The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-07-06
PRICES GREATLY INCREASED
Cost Of Living Advanced 40 Per
Cent. Under Influence Of
Monopoly.

The cost of living Is now A per cent
higher than on July /, 1897, without
including rent. though II IL safe TO
say that rent keeps pace with the Ia
creased cost of building materials
AZ everyone pays these increased
prices. II Is important to know what
has caused such an enormous advance.
II should be first noted that the pres
ent trust-fostering tariff law went into
effect July "a, 1897. and that almost
Immediately the price Of all protected
articles began to advance In this soun.
try, although there was no similar
rapid advance OF prices In other coun-
tries. AS this tariff law protected the
American producers from competition
Il was very natural that they should
increase the price they charged for
their products to the point where for.
eign goods could be imported and pay
the freight and costs and also the tar
IN duties averaging over 90 per cent.
The large profits possible under the
protective tariff induced the formation
of trusts and combines to control the
home market and this monopoly ad'
vanced prices to the highest limit. No
figures or argument are necessary to
prove the advance in prices. everyone
who buys food or clothing, or pays
rent, knows Of the large increase from
their daily experience. II Is most ex'
asperating to also know that the trusts
and combines. which produce about all
the necessities and luXurles of life
are selling their surplus stocks. after
the American people have bought ali
they can afford, Mt much lower prices
TO foreigners than they charge our
own people. AS the tariff Is politica
issue. the Republican leaders and
writer's denied until lately this selling
abroad cheaper than here, and dc
nounced it IS Democratic fabrication
but the evidence produced OF the facts
has now compelled them to admit II
and in sheer desperation boast OF II
as one evidence Of prosperity Yet II
the trusts would offer this surplus &c
the American people at the same price
as they sell to foreigners, our people
would gladly buy this surplus at tho
reduced price, but that would naturally
tend to decrease the demand for the
high prices goods and lead to rcduc.
tion OF the price OF the whole trust
productions.
There is another cause for the con
slant advance In prices, that Is work
ing the world over which IS the extra
ordinary increase in the production Of
gold AS gold is the measure Of values
when II becomes more plentiful. II de.
creases in value-as measured by la
bor-and thus the prices Of all classes
OF commodities as measured by gold
ARC advancing TO higher levels. But
prices in the United States are so much
higher than IN other countries cspe.
cally IN England which IS on a tar
IN for revenue basis, that there must
be some great fundamental cause nj
work to produce so much higher prices
here than elsewhere. AS our high tar
III taxes prevent the importation o.
foreign goods which would compet'
with the trusts and combines. except
20 limited extent Of high class goods
we are at the mercy Of mCnopolistS
banded to gcther to plumber us
To obtain relief from high prices
the tariff must be revised. -.