Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-24
A MEAN THING.

Monopoly in any form always can he
depended on to be mean and the great.
er the monopoly the meaner is its
This fact has been strikingly shown
in the recent advance Of a cent on the
gallon in the price Of kerosene oil, or.
ordered by the Standard Oil Company.
This is the second rise in the price Of
this prime necessity OF life since Sep.
tember The total increase OF cost TO
the retuIl customer has been from =
cents TO IA riso Of 80 per cent.
This is not the effect OF any scarcity
OF the product The supply never was
50 abundant, and now sources of sup
ply are developing all the time. It IS
not made necessary in order that tie
owners of Standard oil stock may have
n fair interest on their Investment.
The last advance followed n final divl-
dend, which, together with those
previously declared, made the aggre.
gate for the year 40 per cent. The
stock upon which this enormous divi-
dend has been paid is watercd to an eX-
tent unknown TO the public, but enough
to make the dividend upon any fair
valuation equal TO at least 80 per cent
This unconscionable increase in the
price of what yields such astonishing
profits is made possible by the fact
that the transaction is based on a mon-
oroly Of something which, next to air
and water is perhaps rs near an out
and-out gift OF nature to man as can
be conceived. Tho earth for countless
ages has been storing It up in her
underground reservoirs, waiting until
the fulness Of time should call for it's
release to purposes of usefulness and
benefcence to humanity Yet It has
been possible for one artificial person
to corner this great bounty Of nature
10 fix an arbitrary price upon its use,
n price not graduated to it's abundance
at all. and to exact more for its enjoy.
ment Ms the necessity for 1t becomes
greater.
For IL Is another evidence of the
characteristic meanness OF monopoly
that this added price Is the direct re-
suit Of the increase in the cost of coal.
AS soon as coal advanced beyond the
power Of the poor TO buy It in quaint,
ties sufficient TO keep them warm in Sc.
we're weather, the Standard OIL Com
pany at once began TO exploit their
product as the proper substitute. Its
virtues as source Of heat were exten.
sivaly advertised, ana the company put
thousands Of oil stoves on the market,
AZ n large pront, to relieve a little the
hardships or the coal famine. Poor
folks bought these stoves M godsend,
and II began To look as If the octopus
had some bowels OF compassion, II II
had no soul At that time oil was sell
ing at 8 cents. No sooner was the first
lot Of stoves marketed than the price
was Increased TO 10 cents, and now the
second rise is added as the depth Of
winter is upon MS. The poor consumer
is frSt pillaged by Sn unnecessary al.
vance in the price OF ono kind Of fucl,
and then il turned over to be robbed in
the cost OF another, and nll this that
dividends may accrue TO those who do
spoil him, up 10 figure which the most
hardened trust tdcfonder will not under.
tRke TO justify.
But tho moanness OF this business
does not stop here, 1t IL equally the
characteristic Of monopoly to not only
rob the community OF It's substance,
but to take away It's selt-respect also
Immediately following the big divi.
dend and accompanying tho increase in
the price OF oil, Mr.. John D. Rockefel-
ler mado fresh gift to the Chicago