Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-08-23
The Grip of Trusts.

of prosperity, the Democratic Con-
gressional Committee is preparing llt-
erature proving that trusts have raised
prices generally for the consumer. A
statement of fluctuations Of leading
products controlled by trusts during
1899 includes the following:
The linseed oil trust raised the
price from Al cents on January 7 to
50 cents on December so.
The Standard Oil Company raised
the price on petroleum from $3.50 on
January 7 to $3.50 on December 80.
The sugar trust raised the price on
graduated sugar from 494 cents on
January 7 to 81 cents on December
80.
The chemical trust raised the price
of ipecac from $3.50 per pound on
January 7 to $3.50 per pound on De-
cember 80. The same trust raised
the price of camphor from So! cents
on January 7 to 81! cents on Decem-
Der so. The same trust raised the
price of quinine from q cents on jan
uary T to 50 cents on December 80.
The same trust raised the price of sal
soda from GO! cents on January to
70 cents on December 30.
The leather trust raised the price
Of leather from 90 cents on January
: to 254 cents on December 80.
The calico trust raised the price of
calico from % cents on January to
81 cents on December 80 for print
cloths and from t cents to 4 ! cents on
indigo prints.
The jute trust raised the price on
jute hemp from q cents on January
7 to 80 cents on December 80.
The lead trust raised the price Of
pig lead from $3.50 on January 7 to
$4.65 on December 80.
The tinplate trust raised the price
on tinplate from So box on January
7 to 1926 on December 80.
The cement trust raised the price of
Rosendale from IS cents on January
6 to 90 cents on December 90. 1t
raised the price during the same pc
Rod on Portland cement from $1.95
to 50 %.
The nail trust increased the price
of nails from $l1O on January 4,
1899, to $3.50 on January 3, 1900.
The same trust increased the price of
wire nails from $1.85 to $500 during
the same period.
The Structural Iron Company in
creased the plice of structural angles
from $l.15 on January 4, 1899, to
1926 on January 8, 1900.
The coal trust increased the price Of
anthracite ccal from 1915 on Janua-
airy +, 1899, to 1920 on January 8,
1900.
The glass trust increased the price
of glass from $257 on January 4,
1899, to $2S SO on January 8, 1900.
The rubber trust increased the price
of rubber from "a cents on January
1, 1899, to $l.45 on January 8, 1900.
The price of boots and shoes, con-
trolled by the leather trust, shows an
increase during the year 1899 on
mems grain shoes from 81 cents to
SLIP; on Creedmore splits from %
cents to $l.10, and a like increase on
all grades Of boots and shoes.
The price of cotton goods increased
80 per cent. White sheeting on Jan
uary II sold at $3.50 and on De-
cember 20 at $23.
The only price to fall were those Of
farm products. The Year Book Of the
Department of Agriculture for 1899,
which has recently been issued, shows
that the farm products and farm an
imals in 1899, although vastly in
creased in quantity since 1890, had
fallen off in value to the extent Of
$7O6,969, 97l. This only counts as
farm products, corn, wheat, oats, bar
ley, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, hay and
cotton. If the farm products Of 1899
had brought the same prices as did
the same products in 1890, they
would have brought more than they
did by the sum of $1,000, 7584.
The farmers raised 1,0l3,00O,0
more bushels of produce in 1899 than
they did in 1890, and yet this pro-
duce was worth $2O5, OOO,OO0less than
was the smaller crop of 1890. This
only calculates the cereals.
The farmers of the United States
are paying 80 l-3 per cent. more for
all they consume than they were when
the present Administration went into
power on March /, 1897, and have
lost during the present Administra'
ton nearly $2,0OO,OOO,0OO by the de-