The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-11-02
corresponding beneft or amy benefit.

three or four years the increase in the
cost of living has amounted to one-sixth.
Secretary Shaw rejoices in it. And he
says the wages of our working people and
the income of our people are greater in
proportion. Now, if that is true, the
householders Of this country know it, If
not, their wives do. They know whether
the income Of the breadwinner is greater
by one-sixth than it was four years ago.
There are instances in which undoubtedly
the majority of you find it is true. You
will discover it requires just a little more
work on your part, and more for your
wives to make both ends meet from
month to month.
NOW why is it that the prices of the
things We have to have are pushed up
little from time to time, whether there
be improvement in our incomes or not?
1t is in part because the business of this
country today is largely in the control Of
combinations or trusts, which are en-
abled to shut out competition, and thus
control prices arbitrarily.
a'We had great coal strike in 1902.
The result of it was to cause some dis
tress and threaten good deal more. That
49,, +oe+ - ox-,,,,,,s,;x,a ~, bo4b s;daS II
was permanently expensive to labor. 1t
was but temporarily expensive to the
controllers of the coal properties. All
| most Immediately after the mining and
distribution of coal had been resumed
they advanced the price 30 cents per ton.
'.They did this for the purpose of COM
pelling our people to pay the expenses of
| their contest with their workmen. This
is usual, not unusual. | cite it as an
illustration because it is well known to
all who purchase coal. You each know
| that the price was increased so cents
per ton almost Immediately after the
strike.
You know the fact that the beef trust
is enabled to fix your prices and to main
| tain them, practically everywhere in this
country 1t controls the retail dealers,
who cannot have pound of meat un-
less they agreed to buy it all of the trust.
Because it practically controls the retail
ers of the counry it is enabled to fix the
prices which it shall pay to the stock
raisers for their cattle and hogs and
sheep. This is so because there is no
one else to buy their stock.
1T is said that there are 453 Of these
trusts in this country. Whether that is
correct l do not know. But it is quite
certain that the leading industries of this
country are rapidly coming into the con-
troll of great combinations. And many
| of them are so mana aged as to extort
prices from the people that could not
| otherwise be obtained.
1T is often said but there is no
| difficulty in any one starting the same
kind of business if he can get any Gus
TONER'S But there is a difficulty-an in
surmountable difficulty. When a great
combination undertakes to control the re-
tail trade in locality it throttles COM
petition. You may start your meat busi-
ness with a capital little or substantial.
! If the trust thinks it worth while to
| drive you out of business it can start a
market alongside of you and sell at one
| half your prices. You must meet the cut
Meeting the cut means the loss of your
capital In either event your competition
is at an end. The loss to the trust is
fully compensated by its warning to 9TH
ers who would make like attempt.
Il am in favor of thrift. believe in
the accumulation of property and its full
protection under the law. would not
say one word or do an act which would
| tend to arouse class hatred or create class
distinctions. / would ten times rather go
| down to defeat than to contribute to any
degree toward ill-feelings between capital
and labor. Each is dependent upon the
other. Each is necessary for our indus
| trial progress. Each is entitled to full
protection. But those who would employ
capital illegally for the> purpose of OPP
pressing the people are not entitled to
protection.
s"When an individual violates the law,
the law Furnishes him. When corpora
ton violates the law, the law should pun
ish it. A corporation is no more entitled
to immunity from the consequences of its
wrongful acts than the individual Any
combination of individuals to control the
., market price of products Of any kind is
void A combination of corporations for
similar purpose is alike void.
s'We should not hesitate for moment