Oakes Republican., 1902-02-21
WANTED..-A METHOD.

The Bathgate Pick Paper says:
"Down with the trusts" and an-
nGunces itself as the foe to all mono
poty. The Herald has tried FROM
ti4Io to time to obtain from its neigh
be- some expression of opinion as to
bow the trusts were to be downed,
and has at all tines been willing to
hAip the plan along if it gave promise
@; GOOD results. But so far there has
been nothing in the way of a definite
p,oposal for the destruction of the
trusts except possibly the election Of
tEly- democrats to Office. Tie Herald
u ISL confess that it seriously doubts
tile efficacy of the plan. Again, the
Ee-aid asks in all earnestness, h~w
does the Pink Paper think we should
g. about the work of downing the
trusts? In an editorial this week
E.c. Wilson refers to the paper i'll
d0stry as one which is in the grasp
OF \ monopoly, which monopoly op
pe4ases the consumers of paper all
osar the country. He quotes an az
tjcie with reference to this subject,
t:io tenor Of which is that the duties
or paper should be reduced or abol-
isned. This seems to be fair prop
o-l'ion, but will it destroy the paper
trust? That it will afford some re-
Iff cannot be doubted, and for that
reason this paper is for it as a means
temporary relief, But is this the
solution OF the trust question? No
o;e who has watched the develop
nl~nts Of the past few years with care
can believe that it is. In the case of
tue paper trade are we to suppose
thar the manufacturers who have
made themselves wealthy by being
abb to control the output uf all the
mills, and to whom the abolition of
the duties means a great shriukage
in revenues for time will calmly sit
down and accept their reduced pro-
hta without trying TO augment them
by other means2 Bro Wilson may
know the paper men better than w-
do, but it is our impression that they
are very much AS other men are, AID
that being deprived of tLeir great
profits in one direction, they will at
tempt to make them good in another.
I we abolish the duty on paper
what would be the most natural step
for the paper men to take? Our
paper would not necessarily come
fson Canada, but the product of that
sountry would become q competitor
With that of our own mills, and un-
lass our manufacturers sold at lower
prices the Canadians would under.
sell them. The Americans would
therefore be obliged to lower their
prices to level with the Canadian
prices, plus transportation charges.
We would get our paper at a lower
rate. So far 80 good, and the Herald
is in favor OF the plan. But again we
ask, what would the manufacturers
do next7 They would set about the
work of enlarging the field of their
monopoly 80 as to embrace both
Canada and the United States. This
could be done by purchasing the
Canadian mills, by buying the forests
from which the supply of pulp tim
ter is obtained, by making a pooling
agreement with the Canadians as to
division of territory and fixing of
prices, or by the organization of an
international paper company which
would own all the mills in both coun-
tries. There may be other means by
which the desired end could be
reached, but any of those mentioned
would he effective. In any case the
effect on the consumer would be the
same. Prices would go to as high q
point ss the trade would bear.
This brings W to the question
again: "WhAt would Bro. Wilson