Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-11-20
An All Powerful Monopoly.

An All Powerful Monopoly.
The salt trust has advanced the
price of table salt to $3.50 per 100
pounds. A little while ago it was sell
ling the same grade at $1.10. All clas-
ses of salt are proportionately adyan c.
ed, so that every packer, meat retail
er, butter manufacturer, grocer, bak-
er, ice cream maker and finally every
houSekeeper will feel the blow of the
sandbag and rise in the price of their
wares is inevitable. In fact, prices of
meats have already started on their
upward fight.
The salt trust, or the National Salt
company, as it is politely called in its
articles of incorporation, directly con-
trolls 95 per cent of the salt output of
the United States and easily domi-
mates the other 5 per cent. 1t buys
the product of independent mine own
ers at prices better than they could
obtain from jobbers, and, in fact, if
they were disposed to attempt any in
dependence they would be shut out of
the market entirely, for the trust is
in a position to sandbag all distribut-
ers and could sell its product at pric-
es that would drive the last vestige of
competition from the field. 1t fol-
lows that so-called independent pro-
ducers are to all practical intents and
purposes members of the trust.
The cost Of salt at the top of the
mine in Michigan is reported upon
good authority to be Is cents per bar
rel OF $50 pounds. The empty pack
age costs 30 cents and the freight to
Chicago cents, making the salt cost
30 cents per barrel delivered in Chica-
go. To this is added 20 cents, which
is charged to the trusts "fghting
fund, said fund being created for the
purpose of crushing competition. The
figures above given were furnished the
Chicago Chronicle by prominent
jobbing house and are believed to be
correct.
The National Salt company is pill
ling up a profit of $500, 900 month in
addition to the tribute of 20 cents a
= barref wrung from the people of the
United States.
There is tariff of IL cents per 100
pounds on salt in packages and cents
on salt in bulk, but the abolition of
the tariff would not worry the trust
greatly, as the chief cost of the pro-
duct is in package and transportation
yet SO greedy is that monopoly that
prior to the enactment of the Wilson
bill, which put salt on the free list,
representatives of the great combine
appeared in Washington and told the
!. senate committee on finance that
now struggling industry will be para,
lyzed or destroyed in an unequal con.
TEST with the cheaper product of cheap
foreign labor. We will then soon be
made to pay to the English salt union
the price which it exacts elsewhere. ("
Nevertheless, salt was put on the free
list and there remained from Aug. %,
1894, to July "a, 1897. The average
net price (cost exclusive of package,
fell to 20 cents per barrel in 1896, dur.
ing the operation of the Wilson bill
rose to 3O.S cents early IN 1897 wher
the republican administration ha1
taken the reins, and in 1898, under
the Dingley tariff, advanced to 35.3
Both production and consumption O.
salt in the United States we're great
er during the "freen years than evel
before.
A salt trust is no new thing in this
country. AS far back as 1866 the Mi.
chigan manufacturers were pretty
well united. In 1876 the Michigan
Salt association began operations. II
took the product of all members ano
sold it, thus doing away with much
competition. New York and Ohio
had their alliances and all worked ir
harmony. The National Salt com
pany, the present trust, was organized
under the law OF New Jersey last yeal
with capital of sl2,OOO,0OO. 1t i'm.
mediately acquired the manufacturers
in New York, the best plants in Ohio
West Virginia, Michigan and Kansas,
and now controls, as we have stated,
the entire salt output of the United
States. Abolition of the tariff might
bring some competition on the Cana.
dian border and at Atlantic ports, but
transportation charges would proven;
it from extending very far inland
Minneapolis Times
Bryan's Majority