Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-05-07
VOTERS MUST ACT
IN THEIR HANDS is POWER TO
CHECK TRUST ExToRTloNs.
Arrogant Refusals of Monopoly to Re-
duce Prices to the Home Con-
sumner Should Lead to Action
at Coming Election.

The steel trust officials refuse to
reduce the high prices for steel prod
ucts because its few small competi-
tors have combined with it to main
tain prices. Judge Gary, chairman
of the street trust, declares that:
THE mere fact that the demand is
greater than the supply, that the lee
essities of the purchaser are great,
does not justify an increase in price,
mol does the fact that the demand is
less than the supply furnish an argu-
ment for lowering the price. In
neither case would the quantity
bought or sold be more or less"
At the present time the demand is
much less than the supply, and only
about so per cent. of the capacity of
production is being operated. Yet this
steel monopolist tries to make US be-
lieve that If the price of steel products
was reduced there would be no great
er quantity sold, thus overthrOwing
all the experience Of business, that
the cheaper products of general util-
ity can be produced and sold, the
greater the consumption. If the price
of steel products were reduced rs per
cent, which it would be with open
competition the world over, those
who are now waiting for a reasonable
reduction in the price of steel would
at ono begin to manufacture and
build. All the numerous things that
steel enters into would thus be %
per cent. or nor cheaper than they
now are, and that would undoubtedly
lead those who have money to invest
to take advantage of the low prices.
The railroads would be able to buy
more rails and engines; steel bridges
would replace wooden ones; steel
buildings would be ordered by those
who have capital to invest in them,
because a demand would be created
by the reduced rents that could be
charged. The farmers would buy
more agricultural implements, wire
for fencing and tools, if the price was
cheaper; new stoves and household
utensils would be bought because
they would be offered as bargains,
whereas now nothing is bought at
present high prices that is not abso-
lutely needed.
Why should this gigantic trust be
protected by the tariff from competi-
ton when it refuses to reduce prices
under the spur of no demand? Why
should wire for fencing be taxed 41.90
per cent. to help the trust keep up
prosperity prices? Why should wire
netting be taxed ALTO per cent. to
prevent competition to the trust? Why
should wire rope be taxed $500 per
cent; why should chains be taxed
1921 per cent; why should cutlery
be taxed 1923 per cent. and razors
55.56 per cent, and scissors 1855 per
cent, and common table and carving
knives 69.43 per cent? Why should
files be taxed 74.69 per cent, and fire.
arms 46.50 per cent, and boiler tubes
1882 per cent. unless it is to protect
the steel trust and allied manufactur.
ers from competition?
Yet when the panic comes, Of which
this protective tariff is one of the
causes, and business is depressed and
prices of everything not controlled
by trusts and not protected by the
tariff are declining; when wages are
being reduced and thousands of work
men hunting jobs, this m~onopolistic
trust declines to reduce prices because
its manager declares it would sell no
mor at lower prices than at its pres.
ent exorbitant prices.
In the meantime, while the Ameri'
can people are paying protection
prices, the trust is selling abroad at
much less prices; because the Re,
publican congress has been standing
pat for years and continues to follow
the injunction of Mark Hanna to con
tinue to stand pat"
Will you continue to vote for a
party who by law allows the trusts to
sell cheaper abroad than here, or will
you vote to change the tariff that pro,
tects the steel and other trusts, so
that you can participate at the
trusts bargain-counters as the foreign
ers do?