The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-10-10
4 III sTED Trust.

1t is not often tha; a trust or co'nbi-
nation made for controlling the race
OF a certain commodity fails Of its pur-
rules. and an exception to the rule OF
rapid increase in wealth and power b.
combination Of capital TO control the
production and advance the price Of =
necessity OF life in the case OF the salt
trust is very gratifying TO the people
This is one OF the very few such combi-
nations which have failed Of their pur-
pose. The reasons given for the failure
OF this trust are mismanagement and
the fact that il could not control more
than seventy-five per cent. OF the out
put of this country or prevent the i'm
portation of foreign salt In other
words, it could not stifie competition.
Failure TO prevent the importation OF
foreign salt caused the failure OF 4
scheme of American capitalists TO Sc
cure absolute control Of the American
markets Because the republicans had
failed to put the tariff on salt so high
as TO prohibit its Importation and there
fore the sale of the foreign article in
this country the business could not be
confined TO one corporation or set of
men. Still we are told hat the high,
protective tariff has nothing TO do with
the fostering of trusts.
Every trust in the United States that
has beer successful has been on sue
articles as are protected and .'fostered"
- &c.
important ones hat has failed was of
an article whose Importation could not
be prevented. What more complete re-
futation would any one want of the al
legation of the republicans that the tar
iff had nothing to do with the building
up and maintenance of trusts.
There is another significant fact il
the cause of failure of this salt trust.
1t could not control over seventy per
cent. of the output. a which
handles nearly three-fourths of the
output of an important commodity of
trade and necessity OF life has to dis
solve because it cannot make the profits
on the business deemed necessary for
it's successful conduct of business. IN
heavens name tell us what proportion
of the business of the country did this
salt octopus want? One company was
not satisfied with doing three-fourths
of the business of the entire country
and because it could not control a larger
proportion it goes out of business and
announces the failure of it's scheme.
This goes to show what absolute control
of the home markets, aided by the tar
iff, any combination must have to make
a success of it's undertaking, and it
opens the peoples eyes to the fearful
extent to which they are ground down
and d~efrauded by the many trusts
which have succeeded. Give one COM
pany three-foutrhs of the trade of the
entire country on an article of as vast
consumption as salt as against one
fourth of the trade divided among the
independent companies and it goes 20
the wall, because, for sooth, it has not
a greater grasp upon the needs of the
people.
We have been told by republicans n
authority that there will be no revision
of the tariff for at least two years to
come. The experience of this salt trust
may make these men change their
minds and we may look for the next
session of congress to SO revise lis law
a to make possible the re-establish-
ment of the salt trust by such an in
crease of the duties on that commodi-
ty as will enable this trust to control
the entire amount put upon the Amer
lean market. This is the only kind of
tariff revision the republicans will give
us.