Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-01-15
TEEY TRUcKLE TO TRUSTS.
Treasurer Roberts Tries to Fool the
People az to the Cauze Of
High Prices.

AS a rule the present heads of the
government departments and bureaus
recognize the trusts as the real pow
err behind the republican throne, and
understand what is required of them
if they wish to hold onto their jobs.
In short, they serve the trusts. Some
serve in their official capacity only,
others curry favor and promotions
by serving with all their faculties at
all times. These latter are the wise
ones, as is evident from the kind of
men appointed to commissions, bu-
reaus, etc.
Treasurer Ellis II. Roberts was I'M
doubtedly right when he told the con-
vention of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science that:
with all other things equal, large
additions to the currency carry up
the prices of commodities measured
by it,"
He hen said that notable advances
have taken place in the prices of ar
ticles of necessity during the past
five years" His estimate Of the in
creased cost of living as 25 to 80 per
cent. is undoubtedly too low, how
ever.
Treasurer Roberts would have us
infer that these increased prices and
higher cost of living is due entirely
to the additions to the currency of
the country. The increase in gold
alone in this country, he said, had
averaged $107, 7S3, $50 a year since
January l, 1898. He said nothing
about the marvellous growth of
trusts, since the passage of the Ding
ley act in 1897, and the probability,
amounting almost to a certainty,
that most of the advance in prices
is due to the monopoly of our mar
kets by these protected trusts. In
fact, most of the notable advances
r can be traced to some trust formed
since 1897, or to natural causes, such
as poor crops abroad or poor crops
at home. Some farm products are
selling for less now than in 1897 in
h spite of the great scarcity abroad.
Thus Mr.. Roberts mentions wheat as
q being lower than in 1897.
d That the trusts are the real cul-
i prits in putting up prices is evident
from a consideration of foreign
prices. France, England and Ger
e many have increased their gold hold.
7. ings since 1898 almost as much as has
this country. Yet the cost of living
i'll those countries has increased only
r about one-third as much as here and
in fact, has probably declined consid
n erably during the last two years, il
d spite of poor crops there, and while
it was rapidly rising in our trust-rid
den country. Sauerbeck's "index'
= tables show that prices in England
i. declined five per cent. in 1901, ant
were only 16 per cent. higher than il
1896. Prices there probably declined
T. further in 1902, although most mea
and other products imported from
the United States were higher.
:" Tt is up to Treasurer Roberts t.
tell us why, with greatly increases
currency, both here and abroad
ii prices have not risen almost as muc
there as here. "TVith all other thing
equal, liz Sdlu. Will He plcdSc lC.
us what other things, that might a
,e feet prices, were as unequal in thi
period as the growth of trusts her
In and abroad?
T. No, he will not. He prefers to pla
lie the sycophant and to apologize fo
trusts. He says:
"Great corporations cannot thro
-, tie competitions; they rouse it IN
larger scale. The giants anon
>. them promise moderate prices wit
a view to steady profit"
Here is trust trucking for you. f
well knows that great trusts 4
throttle competition and charge in
moderate prices. He knows what tt
nc beef and coal trusts did in 1902, fl
he must have read the reports of IL
Washington (city) committees tn;
&C. Investigated these trusts. He mu
know that the railroad and coal mi
ing companies in control of the a
thracite mines have stopped comp
tition almost absolutely, and a
-. charging prices limited only by Il
40. competition from other products al
by the fear of the wrath of an OF
Il; ragged people. He is, perhaps,
w worse than most others above al
below him in the government emplo
All recognize and serve their re
w. masters, the trusts that contribut
the funds, that carried the election
. that put the republican administr
Y ton in power. They will ever l
ID main faithful to their trusts and W
K. always be ready, at command, to fc
the people by throwing statistic
dust into their eyes or by inject
official sophistry into their hea'
whenever the trusts think there is
rious danger of trouble to their n
nopolies.
BYRON w. HOLT