The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-01
| ooKINe FOR TROUBLE.

OoklNG FOR TROUBLE.
only few plain questions need he
asked and answered TO establish In
public opinion the guilt or innocence of
the associations of tradesmen in this
city who stand accused of criminal con-
spiracy in restraint of trade. Are they
compelling the public TO pay exorbftant
profits? Are they coercing dealers to
observe the prices established bv their
price committees or some other autbori-
~ clothed with power to fix prices ?
Have they established a monopoly bv
the power Of association? Is there such
thing as real competition in food sup-
plies and the other articles controlled
by trade associations here?
So far the evidence of outsiders and
the admissions Of insiders have con-
WINGED the public that some one is re-
sponsible for charging exorbitant prices
for most OF the necessities of life.
1t is practically admitted that grocers
and butchers. for instance. who refused
10 conform 10 the rules and prices of
their organization could not get SUM-
plies from the wholesalers. That is CO.
ercion of the most vicious kind, lust as
much as If force were used to compel
compliance. In effect it establishes a
monopoly for the dealers who were
willing TO be subservient or felt Obliged
to obey orders rather than suffer ami
hilatiOn and bankruptcy.
Under such conditions there can be
no such thing as honest competition.
and when that stage is reached an as
ISOLATION which achieves it is violating
the statute law. is operating in defiance
of public policy and deserves fnvestiga-
ton with a view to criminal prosecu-
ton.
Defenders of these associations-for
there are several-say that they are
simply combinations for self-protection
natural evolution in this age Of com
binations. That is precisely the defense
the Standard Oil has made for years. if
is the defense of every criminal con-
spiracy having monopoly and extortion
as its primary object.
No valid objection can be made to 1e-
climate association for mutual protec-
ton. Credits, market conditions. gen.
eral trade information are proper sub
jects for such bodies. But when any
association of individuals is banded to-
gether for the purpose of making lille
Ultimate profits the law steps in for the
protection OF the consumer, who. from
the nature of things, cannot associate
with his kind to resist predatory COM
merciaI bodies.
In Salt Lake today there is a strong
demand for the investigation Of trade
conditions, and the prosecution of men
guilty of cOnspiring to rob consumers
The demand grows out of facts deveI-
Oped casually and almost accidentally
in debate between the Real Estate as
ISOLATION and the Butchers & Grocers'
association over the occupancy Of a
building devoted TO public affairs. The
newspapers are accused OF raising a
hue and cry when. as matter Of fact.
the newspapers have done nothing but
record public occurrences and express
siOns OF public wrath over revelations
which have astounded the whole COM
munity.
1t needs no diagram Of prices to con-
vince the Salt Lake householder that
ne has been robbed. He can feel in his
trousers pockets and know somebody
has taken his money illegally, though
heretofore very deftly. Now that he
has located the robbers he would be
less than human and a very poor citi-
zen If he did not try TO secure convic-
ton of the criminals and prevent a re-
petition Of the hold-up.
Either the Illegal combina tons should
dissolve voluntarily or they should be
compelled to face a grand jury investi-
CATION Unfortunately, the guilty ones
have taken q Defiant attitude and ask
what the public is going to co about il.
The average American stands iInposi-
ton cheerfully for quite a while. lie
even forgives extOrtion when It is only
Incidental. but when f. is made a con
tinuous performance, and the perform-
er def1es his victim to stop the game,
somebody is Soing to gst into serious
trouble.
That Is about the status of the rob
lbers; they are going to get into serious
trouble unless the machinery of the law