Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-07-26
THE GREEDY TRUSTS
AND the FARMERS
Combines Compel Americans to Pay
Increased Prices for AM
ercan Goods.
THE GREATEST VICTIMS
All Kinds OF Fnrming Utensils Are
Controlled by Trustr and the
Farmers suffer the Com
sequences.

Rural Californian: There is wide
diversity of opinion among the people
concerning the question of prevailing
prosperity IL is claimed by many
that our country is now experiencing
a greater degree u prosperity than
has been known in many years That
industrial and financial conditions are
so nearly ideal that none but chronic
pessimists and habitual faulttinders
fail TO recognize the remarkably wide
spread success in nearly all lines OF
business and the ease with which
wealth i'm its countless forms is be-
ing produced. There are those. how
ever. who view the situation from II
different Standpoint, and claim that
only Il few persons are really pros
pering. and that those few while
climbing the ladder of success are
keeping the many a, the bottom OF IT
by imposing needless burdens upon
them.
1t is true that there are now fewer
idA men and more men steadily cn-
ploycd than was the case few
months ago. 1t is also true that in
many instances the wages of EN-
ploves have been increased. 1t is like
wise true that the general volume of
business has swelled to larger proper
tons than ever before. and that
money circulated quite freely every
where. But on the other hand it is a
fact that in most cases the advance in
wages means simply a restoration to
the compensation rates that prevailed
some months ago and before the re-
cent revival of business. Wages are
high or low relatively. The estimate
should be based ON the relative cost
of living. If man six or twelve
months ago was receiving for his la
hor So day and the cost OF living to
him WAS only $3.50 day he, OF course,
gained and could lay aside half a dol
lar each day If today his wages are
$50 per day, and it costs him that
amount to live. it is clear that he is
not as we'll off as he was when his
wages were IS per cent lower.
Then. again. the increased volume
of business benefits only those who
have capital invested in business en-
terprises and unfortunately the
Masses who are the workers, are COM
PEELED to sell their labor too cheaply
according to the cost of living, while
capitalists of large means form power
full combinations and secure special
privileges which enable them to estab-
lish gigantic trusts. and thus they
monopolize not only the luxuries but
the absolute necessities of human ex-
istcnce.
Farmers are getting fairly good
prices for many products of the soil.
but this benefit is more than balanced
by the greatly advanced prices OF nu-
merous trust made and trust monopo-
lized articles which every farmer must
have. All classes ot people are suffer
ing from the oppressive power and in
ordinate greed of trust combinations.
but perhaps none feel the oppression
more keenly than the honest farmer
who tills the soil for q livelihood and
supplies Il portion of his fellow men
Win indispensable products. The ex-
tent to which farmers are oppressed
by the various combinations known as
trusts, svndicates and under other
names. would seem TO indicate suili-
cieil power on the part of that giant
curse of modern times. monopoly. 10
crush out the most important and the
which all the people are to II great eN-
tent, directly or indirectly, dependent
for subsistence.
Sherman, author of the famous anti
trust law, said: There will soon be a
trust for every production, and mas
ter TO fix the price for every necessity
of life" That is practically the situ-
n
by congress has had ample time in
which to crush the trust evil. if it is
to ever do it. and public officials and
private citizens heve had sufficient OPP
portunity to see how the old thing
works. But the truth is it doesn't
work. to amy considerable extent. for
everywhere throughout this country
the trusts continue to scoop in indus
try after industry. and product after
product. till now there is little left
worth mentioning outside of the net
woven by trust manipulation. That q
trust means monopoly and the conse-
quent arbitrary control of prices, nc
sane man can doubt, though advocates
of such a scheme usually deny it is i'm
tended to advance prices or in any
manner make it more difficult for
workers 10 procure the comforts and
conveniences of life. The man who
believes such Il statement is foolish
enough to fall into and he victimizeC
by almost any kind of confidence
| game.
| rs heretofore stated. the trust mon
ster gets in its work ON all classes OF
| people except its own beneticiaries-
but farmers receive special attention
There are now in this country nnmer
Gus trusts and similar oppressive or
CARNATIONS, whose aggregate capita
runs up into billions of dollars. ane
Notwithstanding the Sherman law the
long list is increasing almost daily
They control the prices of more thar
900 kinds of articles that are needed
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The German Americans.