The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-25
 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Cause of High Prices.
le Editor of The Age-Herald.


 It seems as if the authorities are having quite time trying to figure out where to lay the blame for the high prices that seem to prevail throughout the country on the necessaries of life and all building materials. If the ones that are trying to figure out the cause of all of this would only remember that there are two sides to a story, even to the north pole, and don't believe that either Cook or Peary has ever discov- cred either side of the pole-now, let me give you authorities a pointer to work on: If they will only take the time and trouble, they will find out that the labor trusts of this country hold the key to the whole cause of these high prices, and are the cause and means of everything going up.
 Now, for instance, we will take a contractor for large building; he takes his contract, places his figures on what the labor, iron, wood concrete and all building material Is at the time he puts in his bid. The building Is halfway done, here comes a dissatis- fled walking delegate that could not get position under any circumstances, he sees a chance to call a strike and get an increase of wages, or wiring a good big check of blood money from the con tractor or call the strike. What are the consequences? This contractor has con- tracted to put this building up and complete it for so much money, and in certain length of time, giving his bond that he will complete it in a cer- tain time; if he allows the increase of wages. he loses money: if he goes on and fights the labor question, he also loses money. Now the next contract that he bids for. he is going to put hts prices higher, so he can guard against these strikes, therefore 1t costs more to put up the same building after the strike than before.
 Here is clothing manufacturer that has contracted to deliver so many suits to his customers six or eight months before they are manufactured, at cer- tain price. About the time these clothes are to be manufactured the cutters and tailors strike for more wages-the consequences are that the next orders that are taken for clothing are higher than the ones before the strike, and the price of clothing has gone up.
 Now, take the stock yards. for in- stance. Here the corporation has con tracted to deliver so many pounds of meat at a certain price. Just about the time they are to deliver this meat here comes the strike of the packers, the butchers, the teamsters, the girls in the factory-now, don't you think that the next contract the packers make that the prices will be higher? Therefore, I say, you can take every branch of business and it has been the cause of these strikes that has put the price of everything higher.
 Now take the shirtwaist strike in New York, and just as sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west shirtwaists will be higher after this strike than before. Then the women will make a grand kick because the storek keeper has charged her more for shirtwaists than they did last year.
 Now, why is it that you auth critics don't lay the blame where it belongs? Is it because the republican and demo- cratic parties are afraid to, for fear they will lose the labor vote? If 1t had not been for the strike at the stock yards meat would not cost one-half as much as 1t does today; if 1t were not for the building strikes the teamster strikes, the carpenter strikes, the iron strikes, the moulders' strikes, the cleo trical strikes, the butchers strikes, the clothing strikes. the commodities of life today would not be one-half as high as they are at the present time. It is caused by the agitators of the so- called "czars" of the labor question; they are the ones that are causing these high prices. Now just wake up, please, and take a second thought and you will find that I am right. Go out into the world, away from your town, and you will soon find out that you didn't know anything about the town you are living in; you will find out that you are perfectly ignorant of the cause of the tn ese troubles. It seems as if it is the desire of the authorities to blame the capitalist for everything. Pray tell me what would become of the labor class of this country if it were not for the combination of capital? We would not have any railroads, manu- factories, street cars, colleges, or any other industries of this country if it were not for the combination of capital, to build and put these things in opera ton. Therefore I say look little father ahead and you will find that what I say Is right. F. E. KING, Chicago Travelling Commercial Sales
 man.
 Birmingham, January 24. 1910