The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-31

and that temporary surplus production Ia not
only natural but that 1t s necessary TO mans
comfort and welfare. Some time IN the past,
man discovered that tho earth yielded It's food
products during short annual periods which we
now call harvest, and that II he would enjoy
these products continuously, he must gather and
store up Of the surplus during these periods. SUI.
icent to satisfy his wants until the next harvest.
This was mans first lesson In learning that ten.
porary surplus production was a necessity to his
comfort and welfare, and was not "over'produc.
tion." Ovcr.production Is a term which should
never be applied TO the production Of any useful
or desirable commodity, which can he preserved
and carried to place or time when II Will sure.
ly be needed.
Only a few years aga there were seasons when
the receipts Of fruit in all large cities were somc
times so great within q few days. and the prices
were forced so low, that the fruit scarcely
brought the amount Of the freight; and in some
cases large quantities went to decay for want OF
demand This in turn discouraged shipments.
and then would succeed a season Of great scare.
ity. It took experience and many years Of loss
to teach man how to rectity this condition. But
finally II was accomplished BY the establishments
Of cold storage warehouses, where fruits were
kept In temperature at which chemical change
ceased, and thus these products were preserved
In perfect condition for months. The result Is
that the prices Of such products arc now more
uniform and stable, the public is more regularly
supplied; the profits OF both producers and deal.
crs arc uniform and more ren,uneratve, and both
the production and consumption Of these articles
have been greatly augmented. It was temporary
surplus production Of fruit, before 1t was brought
Under intelligent control, which caused the ir-
regularity. In oir ignorance we called it over.
production. 1t was not ovor.production: II was
temporary surplus production-which, despite
mans slowntss to appreciate II, uncrring nature
persisted in thrustng before his notice until he
discovered that this temporary surplus was the
one and only thing out Of which it was possible
to create regularity in both supplies and prices
So we find vegetables. cgs, butter. fis,, poultry
and many other pcrishabe articles. getting the
benefit of an intelligent system which brings
regularity of supply out of irrcgularity Of pro.
duction.
As man masters the art Of dealing intellicently
with the temporary surplus production OF each
article. we hear more Of over.production in
connection with that aticlc.
Cases OF temporary surplus production are
necessity of growth and progress, and will only
cease when the business Of the country ceases to
increase and develop. In colonial times, every
nail produced was hammered out by hand. Now,
by the aid of machinery. one man will turn out
a thousand times as many halls as in colonial
days. During the interim, the temporary in.
equalities between the supply and demand have
| many times required to be adjusted to each 9TH.
cr. We have had. in other words. frequent tenn.
porary surplus production of nails. But in the
end the nails have been consumed. None lave
been destroyed for want OF a market, and hence
| we have had no ovcr-producton of nails. The
fact that such inequalities have always occurred,
| and will continue to occur, simply cmpha szcs
the Importance Of making logiral and
| necessary provision to turn dull seasons TO profit
when they do occur.
| WE MUST BE GUIDED BY NATURES LAWS.
While it is true that ovcr.production is not
| an admissible proposition. it is also true That
supply and demand for any one thing rarely Ire.
serves an equilibrium for any great length OF
time: nor can it be expected that nature art
will ever arrive at such perfection as automatic.
ally to provide products exactly where and when
they are needed. Rut by creating the modern
system OF transpor taion and by Inaugural &; ,g
the present system OF cold storage. two long
strides have been taken in this direction. Neither
Of these strides would have been possible but Tor
the existence of temporary surplus production -
one of natures wscst gifts to man. Yet another
long stride forward will he taken when the FRO.
ducers Of staple commodities like coal. iron.
steel, tin, copper and lead, rca,zc that it is sta.
bility in prices which will give them srea .cs.
wealth. Some think this stability can now he
brought about by The great combinations: and it
eau be, if they will be guided by natures laws
But ii they attempt to accomplish IL hy shutting
| down mines and furnaces and restricting prod,lc.
tion when demand is small. the country will con.
time to suffer from abnormaly high prices when
demand is large. and ii will prove costly fail
nrr. To waste the labor and the facilities to pro-.
ducc tho great staples to full capacity in dull
dcn,and in active t,mos .s T,,,orr,,J sa,.s ste
wor,o than =, ,,;,,o. :, 10 a h,,nJor ;, mt. :;
truc becausc nhoncver sc,rcitv il, ,ho s,n,,, =,
anv ;mnort ,nt oomn,od;,, toroo, ~, nro -,
comnodity I'm to thc no;nt of RESTRICTING ,s rsc
it is simply nature reminding us that there has
per' u" ntt'e 'e"'Po''h! surplus product'on and
o"e. VI '"u' ai.'c'e III t'e Pas'. 'hoera the
'"", - n'' i'r ''s'n''t wren ,"o cry or over
p'ouue''o" app'e" 10 any uSetni art'clr' ~ any
o''!' N"t W. 'ecosh'Meo rs Ill evidence OF
."." ". N"'m'eus'' 'o'e."'"s"' anu ",@ooi. Oh
Wv p',' VI cue people %, mar country IN 'aking
,"'t VI 'e,'po'''' surplus P'ooncts "n'h lhey
."n ue lau' ,o' USE a"r'hE pet,o"S "heh .hcv
'a','ol oe naa' ho'n nature ana ART give their
p'o'"o's W 'h'G ~ o'Spropos',"ns'e manner.
NV Nv. '" w "'s'''' o'' !" w h''e'tech'' cared
'o', ."u 3" 'n "oes not so care ior theh'' .c Is
'e.:'" 70 sa,'e' 'o' MS ne6Ne''
''"es u" d"Mh OF cNinza,'oh the importance
VI ''''"E W s'"'NS " sue" ."'hgs US were heces'
sa'S 10 inc me- defense ana wfl''be'ng OF man.
nus "arh m fecosh'Heu o' al hat'chS and all peo'
plp' INC scriptures rom "cneSs to Revelation
'o'"'u J." aeeouh's o' 'he immense 'torei'oscs
ana store c'1ies o"''a'd ana maintained by the
great nations OF ancient times lhey not only
s'tn,l'u IN t'e months OF harvest s'''t,cient to
."ppF 'h' people until me next harvest but
'ne! s'ois" up IN years OF plenty sn'hr'ent to
P'o,'ne 'or years "i famine lhis wise provision
,"nheo h's' ~ importance IN al temporal affairs
''s ms one OF III" iost arts! verify what Thomas
A'no,o Wro'c years ago. is s''li 'ruc: What Is
enNeo ahc''h, history Is thc most truly modern,
W" most truly '''hg' and Inc most rIch IN prac'
''csi lessons tor every succeeding age
CONCLI,SIONS~