The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-18
DESTROYING A MoNopoLY.

Those who believed that the recent ma
tional campaign would result in bringing
the evil of the trusts SO prominently into
the foreground of public thought that
steps would be taken by this or the next
congress to subject those organizat lions
to intelligent control will find their ex-
pectations far from realization. There
can be but little doubt that the question
has lost most of its Importance to the
public sense, and that there will continue
a degree of public apathy on the subject
for the next few years which can be
disturbed only by some occurrence which
will direct the peoples thought anew to
the dangers which inhere in the lack Of
regulation of such organizations.
While public authority thus shows de-
cided Discrimination to move in the direc-
ton Of the trusts, it is gratifying to OBJ
serve that sound economic laws are not
wholly deadened In operation. Even the
most gigantic and welI-directed efforts
made at establishing monopolies in the
various branches Of trade are liable to
meet setbacks from unexpected direc-
lions. AS long of course as potential com
petition Is not wholly choked off there
can be no true monopoly in private in
dustry; and the choking off of such com
petition is not even under the most ia
Yorable circumstances an easy task
among an enterprising and wealthy neo-
pie like the American.
An illustration of this is offered in
the recent developments in the industry
OF the manufacture of steel and iron
pipes. 1t will be remembered that the
only case in which the federal autho.i-
ties have taken steps to prevent the oper-
alton of monopoly is in this industry,
when a contract in restraint of trade en-
tered into by the ADHESION Steel Fipe
company, as member of trade COM
bination, was declared illegal through the
action of the United States attorney gen
eral. That action has been followed I'D
by an assault on the steel pipe comb:na-
ton by the formation by Andrew Carne-
gle of an opposition concern. The Ma
tional Tube company now maintains
practical control of the trade in iron
and steel pipes and tubes No some
was left unturned to secure the concefn
the necessary monopoly. Pra teal v eV-
cry producing plant in the country was
taken possession of, until at least so
per cent of them were brought in and
the remainder were deprived of all eff
fectiveness as competitors.
1t is scarce eighteen months since this
operation was successfully carried out;
yet here we are today confronted by the
pleasing intelligence that all these efforts
promise to result in failure. For Mr..
Carnegie's company certainly can he
regarded as possessing all the facilities
for controlling It's share of the business
in steel and iron pipes. It has the
needful capital to engage in the business
on such a scale as will effectively break
down any attempted monopoly. 1t has
that capital and the necessary mechani-
cal facilities concentrated at one point,
and that point generally regarded as be-
United States, for the successful conduct
of such an industry.
The lesson is certainly hopeful one
1t goes far toward sustaining the theory
that effective competition is not neces-
sarily destroyed when a given trust OBJ
tains control of the existing means of
production in its line of industry. 1t
would not be surprising If, after all is
said and done, it is forced on the COM
prehension of the gentlemen Of the
trusts that private monopoly is quite
shaky institution in most Of the indus
tries of the country, as long as men of
brains and capital are to be found out
side of the stockholders Of the contem-
plated monopoly.