The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-24
TRUSTS AND COMBINATIONS.
What Cooperation Has Done in the
world of Capital.

Just as the law of cooperation developed
in the labor world so it has developed in
the world of capital out of natural condi-
lions and the necessities of the people.
For example: The farmer ships his grain
to distant points, hundreds, thousands OF
miles away He needs cheap rates and
quick dispatch. Short and separate lines of
railroad were inconvenient, high priced, UNI
safe and slow The business man required
his mail by the swiftest means; delay OF
day. an hour, may mean disaster. Thus
TRANSPORTATION men found that their profit
lay in meeting the necessities of the pro-
ducing and the business world. Here in
Indiana segregated roads were consolidated
into the big Four lines. The old j., NJ. &
l., Vincennes and Vandalia were absorbed
by the Pennsylvania. What followed? I'm
proved service, increased employment of
labor, higher wages. regular pay, reduced
rates on freight, lower fares for travel,
directness, speed and safety. For example:
The average rate per hundred-weight on
grain from Greensburg to Chicago during
twenty-five years before the Big Four con-
solidation was SS cents. To-day it is cents.
To New York the old rate was 6714 cents;
to-day 1917 cents. On live stock from
rate for twenty-five years before consolida-
ton was SO cents per hundredweight; to-
day it is Is cents. To New York then, S1.10;
to-day. 81 cents.
Connection did not cause all this, be-
cause between Greensburg and Chicago
there is not, and never has been, the slight
est competition. What did cause 1t? Mere
| ly this simple law: Low rates mean greater
! shipments, and hauling vast quantities at
| ar1c
| Consider the Improvement in speed! Be
fore consolidation the average time OF
transportation of a car of freight from
! Greensburg to Chicago was nearly three
! DAYS: to-day the average time Is sixteen
! hours To New York the old time was
! ten to fifteen days; now the average time IS
! convenience. Before consolidation a pas
! senger going from Terre Haute to New
/ York had to change cars five times; to-day
he goes through without a single change
! OR take railway employment throughout
! the whole Republic. In 1880 less than i5OOVO
| men were employed by American railways,
| receiving little over S4OO,OO0,OOO IN salaries
| and wages every year In lNV nearly
! / 200 900 men were employed by railroads
! and were paid nearly 5SOOOO.0O0 every year.
/ This increase was not caused oy new rail-
WAYS. because to-day there are nearly 3O0,-
! GOO more men employed by railways than
/ were employed in 1897, and are paid nearly
! $3.50 100000 more every year than they were
/ Maid in 1897 and since then not enough new
/
| Grafton 1900 men.
THE SO-CALLED STEEL TRUST.
or take a manufacturing corporation as
an illustration-the Steel Trust. 1t employs
over 10000 more laboring men now than the
total number employed by all the establish
ments which We're consolidated into this
single company. The Steel Trust employs
to-day more than 10000 laborers and pays
them more than sos 100000 every year in
wages, not including officers and salaries.
The average wage to each laborer is 20 per
cent larger than before consolidation, and
aggregate wages are over 10 per cent.
greater than before Another illustration:
Less than a generation ago, farmers bought
their wagons from numberless blacksmith
| shops and paid s120 for each wagon. The
farmers business increased, roads multi
! plied more wagons are required. Natural
conditions made wagon ma king a specialized
and consolidated INDUSTRY. ana To-Day the
/ enormous establishment OF the Stu1ebakers
/ is one of the glories of our State and Ma
! ton. 1t has not destroyed the little black
/ smith shops. which are now more numerous
| than ever; and yet il has given to the mil
lions of users of wagons perfect wagons at
$60--half the old-time price. When most OF
| the men of this convention We're farmer
I BOYS, Dlows were made at the village black
smith shop In comparison with the fin
. shed instrument OF agriculture which the
I
1 our boyhOOd plows were cruUV, heavy and
| expensive. Did these organizations cause
I all this progress? No. the American people.
/ with powers untettered, caused IL. and in
. dustrial and commercial organization is
( only one of the peoples methods OF prog
I ress. And now the opposition proposes the
4 destruction of those agencies OF the people
/ developing energies. That programme OF
/ destruction the opposition proposes to make
I one of it's issues in this campaign. II is the
/ policy Of disaster. True statesmanshil
/ says Hands off OF the activities OF the
/ American people, and they will achieve as
never nation yet achieved Let the Amer