels Of wheat
To buy 4 farm wagon than it did in
1896 The wheclwriGhts. wagon max
crs and painters get no more wages.
Tie carriage combine is trying to- CO.
cree them into voting for Mckinley by
threatening To close down indefinitely
ii Bryan is elected.
1t requires 40 Der cent more grain to
buy plow than it did four years ago.
The agricultural implement workers
get no higher wages.
Muslin, shccting and lawn cost from
= to > cents more per yard than in
1896. The cotton operatives III Massa-
chuSctts have just had Il per cent
reduction.
1t takes - per cent mere of farm
products to buy 4 ready made suit of
clothes tlIaa in 1896. The garment
workers do not get more wages. They
have to fight the SwcatShOp system
introduced by the economical clothing
manufacturers association.
Shoes; cost % cents more per pair
than in 1896. Shocmakers have had
thci. wages reduced.
Earbcd wire costs 81 per 100 pounds |
al present. In 1895 it cost $50. The !
wire workers have not shared the ad- |
vanced price. Their wages remain the |
same.
II requires twice as much corn to |
buy coil Of rope as in 1896.
Lumber oil and hardware have all |
advanced in price. The men in these |
industries get no more wages than be !
fore Mckinley was elected.
Who gets these profits! The answer |
IS simple The trusts. The trusts want |
Mckinley reelected. He will not even |
notice their existence except 10 pro- |
mote them. Legislation to restrain |
their Expectations need not be feared |
under his administration.
Hanna doesn't even know that trusts /
exist. Every person who buys sup |
plies for farm or house could enlighten |
him.
The account of tbe.conditiouS under |