The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-04-09
Farmers Pay the Freight.

i -Nol SutlShCu Will tllt
protection they enjoy on land. the trust
nagnates have turned their attention
20 the ocean as another world to con
quer. A gigantic combination of steam
ship lines has been perfected by Mr.
Morgan which is international, as it i'll
| ,ludes foreign as well as American
| ship owners. The farmers will be the
| principal sufferers from this combine
as the ocean freight rates will he ad
vanced and the price of our surplus
Agricultural products will still hare
| 20 be sold in competition with all the
world. Everycent added to the freight
charges will reduce the price paid in
| The primary market. 1t is well known
that the price of the surplus produce
that cannot be consumed in this cOun-
try fixes the price at which the whole
crop Is sold. 1t Is only when there is
4 crop failure and little or no surplus
20 export that the home price ad.
willing to pay. No protective tariff
law can aid the farmer to overcome
this law of supply and demand, if he
has surplus to sell he is obliged to
take the price the local buyer offers
and that price is fixed. in the markets
Of the world, less land and ocean
freight charges and the profits of those
who handle it. If railroad or ocean
charges are increased the price paid
70 the farmer decreases accordingly.
When the ship trust is in full work
ng order and monopoly of ocean car
cying is in its hands, it will very nat
1rally increase the charges all the
:rafiic will bear. But the ship trust is
aot satisfied with this monopoly. it is
asking for more. Mr.. Morgan and
Mr.. Griscom and the other principals
IF the trust have been for some time
demanding a subsidy of Congress and
are still intent on obtaining it. The
farmers as well as the balance of the
taxpayers will have to pay this sub
sidy. The Republicans in Congress
nearly all voted for it. and may be re-
led upon to do so when 1t comes up
'gain. With the ship subsidy draw
ng millions from the United States
reasury every year, the farmers will
be paying two taxes for the benefit Of
he ship trust, one directly in increas-
I'd freight charges and the other indi-
rectly through the tariff and internal
revenue tax on what they eat, drink
and wear. Every dollar the govern
ment expends comes from the people
through those taxes.
1t will be interesting to see if any
effort is made by President Roosevelt,
through the new corporation bureau to
curb that giant combine, the ship trnst
1t is to be feared he will not, for Sec
retary of the Treasury Shaw in a
speech at New Orleans the other day
virtually lauded that combine as the
future master of the ocean and limited
that all possible aid must be given it
In building up our merchant marine.
As the Commissioner Of Navigation,
who is the chief Of one Of the bureaus
IF the Treasury and therefore under
The direction of Secretary Shaw, has
been booming the ship subsidy bill,
it is reasonable to suppose that the
administration favors helping the ship
.rsut instead of curbing it.
1t is not monopoly Of the ocean that
the ship trust relies upon to enable it
10 distance all competitors, for the high
sea is open to the ships of all nations.
out the trust owns or controls the
wharf and terminal facilities in con-
Junction with the railroad combine at
every harbor of consequence on the
Atlantic The railroads will give the
ship trust, both being controlled by
the same interests, the bulk of the ex-
ports and although other capitalists
nay see the chance to make large pro-
dts by organizing a competing line of
steamships, they are at once confront
ed with the monopoly that the ship
trust possesses of the wharfs and har-
bors at the terminals of the railroads.
The growth of monopoly under Re
publican policies is n problem for the
farmers to give heed to it.
Haunted by Trusts.
Tho DannhlicanS oro flx. ol