Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-02-27
PEOPLE TO BLAME
HAVE THouoHTLEssLY AIDED IN
cENTRALIzINe INDUSTRIES.
EVILS NOW CLEARLY SEEN
UnequitabIe Distribution of the Earn.
'ngs of the People Inevitably Fol-
Iowed-Growth of Small Towns
and Communities Retarded.


During the last few months of 1907
the people had a striking example OF
the effects of too much Capitalization.
While all over the United States there
was prosperity, a few embarrassed
concerns in Wall street, New York,
brought about a financial stringency
that became generally felt. For years
the agricultural sections have been
sending money by the millions to the
great financial centers. Here it was
used for the building up of great
trusts and combinations, which were
greatly overcapitalized, On this
watered capitalization the people have
been compelled to pay ponderous divi-
dends.
One natural law is that. of %concentral-
i~zation, segregation, and in these mat
tiers Nature carries IN its work well,
but unnatural concentration, like 9TH
err infractions of natural laws, bring
quick punishment. The Capitalization
| of industries which has been going on
since the trust era started has
brought about an unequitable distrt-
button of the earnings of the people.
1t has retarded the growth of towns
and communities. 1t has brought in
it's wake man. evils that affect work
ers in every field. Yet for these evils
the masses of people are to blame.
Every man, woman and child who Ia
bors and who sends the products of
that labor to other places than the
home community assists just so much
in Capitalization of business and
financial power. Every resident of a
rural community who sends his dol
lars to the large city helps along the
trust builders and the ~centralizers,
While the mail-order evil is one that
is serious, it is only so as it is a
means of GENERALIZATION of business,
and the consequent sapping from com.
munities the wealth that should be re
tanned in them.
The commercial enterprises are the
life elements of the rural towns
When these enterprises are destroyed
the town deteriorates. With the dis
appearance of the town goes the home
markets, the good schools and the
churches and the other public con
veniences that the town affords. Witt
the going down of the town, real es
tate values are deprecated, and de
preston comes to all the community
How mould thA forp1npc fovo IL tht
towns were wiped out and only thu
large cities allowed to exist? VIVA
kind of markets would the farmers
have for all their produce? How doe
the average farmer find dealing will
city concerns at the present time
When a shipment of eggs is made t
the city commission man, does tn
farmer get as good returns as he doe
from the home dealers? How abou
other produce? 1t is the home ma
kets that afford the growers of pre-
duce protection. When the calr
thinker who is engaged in %agricultur
considers all these little matters, h
will find that in home patronage lie
the keystone of his success. Ho1
would the agricultural districts be a
living places were there no HON
towns? But this is what the situatio
would be If all the people of a con
munity sent to some foreign place fc
all the goods required.
Home is a word dear to all goo
citizens. That man lacks patriotism
whose inclination it is to oppose tn
progress of the place where he r.
sides. By making better the HON
town, we are improving the con
munity of which we are
part. We cannot improve witt
out benefting ourselves. W
cannot give patronage to concern
\ in the large cities without giving jul
SO much help to the trust builder
{ and the business c~entralizers. A
g these things are worthy Of the mo
i serious consideration of every citize