The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-10-10


south, he will take such steps Is
will put this elemer at the head Of
he new political movement that
will liberste the South from political
thraldom and make It's industrial
q certainty. |
OWNERSHIP THE
REMEDY.
1t Is generally concede | that the
worst evil resulting from the COLL
bination Of vast aggregatiOns Of cap
ital Is the destruction of Individual
and the consequent
power which Is given to the trusts
to raise the prices Of necessary CON-
mOdities. In enumerating the great
trusts the fact must not be overlook
ID hat the railway trusts have 1t In
their hands to influence the prices of
more staple necessities than any
other agency. The great railway
systems of the United States are
rapidly being gathered under the
same control. The result of this
movement, Of course, Is to destroy
competition and make 1t possible for
freight rates to be put up 10 the
maximum limit to satisfy the greed
of these powerful corporations. In
the end the consumer must pay
these advanced freight charges. AS
illustrating In very apt manner
this deplOrable but certain effect of
enormous railway combination, we
copy the following interview ap-
pearing In the Washington Post:
awhile the recent combinations
of railroads In this country have not
materily advanced freight rates SO
far as coal is concerned, they have
resulted in the price of coal being in.
creased" remarked Mr.. John Duff,
Of New Bedford, Mass who is at
the Arlington with his wife and
daughter. "You see," he continued,
"all but about Is per cent. of the
total output Of the coal Of the Uni.
ted States Is controlled by the rail-
roads. Prior to the consolidation
the roads owned as many mines as
they do now, but 1t was individual
ownership, and competition kept the
price down. Now there Is no com.
petition, and as result we pay just
about 81 ton more for coal, both
hard and soft, than we did one yea,
ago.
''The Lehigh, the Philadelphia
and Reading, the Delaware, Lacka.
wanna snd Western, the Jersey Cen
trail, and the Pennsylvania roads in
the big Morgan syndicate own prac
tically all the coal mines in thi.
Eastern section. They secured them
by increasing freight rates to the
mine owners along their lines
thereby compelling them to sell out
Railroad rates for shipment of Goa
are about the same, but they stay
down because the companies dom
have to put them up. They put thu
increase on the coal itself. Of course
we here in the East ship most of oul
coal by water, but most of thu
barge companies are controlled by
the railroads of the combination
Rates have not advanced for waite
shipment, because an increase woult
Immediately drive many vessel
now csrrying other products int
the coal business"
| 1t appears from this very lucit
statement that the great railroad
controlled by the Morgan syndicat
secured control Of nearly all the Goa
mines in the East by advancin,
freight rates and thus compellin,
individual owners to sell their mine
to the roads. Then, having obtaine'
the mines, they are in a position t
make the price of coal what they Sc
fit to make it, there being no com
potion to operate against them:
1t will not be denied that there !
no single commodity so importan
to the industrial progress and ms
terial welfare of every portion Q
the United States as coal. tits tn
primal force that turns the wheel
Of every mill and factory in on
country. And yet under presen
conditions the immense aggregatio
Of railroad capital is able to name II
own price for this universal and al
solutely necessary commodity.
/ We ask If any measure can b
proposed that would more effective
!, ly put an end to this abnormal COZ
dition than would the government
ownership Of railroads. 1t Is useles
; to say that railroads insofar rs the
are engaged In interstate commerc
are under the control of Congress
In the light of history 1t might q
most better be said that Congress
under the control of railroads. The,