The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-11-30

NJ n Gary. chairman of the executive COM
,;ttee of the United States Steel Corporation
Ctbe steel trust) has been interviewed by Mf.
lanes Creeluan of the New York World and
has said some very impressive things-that 49,
thew were intended to be impressive
speakinq of the corporations attitude toward
rs workincnen, who number r66,I65 and receive
annually in wages $rao,7a7.a4t "a little over S72o
eaeh) he said our first concern is Tor inc
welfare of our workingmcn We have more man
once voluntarily advanced wages. It is to our
interest to be just to our employees
That may be accepted in entire good faith
though it does not necessarily imply any merit OF
righteousness The most intelligent business men
nowadays understand that success depends large
w upon satisfied labor and that strikes are eN-
psnsiye Even the coal operators, the most
heartess and insoent Of the captains OF IN
dustry." now realize that they must make con-
cessions upon occasion
But Mr. Gary's most ponderous remark is this,
which so impressed the World that it was flashed
up in blackfaced type;
All sound organizers Of industry recognize the
absurdity of the monopoly theory. no large
industry can last in America unless 1t Is iouhned
on the basis of competition that is, the survival
Of the fttest If the United States Stee! Cor-
poration the most powerful private INSTITUTION
IN the world IS TO hNCCSGut II MUS nv GA" -
not found its policy on a program OF monopoly
| Its success is due to the highest form OF com
petition competition in brains, IN methods, IN
work There is tremendous competition going
on all the time between Our various mus,
friendly good natured rivalry, but none the less
| eager. It is the kind of competition that Is
| giving the industrial supremacy OF the world
| into the hands OF America. No, we know very
well that we can not win by the device of mo-
| nopoly. We must win by getting possession OF
the best and most economical raw products and
| by using the most concentrated and highly de-
| veloped methods of production, his is COM
petitive not monopolistic idea. We win IN
| the markets of the world because we deserve to
win We can do better work than our rivals
Mr. Gary goes on to relate that the several
mills of the corporation compete with one an
other in methods, economies, ideas etc, and
that the excellence Of one local management
serves as an example and stimulus to the
others.
All Of which is very high sounding. Then he
unwttingy adds
OF course, the first element Of strength which
| the United States Steel Corporation has IS its
possession Of raw products We own 10000 acres
of Connelsyille coal practically the whole sup
| ply OF the world. We also own 10000 acres of
! Pocahontas coal These two Goals beat the world
| for cheapness and quality. We also own 7oo
. 10000 tons of unmined iron. We have methods
Of measuring the supply III the ground and that
is our estimate. Then we have about 1900 miles
of our own railroads, besides something like
| hundred and fifteen steel boats on the lakes.
! Our vast system of steel and iron mills is con-
trolled by fifteen subsidiary companies, which in
! turn control their own subsidiary companies,
It is further explained that German steel
Germs have confessed their inability to compete
with the United States Steel Corporation for
lack of money and materials and that the com
ponent mills Of the system make no expenditures
or deals of consequence without the approval Of
the general executive committee.
Mr. Gary is confusing terms BY his own
showing his concern dominates the steel market
of the entire world by its ownership Of raw
material its prevention of competitive waste and
its tremendous power OF capital.
This is the essence of monopoly
Z = 4
Buyers of steel railroads contractors and
others who use iron goods in any OF its forms
will all testify that they can buy only from the
trust or its agents and that they are not al
lowed even to control the routing of the freight
which clearly means that the trust gets rebate
on the published rate
The competition of which Mr. Gary speaks
is the competition OF race horses running for
record, and all belonging to the same stud. which
takes all the winnings, 1t is not competition
IN trade in any sense and nobody will be deceived
by the sophistry
Mr., Gary doubtless seeks to convey the i'm
preston that his monopoly uses its power eo,ita-
bly, As between itself and its EMPLOYEES ner-
haps it does. But what of the publicp How
does the consumer fare under this gigantic svs-
temp Why, it simply accepts the prices and
terms of the trust
Elimination OF the waste of competition and
the excellence of service may be conceded az
advantages Of counhi n alton 49, :. -
pear that the public shares in these BLESSINGS
We know that the steel trusts profits are .nor
nous and that so far from prices declining thew
have advanced
What then, does the public rece3v. for r.,
hitting the exercise of such monono,ys a.
no" iaT may human nature be trusted with such
power' wan euon
In fact the modern trust is bpt s.,s.h
plieaton of socialism. It IS eomp,,,,;t,, ~ :: =;
'erest only between employer and emnloved ~.
gus 81 me public are absolutely ignored There
Is no Soundness in it and it can NOT he i,,.t;sa1
Guy philosophy or theory OF government. for
" mlsuses the public welfare which is the s,,r....
concern Of all organized society
The question here arises: Shan 49,,
! we-abate the trust by heroic measure. I'm 04n
these modern organizations Of s-t,,. US, UpI
economy and wonderful aebisver,sr, $50
thelr millions into the primitive channels 90 49,,
petition and get back to first princinlos N0l'-
ueesf This will involve tremendous s,r,,,,at.
and no little disturbance, for III.
nightly entrenched They are defended /, L,-t
places by those who enjoy their bo,,,.;.' IS
/ oy great array of servants and be,.e.;.,...
lawyers in their employ, newspapers H..
their patronage and even educators ,,d -, 80
whose institutions and .b,r.L '''S4s