Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-15
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW

$OUTSIDE POINT OF WE'VE
| The two big combines. the anthracite
coal trust and the Standard Oil trust,
are making huge arguments these days
| in favor of that form OF socialism
known as government control of pub
lie utilities. These object lessons the
people are studying. with the result
that, sooner or later, the people will
| act.
| The eastern papers tell us that soon
after the coal strike commenced, the
people turned their attention towards
kerosene as heating supply. That at
prices al that time q consumer could
afford to use kerosene as fuel rather
than hard coal, wood or coke. Soft coal
never seems to be a factor considered
down east. But it was extravaganza to
buy an oil stove, unless the purchaser
was assured the price of oil would not
be advanced. And said public was as
sured there was plenty of oil, no adj
vance would be made. and to go ahead
and buy oil stoves. They did. and soon
oil stove manufacturers were running
night and day to supply the demand.
Then came an advance in the wholesale
price of oil, starting at 9A cents per
gallon, till now the wholesale price in
the east is 12ls cents per gallon, an adj
vance of 25 per cent, which, of course
the retailer has to charge proportion
ally increase in price, and the consumer
with an oil stove for cooking and heat
| ing purposes. has to pay Add to this
that the Standard Oil trust now admits
*the ownership of the Beaumont oil
fields, that the price of crude oil has
advanced to 81 per barrel, just double
the figures of six months ago, that
| those consumers near the Texas oil
wells who had fixed their railroad en-
gines and manufacturing plants to burn
crude oil must pay just double the ex-
pense in the way of fuel, and the Poop
pie, knowing of As per cent dividends on
former prices, now are putting on their
thinking caps.
Turn now to the coal barons. We
were assured that only an advance OF
80 cents per ton over last years prices
would be made, ito cover the cost of the
strike" The facts are the retail prices
towns, are from So to SO a ton higher
than in January, 1902. Dealers in this
state tell consumers that they have to
pay the only agency thru which they
can get hard coal into Iowa bonus Of
from So to So ton, this over the regu-
lar asking price, to get immediate
shipments. We are also told that
freight rates on all railroads on all
kinds of merchandise are to be adj
vanced owing to increased expenses of
labor and fuel, and as everybody knows
now, nearly all of the coal companies
are in reality railroad corporations, and
absolutely control the price Of anthra-
cite at the mines, and the freight
charges that follow. Again, the public
is thinking over the matter. And said
public has a knowledge that the ex-
pense of mining hard coal is not one
cent more than ten years ago. Probably
much less, with improved machinery
for digging, hosting and loading into
cars.
There Is only one remedy. Compete
ton in hard coal and kerosene oil ceas-
ed several years ago. The public has
stood the imposition Of old prices with
comparative patience, but an advance
Of % per cent, one-quarter more of the
laboring mans expense for these two
necessities of life, is bound to result in
some acts to lessen this tremendous ex-
tortion and outrage. During the con-
tinuance of the coal strike many strong
thinkers advanced the idea of govern
ment ownership OF coal mines, this by
an unconstitutional seizure of the
mines, and working. them under re-
Ownership appointed by the govern
ment. Later sober second thought is
tending towards the operation Of coal
mines by the state or general govern
ment in competition with the mine
owners of Pennsylvania. To this can
easily be added the governmental BUSH
ness Of crude oil, and the necessary re-
fineries. Not to seize Mr.. Rockefeller
ct al's holdings, but to go into the oil
business and compete with a corpora
ton now valued at low estimate Of
$3.50, 000. 900. These huge monoplies
know we are the slowest people on
earth to bring about necessary reforms.
They will yet realize that If the Ameri-
cans are slow they are lawful sure
@Since the above was written the
Standard people have denied the own
ership of the Beaumont oil wells. Adj
NIT the incorrectness of the first state
ment. and still the fact remains, some
combination has doubled the price Of
Texas crude oil, thus leaving good the
argument advanced for the necessity of
governmental competition.
M~sal1lz9
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.Peculialities Of People.