The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-09-27

If the people or Nebraska City de-
fend the starch trust they must be pre-
pared to defend all the other trusts, for
it is impossible for them to destroy trusts
located elsewhere and defend a trust To-
Gated in their own city. Are the people
of Nebraska City willing to subject
themselves and their countrymen to the
extortion practiced by all the trusts in
order to maintain one trust which has one
factory in their city? AS a matter of
fact the people of Nebraska City are
more Interested in the dissolution of the
starch trust than the people of other
parts of the State. When the Argo was
an Independent company it was controlled
by citizens of Nebraska City and Nebras-
ka City interests could be considered by
it's management. But If the National
Starch Company, with headquarters in
New York is allowed to absorb this in
dustry the control will be removed from
Nebraska City to New York and the
wishes and interests of the people of
Nebraska City will have little considera-
tion
POWERS OF THE TRUST.
"Mr Charles r. Flint, of Boston, is one
Of the directors of the United Starch
Company, and Mr.. Flint made speech
in Boston a year ago last May in which
he summed up the advantages of tile
trusts. One of the advantages mentioned
by him was that the raw material could
be bought at a lower price because there
would only be one purchaser. Is this to
the interest of those who sell raw ma
terial to the various starch companies?
Another advantage was that the least
productive plants could be closed down
and the work done at the more r-oduc-
tive plants. The people of your town have
already seen a distillery closed down by
the whiskey trust. What is to prevent
the Argo Company from being closed
down by the Starch Trust? When all the
factories belong to one corporation the
closing down of one factory does not bring
loss to the corporation because the work
can be carried on somewhere else, but
the Argo Company as an independent
company could not close down without Sc
rious loss, therefore the chances are
greater in favor of the local factory be-
ing closed down under trust than un-
der independent management. Mr.. Flint
also suggested as another advantage that
in case of local fires or strikes the work
could be done elsewhere without loss.
If the employees of the starch company are.
urged to support the trust for fear OF
losing their employment, let me remind
them of Mr. Flints speech. The Argo
Company as an Independent company
could not afford to close down and turn
off its employees but when the Argo Com
pany becomes member of the National
Starch Company the employees have no
way of protecting themselves because the
work here can be suspended while the
employees are starved into submission.
A CASE IN POINT.
under the trust system a strike in one
factory brings no loss to the company,
but it does bring great loss to the en-
ployes. Let me give you case in point.
The Birmingham Age Herald of Septem-
Der 18th, contained the following dispatch
from Bessemer. Ala:
"'Work wcs resumed at the Central
Foundry Company's plant yesterday. The
men who went out on a strike early last
week returned to work on the company's
terms. The management here is not re-
sponsible for the reduction in wages, it
having been ordered by the head office in
New York. the reduction prevailing
throughout all the pipe plants belonging
to the company
eff an order comes from the head office
in New York to reduce the wages in all
the starch factories the men have moth
ing to do but to submit. The same greed
which leads the trust to raise prices and
extort from consumers will allow it to
lower wages, and do injustice to the en-
ployes.
DEATH TO ALL TRUSTS.
''The Attorney General is seeking to en-
force a statute of Nebraska. The law is
a good law and ought to be enforced, and
the people of Nebraska City ought to hold
a mass meeting to commend him rather
than condemn him. The fusion forces be-
lieve in enforcing both State laws and Ma
tional laws against the trusts. The Kan
sas City platform demands the annhila-
ton of all private monopolies, and if the
Democratic ticket is successful. l believe
legislation will be enacted which will
make it impossible for the National
Starch Company to buy. bully or wheedle'
the Argo Company into joining a trust,
and with the dissolution of the starch
trust Will come the dissolution of all
other trusts which are now plundering the
people,"
Continuing, Mr.. Bryan congratulated
the people upon having an Attorney Gen
6TdI WHO udS CUuIdSc 6HOuSH " DiluS InS
suit and said that if the United States
Attorney General had done his duty there
would have been no necessity for the
State authorities to take up the question.
He said that if he should be elected, the
Federal Administration would be found
moving against all combinations con-
trary to law. His words on this point
were as follows:
'My friends, if the United States At
torney General of the Republican party
had done his duty he would have been
enforcing this law instead of Mr.. Smyth
being down here tonight do what the Re-
publican National Attorney General
should do. This Republican Administra- |
tion has brought just three suits in just |
three years, and yet more trusts were |
organized during the last three years
than during all the previous history the |
l want you people to know that !
if we get control of this Government, |
the Federal Administration as we'll as |
the State administration will lay it's |
hands upon the Starch Trust. I heard |
it said that you people down here felt |
some hostility towards Mr.. Smyth be- |
cause of his fight against the trusts but |
that they do not fear any hostility to- |
wards me.