Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-14
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE TRUSTS.

When James j. Hill admitted the err
in its suit against the Northern Securi-
ties merger he admitted the ability OF
the republican party to deal with trusts.
Mr.. Hill is unused to defeat. He is
fighter par excellence and his admis-
sion and avowed intention to operate
the northern trunk lines each under
distinct management is the greatest
compliment he could have paid to the
effectiveness of the laws and the earn
estness of the administration in their
execution.
The merger suit is but the beginning
of an honest and sincere movement
against combinations destructive to
competition. The suit against the beer
trust is another illustration of the sin
cerity of the administration. There is
a desire to enforce the law because 1T is
| law without usurping the prerogatives
| Of those who formulated 1t or the others
whose duty it is to interpret it. The
government charges the beef trust with
conspiracy to control by agreement the
prices paid by the trust to shippers OF
/ livestock as well as that paid to 1t by
| the retailers to whom they supply the
| finished product. 1t alleges that the
/ trust blacklists customers whom they
i ;c1 m n
ably retailed meats below the prices
| fixed by the trust; also that in virtue
] Of an agreement with the great trans
portation companies it has gained
practical monopoly of the meat trade of
| the entire country II the evidence
may be supplied to substantiate these
charges the administration has strong
case and will doubtless succeed in OBJ
tanning a restraining Injunction.
If this trust is all that the charges
would imply it is time that restrictive
action were taken. Producer and con-
sumner alike are vitality interested par
| ties to this suit. If combination has
been effected which parcels out the
days when each packer shall purchase
/ without fear of competition from the
other conspirators the producer and
shipper may readily perceive the posi-
ton in which such collision places him.
! He must sell at the prices offered by
| the packers or leave his hogs or cattle
in the yards as the prey of the
pirate whose turn comes next day.
| The suit against the beef trust is not
as the organs of the packing interests
are suggesting, campaign against the
i American steer, but an effort to pro-
tect the producer against organized
theft and the consumer against extor-
/ ton With the existing scarcity of mar
|ketable cattle the producer is safe for
the time, but assuming the truth of the
/ governments contention against the
trust, normal supply of cattle or a
decided slackening in the demand for
meat would place him and his products
4 in complete and absolute subsection to
the purchasing packers. 1t is unfortu-
nate that the movement against the
trust has had temporary effect upon
the producer, but he should realize that
the fight is being made for and not
against him. His right to sell in q
competitive market is the bone of con-
tention Let him study the situation
J and realize its gravity as it concerns
himself and he will not join in the
selfish outcry of the packers against the
administration. He is against trusts
Let him line up with the party that
} shows the desire and ability to deal
fairly and sincerely with the question
and adjudicate with justice legal privi-
leges of producer, middleman and con-
sumner alike.