The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-05-10
TRUST HIGH PRICES
COST OF COMMODITIES ARTIFl.
cIALLY INCREASED.
Al Least 25 Per Cent. OF the Advanc.
Is Tax Paid 10 Monopoies
Protected by the
Tariff.

The average price OF commoditle.
is now so high that il Is most likely
the highest point has been reached
for this year and probably for "A year
or two 10 come. II Is therefore of mo
utmost importance for consumer ID
understand why prices have advanced
so rapidly since 1897, and especially
those whose incomes nave not in
creased in proportion TO the cost of
living. That great percentage OF mo
increase in prices has been artifcialN
created by allowing the trusts a MI.
nopoly through tariff protection Is
plainly shown by the fact that az
soon as the Dingley bill was enacted
in 1897 organization of trusts com.
bincs and pools was accomplished on
al enormous scale and began To boost
the prices OF their products and have
constantly increased prices TO the
present day. If you have saved your
old bills for groceries, dry goods etc.
for 1896 or 1897 and compare them
with your bills Of to-day. you Will soc
that the average increase in pric s
increased in the same proportion Or
are the trust high prices compelling
you to economize? As the question
OF a high tariff or a low tariff Is
political issue that must be decided d
the coming national election yol az
course. want 20 be sure OF the facts.
SO that you can vote for the System
that is best for your pocket As hnt
few people keep old bills. but destroy
them after a year or two, il is well 10
have the actual statistics OF the l
crease OF prices to arrive at a corroct
solution of the question What Is
known as "Duns Index Number IS
recognized officially as the most per
! feet statistics on the rise and fan 81
wholesale prices Of all the most i'm
portant articles OF general con.umn-
ton, and gives the value of the aver.
age amount used per capita.
On July /. 1897. Dun's Index Num-
Der was $72455 On March /. 1907
il was Sl099l3. and on March j. 1905
il was slO420i. The Price level has
therefore increased SIS per cent dur
ing the past year and 51.7 per cent
during the T.st ten years.
All this en- lrmous increase in prices
is not. however. chargeable TO the
tariff protecting the trusts. for in Eng
LAM. which has a tariff for revenue.
with comparatively no protection 20
her manufacturers, the prices oi com.
modities have increased over 70 per
cent during the same period This
increase in England is charged 70
gold initiation and the rapidly depreci
ating value Of that metal measured 10
commodities AS the effect Of the
increased production Of gold is world
wide. gold initiation here has had the
same effect as elsewhere, and there
fore 25 per cent. Of our advance 10
prices is due to IT, This leaves owe.
( 25 per cent OF the increase In prices
2 here chargeable 10 some other Gauss.
: and as the increase commenced u
J 1897. soon after our trustprotecuns
+ tariff bill became the law, IL Is con'
ceded by the most eminent political
> economists. and not denied by ihe
honest Republican standpatters, thai
the protection the trusts enjoy has
allowed them to artificialy advance
: the price of their products beyond the
natural increase in prices through tle
depreciation in gold.
This increase of prices is ne nos'
: important part Of the tariff Issue io'
. It directly affects the spending capaV
: ity OF every family. especially moss
!. whose incomes and wages have nol
: kept pace with the advance in prices
!. As the railroad interests have del"
mined 10 reduce their expenditure u
: Tar as possible, there will be so0t
: many men thrown cut Of work ana q
these seek other occupations lhe'
competition is bound to reduce 'e
wages Of that class Of labor The ie-s
=. ening Of the demand for railroad any
a. building material will naturally ieal
~ 10 a reduction in the price OF ihos
= articles. which. added to the loss n
! wages Of the men thrown out oil N'lN.
,s must lead TO reduced consumption Y
- products. and this will prevent ioI 4
=. time prices advancing and, ihdfeu.
IN some reduction in the price oi 'A's0
o. articles for which there Is less "
no mand.