The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-10-10
WAYS TO DO 1T
THE PROPOSED FOREIGN CURE
FOR TRUST EVILS.
Tariff Reduction Would Make Our
Country Dumping Ground for the
Surplus Production of Cheap Labor
in Other Countries.

A common charge against the
trusts" is that they deliberately
dump their surplus products upon for
eign countries at any price attainable
while keeping up prices at home. That
is probably true of the trusts, for it is
true of every manufacturing concern,
big or little, which ever produced a
surplus in this or any country. 1t is
true of our farmers who secure from
all railroad companies lower freights
on grain and meat destined for export
than on that to be consumed at home,
surplus on other countries. Where no
tariff exists freight rates are made to
answer the purpose. The Pacific
coast is and always has been dump
ing ground for every manufacturer in
America. A st. Louis manufacturer,
if he has a surplus, will sell 1t to be
shipped to this coast, or for export,
cheaper than he would sell it into the
territory on which he relies for his
main support. So we may assume
to the practice which has obtained in
all countries since international trade
existed-or any other trade, for that
matter The main object of produc-
ing a surplus is to keep labor en-
ployed during periods of depression,
In this employers are influenced part
ly. by the desire to keep trained force
together and to keep their machinery
going, and also, very largely by feel
ings of humanity. At any rate, the
production of surpluses in America
does give employment, to a vast
number of Americans who would
otherwise be idle. All nations COM
pete with each other in the disposal of
surpluses-nearly always at less than
home rates. 1t is not in any sense
peculiar to the trusts"
Now there are two ways of dealing
with surpluses entering from foreign
countries. One way is to encourage
them to come in, which speedily shuts
up the home industries-and the
smaller first of all-because no indus
try can compete with goods sold at
cost or less, and nearly all interna-
tional trade has come to be in sur
pluses. That is the method which
free trade Democrats desire us to
adopt, and they are seeking to direct
the popular prejudice against trusts,
against trade practice which existed
before trusts were heard of and will
continue to exist after they are under
control, and would exist just the same
If they were blotted out of existence.
The other way is that proposed by
German. statesmen, and likely to be
adopted by all Europe-to keep sur
pluses out by stiff tariff. That, in
the case of sugar, was proposed by the
Brussels sugar conference. 1t is like
ly to be applied to all products. Just
now the American copper trust has a
surplus which it is dumping on any
foreign market which will receive it.
But German statesmen won't have it.
Although Germany produces but about
one-third the copper which she uses,
her people are determined that Ger
man mines shall not be closed down
by American copper sold in those mar
kets at less than cost of production.
A committee of the Reichstag has &C.
cordingly proposed duty on raw cop
per, which will apparently be adopted.
Germany thinks it more profitable to
keep her own people employed than to
buy cheap American copper at the
cost of the idleness of a portion of her
own people. 1t is to our interest that
she should do so. If our trust sur
pluses are kept out of foreign coun-
tries they must be sold at home, which
will reduce the price of all copper in
this country. The Republican policy
is like that Of Germany-protect our
industries-trusts and all-against the
influx of the SURPRISES of foreign
trusts sold here at less than cost. The
Democratic policy is to invite these
SURPRISES and close down our own
works. 1t is for the American people
to choose between them.-San Fran
cisco Chronicle.