The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-10-16
| MIR. STICKNEY.

q - s22 ~I)st Interesting of the
: =, : e. .'% i'.;,~!~ at the, recent confer
'''....' Z: >}4rl2|> and employe in Min
. ~ f2::s AT made by A. B. Stick
ney, of St. Paul, on ''Rewards of In
dustry-Produced and Divided Mr..
Stickney is president Of the Chicago &
Great Western Railway Co., and is a
most successful business man and a
great student of social and political
economy. He uttered great truth
when he said ''The only thing which
has or can benefit the economic condi-
tions OF man, be he rich or poor, is an
improved and enlarged thinking ap-
paratus." This is the great secret OF
industrial freedom, but after all of
what benefit would be an enlarged and
improved thinking apparatus to man
if conditions were such that he could
not have the opportunity to toll, nor
have the opportunity to operate manu-
featuring plants, etc. But we presume
that Mr.. Stickney meant that the en-
larged and improved thinking appara-
tus would be of such character that a
man like President Baer of the Read
ing road would not lose his sense of
decency, dignity and respect while in
attendance at an important conference
with the chief executive of the nation.
Mr.. Stickney's idea of an up-to. date
thinking apparatus is of one that does
not beget such extremists as Debs
or Baer.
Mr.. Stickney said in speaking of the
consolidation of capital in industrial
enterprises of all kinds: ITO the. ex-
tent that capital has been organized
for the legitimate purpose of increas-
ing production and at the same time
reducing it's labor cost it has been sue
cessful." But he said that of late years
there had been a consolidation of Or
CARNATIONS for controlling prices,
though he thought that these big
trusts and combines would not DESTROY
competition, for all prices are reason
able only as considered in a relative
sense to other prices. He said: <'>
If, therefore, by combinations, there should
become only one seller for each commodity,
and one OF those sellers acting in his own Self
| interest to get as much as he could, should fix
| the price which he deemed reasonable, the law
| of self-preservation would compel the other
sellers to fix prices which, in their Judgment,
would be relatively as high. The competition
would then take the form of constantly raising
| prices which would soar higher and higher I'M
| til, like a steam engine without a governor
they would run away with themselves. -.
In speaking of the community of in
terest plan he thought that it was too
young to have a history. Combina-
tions of capital under this plan have
been doing business during a period of
wonderful growth and development
when demand has exceeded the supply,
a condition which under natural laws
makes for higher prices. In speaking
of labor organizations Mr.. Stickey
said:
They are not organized for the purpose of in
| creasing the rewards of industry, but solely for
| the purpose of helping the wage Garner in max.
| ing a fair trade in getting a fair division.
There would seem to be a field of usefulness
for such CARNATIONS, if managed with intelli-
gence and with due regard to the fundamental
fact of wages, namely that nothing can be di-
vlded between wages, profit and capital, en-
gagged in any occup alton, except that which is
produced by that particular occupation, and
| with due regard to the natural law of supply
and demand.
In this connection he touched upon a
phase of the coal miners strike in
which he stated that in the anthracite
coal regions 100000 laborers are en-
ployed, and the amount of coal which
is consumed can only give employment
for but two-thirds of the time. Thus
10000 laborers are spending their time
to do the work of 100000 men, leaving
surplus of $4,000 laborers idle from
years end to years end. Dividing the
products of 100000 laborers' work be-
tween 100000 reduces all the poverty.
It is no wonder that with such con-
dition of affairs in the anthracite re-
gions that some have been eager to go
back to work, and this is a condition
that has aggravated matters, though
it seems. strangely against natural and
economic laws that so, 900 surplus abor.
ers will remain in an improbable field,