The Washington herald., 1910-02-04
Greed of Commerce.
tor The Mashington Herald:

Editor The Washington Herald;
Cicero. speaking in the Senate, said
that Rome had made herself abhored
throughout the world by the violence and
avar!ce of her generals" Has America
done less by the greed Of her commercial
kings-her beef. pork, sugar. flour.
copper. coal. steel kings-in wanton mo-
nopoly? Mighty Caesar arose. but not
even Caesar could save Rome from Its
suicidal errors.
In vain, then, we have looked for an
American greater than Caesar to save
America from the avarice Of her preda-
tory wealth. Hence. the people, patient
and long suffering, in the throes OF wan
ton gluttony OF combination in restraint
Of rights. at last arose in boycott TO
throw off lecherous extortion and rob
berry Of Iife's necessaries. In one brief
week the leeches have slackened hold
and prices have fallen 10 10 % per cent.
Il Is an epoch in national history But
in doing so we rob ourselves Of our high
standard Of living by surrendering them.
We give up what we want, need, and
should have at reasonable rates in order
to put down prohibitive prices. We sim
ply starye our stomach 20 crush cold stor-
age.
1. looks Ike a case Of cutting off our
noses to spite our face. But good has
come Of Il. Yet can We successfully
continue to stand out our stomachs
against cold storage? Can we do without
butter and eggs and meat a month TO
spite cold storage? Not much; for in the
end we viii only get eggs and meat Just
a little bit older. What can we do then?
LeRislate? Not much for only in down
ward revision In earnest. is legislation
Of any avail. in sorry spectacle OF failure
Of which we turn and see Congress in
the special extraordinary session OF 1879
and its present baneful effect. Trusts
control commodities and necessaries Of
life. Trusts have built and grown fat
on tho tariff Trim the tariff. enforce the
law. and trusts viii tumble But, in the
meantime. starvation stares US in the
face in the prohibitive prices Of com
bines with ample supply cold storage.
Various causes are credited 10 the ex-
cessive cost Of living. Economists say il
is IN the increase Of gold production. We
understand the principle there, but don't
get the gold II matters not the cause.
We want the remedy, Economy IS the
remedy-econony all along the line Fam
ily waste fattens trusts. II national con-
servation IS good Tor the nation, home
conservation is good for the family and,
as well. the individual Normally, supply
and demand regulate prices. Abnormal
", monopoly may and often does. II
twenty people want one apple-all there
is-competition is great and the price IS
high If one man wants only one apple
OF twenty, there is no competition, and
price is nominal But whether twenty
men after one apple OF one man after
only one Of twenty, If the fruit IS in
nonopoly's grasp. the man or men VIII
pay the price Of monOpoly's greed.
Practice ecoEor1". Begin at once at
home-everywhere Buy less, save more.
Cater with discretion as 10 quality and
quantity. Study food relation values,
family. and its unit wants, and harmo-
nize on things Of substance for growth
Of bone and brain and muscle and mind
We eat too much and Unfortunately. Cut
down the food TO half. cook well, and
Fletcherize it. Then body and mind and
health VIII be better subserved therein
and cost OF living cut IN half 10 your
own work. Servants eat, waste, and
steal half your earnings. Wagon loads
Of bread and meat daily go into the
garbage from apartment houses alone IN
this Capital city and thousands Of tons
in its castaway. Throw nothing away.
Turn stale bread into bread pudding and
scraps Of meat into stews Learn to
cook. Save all along the line. Waste
nothing. Waste draws on supply Sup
ply being meager. wastes demand causes
competition and raises prices. Economize.
Economize not only in food, but In cloth
ing and shoddy pleasures. In its prac-
tice mind, body, morals, and purse will
thrive and grow and monopoly weaken
and topple ANDREW JORDAN GREEN,