The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1908-09-18
CURTAILMENT OF PRODUCTION
What Wouldsbe the Effect Of Bryan's
Plan for CURLING the Trusts?


Now comes the suggestion that, by
law, the operations of a corporation
shall be so curtailed that to the whole
output it shall not contribute more than
90 per cent. Those who have neither
the time nor the inclination to go below
the surface of things may acquiesce,
but even they may not
Presume a machine to be invented,
and presume it's promoters, not only to
establish a plant for it's manufacture,
but to be fortunate to the extent that
the use of the contrivance becomes gen.
eral. At the start they make the whole
output Then comes rival, beginning
by producing % per cent Down swoops
the government, compelling cOntrac-
ton by the pioneer.
What is the result? 1t is to reduce
| the total production, though the de-
mand for the machine may be greater
| than the supply. The pioneer plant
| cuts off 80 per cent in obedience to gov
ermental mandate and it's rival makes
| good but half of the deficiency. OF
| course, there are what may be called
| secondary effects, and they ensue imme-
| diately.
Presume the first plant to have cost
two millions and to employ 1000 men.
| No sooner is the second plant estab-
lished than 1000 men are thrown out
| of work, and property represented by
million is converted into an Industrial
| junk shop. The author of this brilliant
idea suggests that the company sell
what it becomes illegal to use.
This is equally brilliant. 1t may
| take the entire plant to produce one
| machine, of which there may be many
| parts. In that event, compliance with
law can come only by discharging 1000
men or by keeping 1000 at work on
half time. Nor does the proposition
emanate from an occupant of home
| for the feeble-minded.
1t comes from the Democratic candi.
date for the Presidency. 1t comes from
| mental machinery which enjoys a mo-
| nopoly Of that sort of thing. OF this
| machinery the aggregate output is
| large, but no effort has been made to
restrict it. One of the choicest of it's
products is that mOnopolies be eXter-
minated. This is pet thunderbolt-
but Mr.. Bryan has the crudest notions
as to it's significance. He seems to
think that in some mysterious way it
would benefit the "plain people"
A big corporation produces on q big
scale. Exterminate it, and it stops
Corporations become big for reasons
economists have no trouble in compre-
bending. They do things by wholesale.
And part of what they save remains in
the pocket of the consumer, who would
otherwise have to pay far more for his
| purchase.
Mr.. Bryan says he would dissolve,
destroy, obliterate, eXtirpate, eXter-
| inmate. Sometimes, he says. kill. He
| finds fault with Mr.. Taft because he
will make no use of these terms or Of
lican candidate for the Presidency has
not lost his mind. He is not formulat-
ing policy of destruction. He knows
that evolution from the little to the
big was not only inevitable, but bene-
ficent
In defamation the Nebraskan is eff
fective and impressive; in elaboration,
i'm detail, in what are called specffica-
tions, he is out of his element. 70 ask
him to be exact is to suggest that he
clip his own wings. The only known
equivalent for his Democracy is De-
struction.-BroOklyn Eagle.