The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-18

From this table Il will be seen that In every
industry, instead Of the number OF laborers hav.
Ing diminished, II has largely increased and the
wages have advanced On the matter Of wages
IL is notorious that the highest wages are every
where paid by the large corporations. Organized
laborers know from bitter experience that the
petty prosecutions OF labor, the invention Of the
blacklist, the persistent opposition to all laws
aiming at the improvement Of the condition Of
labor, such as shortening the working day, pro.
viding education for working children, abolition
OF the truck systcm and o.here beneAcent meas.
ures that have been secured during the last quar-
ter Of century, were all obtained against the
bitter and often petty and persccuting opposition
81 the small employers the employers in whose
behalf this campaign against so.cailed trusts is
being wagcd. The workmen, that is the intclli.
gent worl;incn. know that they have always been
able to get the best terms, the host treatment
and the highest wages at the hands Of the large
corporations.
What Is the influence Of large corporations
upon business stability and prosperity This Is
one OF the most important features OF the Sub
fcct. The greatest menace TO modern society Is
business dcpressions. which usually are the result
OF ignorant cagcrncss among competitors.
slight boom In business leads to rash increase
OF output. without any general knowledge of
what Is being done elsewhere, each hopes to fll
the new void, with the result Of an increase
OF output wholly disproportionate to the demand.
For instance, the Illinois farmer when the price
OF corn Is high will double his acreage for corn.
and next year finds that he can hardly sell the
corn at any price and Is compelled to use II for
mel. Larger concerns tend to remedy this evil
on the same principle that they invest heavily
in experimentation. They take pains to gather
accurate information on the condition Of their
business throughout the world They find IL pays
to be informed ns to what next years demand
is likely to he. Their Investments are 80 large
that they could not afford seriously to miscalcu.
late the demands OF the market. With their
comparatively accurate information they adjust
their production with great precision to the
present and probable future demand. As mat.
ter Of fact, in lines Of industry where the very
largest concerns arc organized there is the least
perturbation. II the raising Of corn were in the
hands Of few we'll informed corporations in.
stead Of thousands Of unnformed small farmers
the cratic ups and downs in corn-farming would
be largely avoided Industrial deprcssons can
never be eliminated until the relation OF pro.
ductive enterprise to general consumption Is re-
duced to some degree OF precision, which the
small go.as.youplca producers can never do.
o.
Large corporations are superior to small con.
Germs; first, because by the use OF large capital
and superior methods they improve the quality
and reduce the price Of commodities; second
they arc more favorable than smaller concerns
to high wages, and individual freedom Of labor.
ers; third, by introducing scientific precision
into industry they tend to increase the pcrInan-
ence Of employment and reduce the tendency to
industrial deprcssions, all Of which are vital ele
ments in the nations prosperity and progress