The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-12-22
A CONSPRACYAGANsT TIE PEOPLE.


district attorney for New York has
discovered that they are the result,
to certain extent, of conspiracy.
The manufacturers of meat, dairy
products, cereal and other food stufs
have been selling to the wholesaler
under contracts which bind the lat
ter to maintain prices arbitrarily FIX
ed. These prices have, on an aver
age, represented an advance of 80
per cent, which represents approx
imately the increase in the cost of
living.
The contract was an iron-clad
agreement for violation of which
there were fines and boycott. For
instance the manufacturerrefused to
sell goods until the wholesaler agreed
to sell to the retailer at the prices
fixed by the manufacturer, and to
conform to any advance in price.
The wholesaler also bound himself
not to sell to retailer WHO cut
prices. Further trade relations de-
pended on afidavits that contracts
had not been violated, failure to pre-
sent which was also cause for term
mating business relations. Statesmen
we're required to take oath that
agreements had been kept. Thus
the contract fxod the price to the
consumer; yes, forced it on him, and
was conspiracy against the people.
Copies of contracts such as these
fell INTO the district attorney'shan
and constituted the very best evil
dence of violation of the Interstate
Commerce law. He served notice
on manufacturers uttering them that
they were engaged in acts in res
traint of trade, and agreements were
Immediately cancelled. He proposes
TO continue serving notices until he
has called every conspirator to ac-
count. Yet he should not stop there;
he should prosecute and punish every
violator of law, so vigorously and eff
fectively that men who have been
robbing the people will never dare
undertake to do so again. The crime
is so diabolical that its perpetrators
should be made social outcasts.
1t seems almost incredible that
manufacturers could have so com
pletely dominated trade as the in
veStigation disclosed. One would
think that there would have been
some retailer to vigorously protest to
the wholesaler, and some wholesaler
who had manhood enough to expose
the men who were taking bread out
of the mouths of Woodworking men
and women and innocent childran.
That there was not man who dared
open his mouth until he had been
boycotted, is sad commentary on
the quality of humanity current in
this day and generation. Truly
Mans inhumanity to man makes
countless thousands MOURN"
The district attorneys discoveries
go a long way toward disproving
Mr.. Hills theory of high prices;
they also show more plainly than
ever the influence of high protection
on the cost of living. Had the tariff
law not enabled the manufacturers
to control the raw material of their
products, they could not have arbi-
trarily fixed prices to the wholesalers
through iron-clad contracts. The
devil behind the stump in this whole
devilish business is the Aldrich Tariff
law which creates opportunities for
capital to rob the people. Amend
ment of that law so that it give the
peoplea square deal is the great duty
of this Sixty-6rst Congress; and it
will be derelict in duty if it does not
so amend the law.
Yes, and more. If this Sixty-frst
Congress does not amend the Aldrich
law, it will become party to this con-
spiracy against the people, and will
/.