The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-05-12

causes a part of the contention which
has arrayed Mr.. Hill conspicuously up
on one side and Mr.. Hartman, with
equal prominence, upon the other. SO
there is fear that it may be year be-
fore the contamination so devoutly
wished-namely, peace in all the rail-
road territory west Of the Mississippi
will come. The fear is that during
the summer and fall, whatever may be
the decision of the circuit court Of st.
Paul, friction will prevail, and If there
be friction that of itself must be far
more demoralizing to business than
the excitement of a presidential can
yass can be.
And yet it is also the impression In
New York that there ultimately can be
but one determination of this impor
tant question. That is a determination
which might easily be Immediately
reached were it not for the impression
that Mr.. Hill is disposed to be imperi-
Gus, dominating, bound to have his
own way, whereas Mr.. Hartman and
those WHO are with him are Of almost
equal determination. The Northern Sc
curities corporation was perfected in
part ostensibly to eliminate the person
al equation. But with the dissolution
Of that corporation the personal equa-
ton Is again discovered. The ultimate
determination Of this railway situation
of the far west as Is believed in New
York inevitably will be the establish
Of hn of INT
In no other way that any one now can
discern is it possible to secure that
freedom from lawful competition, that
fair share Of business which each sys-
tenn has right to expect, without vio-
latiOn Of the federal statutes.
In General Tracy's opinion the real
peace which must prevail if the mar
velous advances that are possible for
the United States are to be made with
in the next four or five years will come
If the great capitalists controlling vast
railway systems cease their contentious
and if the labor organizations fully
recognize what the law permits and
what the law forbids.
Some indication Of what the turmoil
that is in the labor world and the tur-
moil that is caused by the struggles Of
the great capitalists are costing us Is
furnished by the report from Washing
ton which caused no little anxiety in
this city. Every one familiar with the
course Of commerce and almost every
one in the world Of finance here ex-
pected in midwinter to be able to read
some time in April that the record Of
our foreign commerce for the spring
would match that Of any preceding
year. But instead of that our exports
for the month Of March show the
has been recorded for any one month
In the last seven years. There is rea-
son to fear, too, that like record Is
being made in this month Of April In
ternational commerce of that kind can
not be maintained month after month
without seriously complicating our in
ternatiOnal finance and compelling tie
United States to become a heavy bor-
rover in the money markets of the old
world.
The reason for this falling off Of ex-
ports is we'll understood. Our prices
are SO high that the well known rule
Of the political economists is perfectly
exemplifed. Imports are increasing be-
cause prices are high here and exports
are decreasing. Prices are high for va
rious reasons. The agitations in the
labor world in part explain them. They
almost wholly explain the increase Of
rents in New York city. The great nd
vances in wages made last year and
the year before have also entailed
higher prices.