Middletown transcript., 1907-12-14
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
THE BUILDING or 4 Trust

HE WOtA<VMN9 ~ -
Who builds trusts
There is only one answer that
could possibly be made to this in
terrogation-the people are the
only power in position % build
a trust.
Man is naturally grasping and
that he has endeavored TO build
around him trust, impregnabie
BY outside influence is nothing
but what should have been ex.
pected from him. But all bis ef-
forts would come to naught, and
what would come of his work
was it not that people patronize
him and to that extent the peo-
ple build trusts. II every per-
son would patronize his neighbor
the man nearest to him-who
was in a position to serve his
wants the building of a trust
would be impossible, unless it
might be in some exclusive line
similar to that of the Standard
Oil Company, which controls q
product not found in every field
or hamlet.
The Headquarters of trusts are
always found in large cities. and
it is to them that the patronage
and the wealth of the country
drifts. Every dollar sent by a
consumer to a large city is aiding
in building up an organization, q
combination whose sole object is
the building up of their own in
terests to the deterioration OF the
man1ocated nearest to the sender.
For many years, in fact, since
the foundation of the world, it
seemed that the selling of sup.
plies to the consumer always
should remain in the hands OF the
local merchants. But during
the last few years an organized
effort has been made on the part
of the certain interests to locate
in large cities, to centralize and
monopolize the selling of goods
at retail. People have been so
energetic in their plans to sayea
few pennies, or at least in their
thought to save o few pennies,
that they have patronized these
combinations until they have
builded up to the monstrous mag
nitude of millions. The building
of these retail trusts have been
done by the people, and by them,
too, without the least thought OF
building up q combination that
would finally mean their hurt.
1t has only been in the last few
months that people have begun
TO recognize the danger in the
centralizing of the retail business
With this development of retail
trusts carried a little further the
result will be that our home
merchants would discontinue
business and then the market
for farm produce would be
wholly in the hands of trusts.
Then the condition of the
consumer and the farmer
would indeed be deplorable for
he would then, in every particu
lar, be under the control of soul
less combinations of capital.
While this building has already
gone far, it is not yet too late to
retrace our steps, and turn all of
our trade toward our local mer
chants. It has always been the
cry Of the trusts that they furn-
ish better goods at lover prices
than was sold by local indus
tries. But that statement is not
credited by the person who has
given thought to the subject.
Who can say that the self binder.
sold to-day by the trusts, is made
Of better material than the self
binder turned out few years
ago, when they were manufac-
tured by individual concernss
Who can say that the clothing
we buy to-day is Of better quality
than they we're a few years ago,
when made by individual factor.
les? Who can say that any thing
we buy. which is now con-
trolled BY trust, is better than
it was years ago, when it was
produced BY individual efforl2
II none Of these trusts have
kept faith and redeemed their
promises to give as better goatls.
at less prices, then how, in the.
name of truth and honesty, can
we expect a trust of retail inter-
ests to give us better goods at
less prices than we can buy firm,
our home merchants?
The principles of business are
as solid and firm as the rocks Of
Gibraltar, and In compliance with
none of these principles can Il
80 n <svaF3 kss. M, ~ i 4 = 8 Es3sxes<.