New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-04
DOMINION NEWS NOTES.
Croscn Prosecutor Begins Rigorous
Crusade against Trusts

Ottawa Dec s.-Canada has discovered Jerome
| Of her in the person OF Crown Prosecutor
! Curry, e of bulldog chin and eagle eye. who
he's been making searching investigation into the
doings of the members of the plumbers, hardware
and other trusts which have been operating from
the city OF Toronto. 1t has long been the boast
of Canadians that the people OF this country have
not suffered from the exactions of great trusts
such as operate in the United States. II no big
trusts have been openly formed, it is becoming
clear that in the secret agreements which have
existed among practically all the leading dealers
in several allied trades they have found means
Of sitting competition and forcing up prices on
many OF the necessaTies Of life.
There has not been the argument In favor
OF these Canadian combines" that, by combine
ton OF capital. working expenses have been re-
duced. Each concern permitted TO conduct
business in its way. providing prices were
maintained
Crown Attorney Currys courage IN making war
on the combines can be better understood when
it is remembered that Judges, prosecutors and
sherifs appointed IN Canada by the govern
rnent. In consequences, they have little object in
pursuing a course which would antagonize any in
ffuential section of the community. They be-
sides independent of public opinion, and have no
Incentive such as actuated Jerome, of New-fork
and Folk of st. Louis, in probing public wrongs
Mr. Curry is meeting with the warmest public ap-
prevail for the course he has adopted. public opin-
ion being APPLY summarized by Saturday Night
Toronto publication, which recently said:
Combinations Of dealers, manufacturers and
workmen have raised the prices of everything we
eat and wear, the houses we live in, the streets
we walk In, and everything that warns us, lights
us and makes life comfortable. Each man seemed
to think that, because his earnings had in small
way increased. he getting snare or what
was called prosperity. while as g. matter OF fact;
he was getting much less than his snare. ana
the combinations getting the rest SOAK II on
EN-, Curry, and the people will back you up.
A Interesting phase OF the question is the prob
able effect It will have the Canadian tariff
Liberal journals which do not want any more
protection than is necessary for revenue purposes
argue that it is owing to the present tariff that
these combinations have found ii possible TO exist
Protectionist journals, on the other hand. point
ont that In free trade England trade combinations
are numerous and effective.
while the discussions along these lines are more
or less academic in their nature, the discovery OF
these trade combinations will be additional rea
son for the postponement of a revision OF the
Canadian Tariff till the session of Parliament
which viii open in November 1905 Il It IS shown
that the present tariff has been contrtbutory |
cause to the combinations. the mass OF the con-
sumers would favor. in SO far as IS consistent
with the question OF revenue an open market
The whole question is which cannot De ade-
ouately dealt with until It is shown in the courts
how far reaching the combinations are ana 10 /
what extent prices have been affected.