The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-26
FROA OTHER PENS
A PERFECT TRUST.

Charles M Schwab, who has lust
returned from Europe, talks in a very
confident way about a working agree
ment that includes the United States
steel corporation and the steel COM
panies Of Belgium, Germany and Rus
sia- He says that the men interested
in the agreement control practically
all the vanadium in the world, and are
thus able to hold the steel situation in
their own hands. as the experiments
at the Bethlehem works have proved
that the vanadium process will pro-
duce the sort of steel that all the great
companies have been aiming at" Van
adium sis being used largely In spec
ialties, such as the manufacture of au-
tomobiles and tools. but it Is to be had
In such quantities that the process
can be used in making steel for every
purpose for which steel can be used"
1t would not be surprising IL Mr..
Schwab were talking. in part at least,
than from a desire to enlighten the
world on a subject of great scientific
and economic interest. But, taking his
interview as it appears, we have in it
the forecast of perfect trust. The
men who own the vanadium should in
time become the sole producers of
steel. dispense with the word price en-
tirely and meet occasionally to decide
on the tribute that must be paid them.
Perhaps, however. there Is little
vanadfum left in odd corners which
might be fenced Off by the govern
ments and protected among the ma
tural resources of various countries.
At any rate, the Interview is likely to
give an impetus to the discussion con-
corning natural resources about which
people know more than they do about
vanadium and concerning the tenden-
cies toward monopoly and their prob
able outcome.-Chicago Record-H Her
aid.
NO DOCTORS TRUST.
Any movement to form doctors
trust" of which there appears to be
some symptoms, will be severely
frowned upon by the public. We are
not willing to have the blessings of
medicine and surgery cornered and
run purely on a commercial basis. The
tendency has been so long the other
way that sentiment would not brook
any such reactic.1. There Is a dispo-
sition in many quarters to invoke leg
islation for the purpose of placing
the public in more direct dependence
upon the doctors. This is tendency
that may easily be carried too far. es-
pecially as the request for such legis-
lation is generally accompanied by ar
guments advanced on other than
business grounds which appear more
or less plausible. as in the case of the
recent ruling of the Louisiana Board
Of Health prohibiting the refilling of
prescriptions without physicians or
der. The ignorant and indiscriminate
use of drugs and medicines certainly
should be discountenanced, and the
only point we seek to emphasize is
that mercenary considerations should
not be allowed to intervene in mat
| ter of this kind.
The question of the physicians in
come is one that is bound to be raised
at this time, when society Is passing
through a transitory stage wherein
/ certain classes of endeavor must be
markedly affected until some sort OF
readjustment follows. Our more COM
pick organization has brought greater
| rewards to those identified with great
Industrial interchangeable magis-
trates OF steel. coal and petroleum, the
controlling factors in many lines OF
/ commerce and manufacture, railway
financiers, corporation lawyers. min
ing engineers. and so on. But the
flow of our wealth is as yet imperfect
| ly distributed, and some who are do
| ing most to make humanity better and
happier meet financial conditions thai
are decidedly meager and precarious
1-springdeld Unon.