The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-06-23
TRUSTS IN ENGLAND.
Gen. Dick Shows They Thrive I'm
der Free-Trade Tariff.
Existed Hundreds of Years Ago I'm
Europc-LnrGe Corporations the
Outgrowth OF Large Busi-
ness - Labor Trusts.

In the house of representatives Gen.
Dick, of Ohio, presented some strong
facts regarding the formation OF
trusts and combinations of capital in
England. He briefly covered the his
tory of combinations from the time OF
the ancient Greeks and Romans, show
ing that they were creatures of COM
mercial necessity, and not OF protect
i've tariffs.
Tracing the development of industry
from the work of the individual, then
on to the formation of partnerships,
later of corporations, and still more
recently of the large combinations,
he showed that they existed in Eng
land hundreds of years ago. Gen. Dick
claims that the combinations of to-day
are, after all, only corporations on a
large scale. They are changed in size,
but not in form.
Gen. Dick then proceeded to give q
list of some of the largest combinations
that had been formed in Great Brit
ain in recent years. These concerns
had combined the businesses of 1928 diff
ferent manufacturers, with capital
of 50,OO0,000. The history of each
combination Is given in detail, show
ing the amount of stock, the names and
addresses of the constituent com
panies, facts as to dividends, earnings,
output and profit and loss. These in
clude history of the British salt trust,
the alkali trust. all the different forms
of dry goods trusts, and big trusts for
supplying manufacturers with coal
and other such products.
Invariably the object of the British
trust is stated to be the avoidance OF
competition, the reduction Of cost in
shipment, economies in management,
and increased efficiency. The facts
supplied are taken from the official re-
ports of the different companies, which
in England are available to stock
holders upon the payment of small
fee, but which information in this
country is guarded with the utmost
secrecy.
| Continuing, Gen. Dick said: "In
word. free trade England has COM
plctely gone over to, and become in
toxicated with, the trust mania. That
such combinations of capital in that
country are not the creation of pro-
tective tariff is self-evident. English
laws compel the giving of information
to stockholders in corporation.
Upon the payment Of fee of one shil-
ling (25 cents), they can learn at any
time the accurate financial condition
of the companies in which they are
interested. But there is no such law
in the United States and, in my opin-
ion, there should be.
"Another point that is worth con-
sideration is this: We are now COM
PEELED. in striving for a share of the
worlds commerce, to make our goods
of such a quality and at such price
that we can compete with the manu-
features made by these English trusts.
| And this competition will increase,
not decrease. In order, then, to keep
our factories busy, and to employ our
labor, which is the greatest consumer
of the products of our mines, forests
| and factories, must we not also adopt
conditions similar to those in vogue
in that great industrial country which
has always maintained its commercial
supremacy in every quarter of the
globe?
| assuming that we must do this,
believe in. and will advocate, tho prop
err regulation of all of our large COM
binations Of capital by law. We must
preserve in them whatever is good and
advantageous to the people at large;
but at the same time we must elm
mate all that is bad and evil, and in
any way calculated to interfere with
the rights of our citizens"
Following his discussion upon the
subject of trusts in free trade coun-
try, Gen. Dick took up the organization
of labor in the United States. From
official figures he showed that the
| American Federation of Labor has in
creased it's membership by 100000 or
100000 this year, issuing $500 local
charters in that time. In 1899 the fed
Grafton gained 225,00O in membership.
He gave in detail the relative percent
age of increase in membership in the
years 1897, 1898 and 1900, in each craft
or trade.
He quoted from three different
statements made by Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, the years 1898, 1898 and
1899. These distinctly show the dis
tressful condition of the members of
the federation under the democratic
administration of President Cleveland.
The second statement shows the inn
provement in the condition of labor
within year from the time that
President Mckinley was inaugurated.
The third quotation, at the close Of
1890, is standing memorial to the
benefits derived by American labor
under republican administration and
republican laws that are designed to
protect our wage-earners, and enable
them to secure the highest possible
rate Of wages in return for the labor
which they have 10 sell.
In conclusion Gen. Dick said: "It
is but right to state here that Mr..
Gompers, the president of the American
Federation Of Labor, is now, and al
ways has been, an incorporating
democrat. His frank and unsolicited
testimony to the better conditions Of