Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-22
COMMON PEOPLE WELL FED
MAYOR GAYNOR DECLARES
Discusses High Prices, and the
National and City Govern
ment at Banquet

SYRACUSE. n. Y, March 19.-The eco
nornic problems that now face the coun-
try together with questions that confront
the municipality OF the city OF which he
Is mayor were considered in trenchant
speech by Mayor Gaynor,- OF New York.
before the Syracuse chamber OF COM
merce tonight
Mayor Gaynor expressed the opinion
that only city issues had been considered
IN city elections. saying:
But II is hard TO get into the heads
Of even intelligent men that the only sane
way in city elections Is to vote according
10 local men and issues. and to freely
cross party lines on that basis. without
being deferred by national OF state poll
tics. That would compel the political
parties to favor good ISSUES and nominate
good and competent men In local cleo
tons"
The mayor next entered upon discus
sion OF high prices and their causes
COMMON PEOPLE WELL OFF.
The general run OF people" he said,
''vere never betRr FED, clothed and
housed than today. The subject OF high
prices seems to be eugrOssing the mind
OF the very able man who Is now presi-
dent OF the United States. and he IS en-
titled TO the good win and assistance OF
Us all in reaching a conclusion, IL the
cause OF present high prices be natural
and normal nothing IS to be feared
therefrom- High prices are by no means
always an evil. while low prices often
are
High prices produced by artificial
means. BY monopolies, do not bring good
times. They are Injurious 10 the COM
munity. Now let Us not run away with
that word monopoly. either. 1 use IL In
fits strict and only permissible sense.
However great a business may grow. by
fair and natural means, IL Is not mo-
nopoly. II any man. or set OF men, can,
in free competition. and without any
favoritism OF government or OF the law.
but solely by superior industry or skill.
produce an article OF commerce OF such
quality or price that only few or even
no one can compete with them at q profit.
that is not a monopoly A monopoly can
be created and maintained only by favor
ltism OF government or OF law -
MONOPOLIES WE HAVE.
The only monopoIies we have in this
rountry seem TO be those which have
been built up and are maintained by I'M
lawful fayoritism in wholesale freight
rates by neglect or liberation OF gov
srument Such favoritism in freight
rates is the great crime Of our day and
generation And that is what has been
going on in this country for more than
a generation, with the result that many,
or most, OF the great articles OF COM
merce are in the hands Of .nlOnOpolies-
Some think that because We have in
recent years passed laws making such fa7
voritism a penal offense that we have
done away with H. But not So No doubt
in time such fsvoritism will be brought
10 an end. We cannot remain NJ for free
government IL we do not bring it to an
end
But while present high prices are
higher than they would be except for
monopoIies. there is another great cause
for them, namely. the production or
gold
LET us do all we can TO do away with
high prices 10 the extent that they ara
caused by ncnopolies, but let US be as
sured that We can not DO away with
them tosthe extent that they areseaused
by an increasing gold prod0ction. Nor
are they an evil to the extent they are
produced thereby
DISCUSSES SALOONS. -
The mayor went into the question OF
liquor saloons on Sunday at some length,
referring to the ever-recurring crusade in
New York city. the spying and summary
and arbitrary arresting. with the in
evftable consequences OF extortion and
bIackmail. He said a great and danger
Gus evil had thus been substituted for a
much smaller one.
Il have now in consideration" he said,
'-the way OF systematic and orderly adj
ministratiou OF the liquor law. so that IL
win be observed I'm the city OF New York
even better than in the rest Of the state
and at the same time this eating canker
OF extortiOn and blackTnail shall be de-
stroyed-"