The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-25

AA-otAiiS
of living are subjects for dis
from the White House TO the
cottage. President Taft init
st high prices are the result of
6portionate increase in tho
Be gold in the country. But This
hardly explains why potatoes
only 20 cents per bushel on
1enty miles from New York
sell for S1.75 per bushel in the
br does il explain similar facts
be a hundred other commodi-
barenf, sufficient and more basic
high prices is found in the
all commodities are handled
nav profits TO combinations,
ssociations and various other
ions. The law of supply and
hoes not operate in eases where
ers OF commodity agree not
rices. The primary cause for
les is combination among mid
and profit takers.
holesalers who buy directly from
ucers. are organized and arc
N agreements not TO compete
q the purchase price or lower
elling price. The distributors,
orally sell on commission for
esalers, must sell 1T the prices
The wholesalers. The retailers
at the wholesalers price. and
save themselves from the oper-
the law Of the survival of the
he retailers agree upon their
prices. And thus the middle
bile and treble the cost of a
ty as it travels from the pro-
fbe consumer. The cost Of
alton, with most commodities,
factor to be considered, and
bragg and packing charges. but
the great bulk of the added
esents the middle mans profit.
iddle Men Necessity.
men arc necessity in the
cheme of things. There is no
eettiug rid of them. Left to
hi Initiative, they form castles
les, drawn together by similar
feresis, and each caste adopts
ID laws necessary 10 IFS own
ion and profit.
is the necessary result of a
law of sociological evolution
alton and reorganization, or
Ihfion and rcintcpration, as
Spencer calls ii. We cannot
Ibis caste and class. We can
fange and rcorganize our en-
en- of social existence by an
gislation. All we can do is 10
|cractiug influences TO work.
edy advocated by q mum Der OF
analysisis is the formation Of
i've stores by the producers to
70 directly with consumers,
= scheme, which is intended 10
he effects of combination, in
ac formation Of a strong COM
among its members to insure
ss, and in IFS nature, it guar
certain benefit TO the consum-
lucrative combinations Of this
st in various places, the most
" which are the Orange Grow
}ns Of California and the APP
fers' associations OF the north
Of Colorado. Needless TO say
ary purpose of these organiza-
10 add the profits of the mid
TO those of the producer, and
intsge that accrucs to the con
merely fortuitous by-product
echanism. AS vet no mechanism
pr proceeding that will yield a
enefit to the consumer has been
Cooperative stores have
ricd, without great sue
q many places and at
mes. A eo.opertive store, IL
riding To theory, is in effect Il
~ league or combination. The.
cooperative store is a
lcmedy for extortionate prices,
ttual practice ii has been found
Aer or later kuaves and incom-
get the controlling Offices, just
generally do in all other pub.
mi-publIc affairs, and the store
ones loss instead of n gain.
many stores which arc in real
y by private persons OF by cor
are called cooperative stores,
OF the altruism implied in the
~ these must not be confused
community cooperative store
flil be seen that the failure Of
nunity store as an institution
py the moral aud psychologi.
"a OF a mass Of men by what
mtly lack Of business sense,
and zeal on the part of the
~, or as summed up ia the old
Is everybody's business IL
Business
nli the plight of the poor con
beyond the aid Of all rene
two. and they are:
standard of living must be
raer proportion OF the people
ome producers.
fne nrst, nobody will denv the
inc American people long have
" sun are the most wastcful.
t aud luxurious people on
et the earth. Up TO this dec
ls country production has far
consumption and we have been
~ ny surplus. Now things are
waste and e3travagauce. ia
Ee household and in all below
~, must be eliminated. This
4 ln great degree TO lower the
lcommodities.
A Real Trouble.
ne second remeGY; One real
'amcntal trouble with tue