Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-07-26

Here ere a re.v and only Il few of those
trust controlled articles generally used
by working farmers:
| Coal. both anthracite and bitumi-
nous. coke, gasoline, stoves, kerosene
oil. bnrbed Wire. nails, tinware,
screws, pumps and chains, hardware,
harness and saddlery goods, wagons,
| plows, harrows, harvesting machines,
hay presses. hoes. brushes, mowers,
| pals, rcapers and rakes. rubber goods
! of all kinds. knit goods. furs and
! gloves, calico and cotton goods. school
books, furniture. wooden goods, car
pets, coffee. flour. sugar, dentistry,
drugs of all kinds. life insurance,
cradles, collins and tombstones.
Thus il appears that the modern
| farmer is compelled to pay trust mo-
nopoly prices for very large per-
centage of what he has to buy, in
GLIDING cradles for babies, medicines
| for the sick and collins and tomb
stones for the bodies of those who are
released from further struggle against
mcnopolistic oppression and have
passed into the higher life where
I trusts can never enter. a striking
| proof of how trusts result in compel
| ling American farmers and other citi-
zens of this country to pay increased.
prices for American made goods is
| furnished in the fact that many kinds
of such goods can be bought in Mex
leo much cheaper than in our own
country. This. too. notwithstanding
the enormous tariff duties that are
collected on everything imported into
that country For example, such
goods as Jaeger underwear, manufac-
t;red in New York, are shipped all
the way to the City of MeNico tart If
charges are paid on them. and they
are sold in the city ond elsewhere in
the Mexican republic at one-half the
price charged for them in our own
country. This is true also of Amcr-
can made silk underwear, cotton
goods, mems clothing of all kinds. nu
merous articles for women's apparel,
and hats. caps. boots and shoes.
Our best informed tinanciers and
political economists who are familiar
with the situation in Mexico attribute
this wide difference in prices of Amer
lean goods sold in Mexico chiefly to
the trusts with which our people are
burdened though the protective tariff
system prevailing here doubtless has
! considerable to do with it.
1t should be borne in mind that the
! increased prices of products resulting
from trust monopoly fall at last upon
the consumer, or user, of the articles.
| This is the case whether he be Il farm
er, Il lawyer, ;n editor of any other
kind of useful citizen. The trust
cinch works just the same as any kind
of crooked tax levied by civil gov
erllnent. Invariably the man at the
| 9 \. u. q
gouge. He cannot escape 1t.
One popular method used by pow
erful corporations with monopoly
privileges to soothe the angered or
discouraged purchasers of their goods
is to occasionally announce. with a
flourish of trumpets, that the wages
of the corporations employees have
been raised. An instance Of this kind
occurred a few months ago when the
American Steel and Wire company
workers had been advanced Z 1-2 per
cent. Soon after that event the Dc
troit stove works mailed circulars to
their numerous customers stating
that owing to recent advances in the
ing into the manufacture of stoves,
/
to be less favorable. The circular also
contained list of seven articles re-
quired in stove making, the prices OF
which had been increased on an aver
age of lal per cent This is but u
sample of unnumbered cases i'm which
an apparent indication of prosperity
in one spot really means harder
struggle for wealth producers, includ-
ing farmers and Magc-workers, in
thousands of other spots.
la this connection it is we'll to con-
slider The chief cause that has brought
about the prevailing revival of bust
ness activity in certain lines and
among Il few favored individuals. The
cause may be found in one short word
war. The experience of this nation,
as we'll as that of every other, testi-
ties TO the fact that war conditions
I always make business lively while they
continue. but they as surely bring de-
preston when the reaction comes.
There is nothing strange In this. War
takes thousands of men away from
! productive occupations and uses them
for destructive purposes. thus leaving
| jobs open for others. War is essen
4 TALLY destructive. 1t is the most ex-
9ehs,Se !nNury hatioh can possibly
. indulge IN. But no sane man, II he is
hohest, dcslres a CONTINUOUS state or
/ lively
4 There never was time in the his
4 tory of this country when wealth