The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-24
10 DISCUSS TRUSTS
implement Dealers VIII lake
Up a live Subject
PRICES ARE TOO HIGH
Something Must be Done TO
Bring Relief.

the coming meeting OF implement gaen
VIII be the prices 81 goods next yea.
which viii show a very large advance
Already retail dealers are discussing Il
and they are much annoyed over ths
prospects The farmers generally 90 nor
know yet that the goods are advanced
and those who. In "a general way. have
heard OF il. do not realize now large
the advance VIII be. II VIII be noticeable
that the farmers viii kick and the retail
dealers viii be the ones 20 Dc
squeezed. They must pay the manufac-
turers their prices and they realize that
they cannot increase the retail price ia
proportion 70 the wholesale price. u. So.
Blaine OF Pratt attributes the increased
prices TO the control OF the goods hy the
trusts ana he says ID shall be the uul-
pose OF the implement dealers % arouse
the farmers so that they wiu demand
OF their congressman that they 90 some-
thing 70 curb the rarscity ~ the indus
trial combinations. lie says that move
ment has already been started and he
looks Tor il To cover twenty states Within
the next Few months and that scntl-
ment viii be cry stalled that VIII nnd its
way into the capitol at WASHINGTON
II am opposed not only 70 the proposed
pillow trust. and 20 All other trusts ana
combinations that are ia any way coa-
nected with the manufacture and sale ~
any goods that i as a retail implement
dealer am selling. or Of material used in
the manufacture Of such goods" said MI
Blaine 20 an Eagle reporter yesterday.
"Ail trusts and combinations that nave
been organized thus Tar have been the
fore~runuers Of an advance IN the selling
prices OF articles manufactured ar con-
trolled by the trusts. This has created
strong sentiment among the retail dealers
customers and when IL Is known
by them that an article IS manufacture
by a trust, no matter what the price may
be. the customer objects 20 buying IT,
claiming thar n the article was not coa-
trolled by the trusts 10 wouid be sold Tor
less money. This neccssitatcs "a VASE
amount % explanation and increases the
work FOR TIE retail dealer in selling goods
making il very expensive 70 do cuisines.
Trusts destroy competition ana when
there is no competition the manuf1ciu-
rers lose the incentive 10 improve their
product and TO increase the utility az
the articles manufactured. The trns,a
limit production and often the supply go
manufactured articles Is NOT sufficient O.
meet the demand. Thus the retail dealer
loses many orders and the profits on
them and his customers blame him. This
has been thoroughly demonstrated in the
past three or four years by the con-
ditions in the iron and steel market.
which is controlled hy trusts. They cur
tailed the output OF structural material
so that many msuufactereTs have been
unable TO obtain adequate supplies and
have boen compelled 90 limit the output
OF their factories. causing great loss
70 the manufacturer. 3ohhers. dealers
and cousum erE. Trusts manipulate tho
market in about the came way that grain
men carry on corner ORE some cereal
that people must have They force prices
up beyond legitimate values They are
checked only when they attempt % cone
troll the growing crops 10 seems q INC
that u IS poor policy % permit combina-
lions and trusts 20 obtain control ~ auF
article and % 81 the duty ~ every rctan
merchant 20 aim 20 prevent The organ
ization Of trusts and combination. p
fact. All the retail merchants GO every
line ~ trade should ioin IN a general De-
mand upon their reprrseutatirea in cen
gross % enact strong and Efficient national
antitrust laws az the coming session of
congress All members ~ congress. re-
gnrdiess 81 party. are pledged ta give
as such legislation bv the platforms u1on
which they are elected ~ Tho corafl-
tuition ~ enc United States O. rot suFe
lenHy broad % permit IBIS 90 he done
70 should De amended and 81 oar repre-
sentatives continue fo ignore thie Qres
ton and refuse 20 IN their dufF fhe
retail merchants ard cusfomere haFe thr
power % retire them and elect men fr
their places who wni protect their ir-
tereetr
hope that on th~ retail implement
dealers araciatlora in their coming coa-
vcntious viii adopt reReistians along fh'sr
unr- and fhat earh member viH pIe1e
himself Individually g. organize az anfi-
trust learuc On hIa own fown or eoanff
and ingltc fhe other retail merchants aEl
his ard thelr customers fa iain h.m in
demand on congress so ~ BEE duf Tnrr
shouid bring their Influence e. hfar e.
rrrialiv rron fhrir irts1 rfrfrrfrfatIfrr
under renaftv ~ hir Retirement = 80 fsiis
70 d. go Trey ask