davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
The INCREASED COST Of LIVING
Formation Of Trusts a Strong
Factor - How Congress VIII
Investigate the Question ::

taken trouble to show fallacy of this
because it is SO plausible and because
it is on par with lot Of other fan.
tastic explanations of high prices.
Why Not Accuse the Weathers
AS an instance, several people who
ought to know better have claimed
that lack Of scientific methods in farm
ing is responsible for the advance in
prices, when, as a matter Of fact, there
was never so much scientific farming
as today. Another claims that labor
unions are responsible, when every
real student Of the question knows
er than wages. There is something
more in the claim Of lack of farm
ers and scarcity Of farm labor, and
yet the improvement in agricultural
machinery has supplied this defect in
great degree. With modern tools one
two or three used to do. Moreover
Secretary Wilson's crop report shows
each years acreage and yield larger
than those of the year before. There
is undoubtedly congestion in the cities
and this would produce increased con
sumption, yet taken alone it would not
account for the radical boosting Of
prices witnessed in the last year OF
two.
There remain among possible cause
for tho condition only two worthy q
mention, the influx Of gold and tn
trusts. Now, if we deal with coli
facts and not with efforts to bolste
up some pet theory we shall find tina
the tales of the fabulous production o
gold have been much exaggerated.
would almost seem that it has bee
done for a purpose by somebody VIII
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
Critical Study Of the Great
Rise InPrices and the Causes
/. Which Have Brought Il About.
By JAMES A. EpcERroN.

r\HE inquiry into the cause of high
prices is something like the
question of "Who killed cock
robin?" Nobody knows for sure,
but everybody has his suspicious. Sen.
ators Clapp and Money say the tariff
is responsible. Senator Bristow, Rep
resentative Kahn and DR.. John Yves
ley Hill assert 1t is the trusts. Sena.
tors Bourne, Dick and Crawford, Rep.
resentative Scott, Economic Expert
Byron w. Holt, President Taft and
Professors James B. Clarke and Davis
r. Dewey opine that it is the influx OF
gold, the consequent depreciation Of
money and higher standard of liv-
ing. Secretary of Agriculture Wilson,
Senator Dolliver and Representative
Livingston Of Georgia say that toe
great congestion in cities and the cor
ollary Of too few people farming have
scooted prices upward. Professor ].
r. Kennedy Of the Illinois university
believes that the high price of land
does the trick. Others are sure it is
the scarcity of farm labor. There are
almost as many opinions as there are
people expressing them. All these
views are interesting, but what good
are they to the ultimate consumer,
who has to dig up the price?
Perhaps the most fearful and won.
derful cause assigned to dear grocer.
les and meats is the labor union
Somebody, who shall be nameless,
says that the trades organization is
responsible for the whole thing. Mex
he will be charging 1t, to the weather
department, the insurgents or DIR
Cook. Others will say that high price:
are caused by peekaboo waists or holes
in cheese. So for IS know, Cannon
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
Congress Wants to Know.

There is to be an investigation of
high prices, possibly two or three OF
them. Senator Stephen B. Elkins of
West Virginia has put in resolution to
appoint u committee of five senators
to inquire into the subject, Senator Coe
I. Crawford of South Dakota has in
troduced another resolution which en-
powers the secretary of commerce and
labor to conduct the Investigation,
while one or two similar measures
have gone into the house. President
Taft favors an inquiry, and Secretary
of Agriculture Wilson is already max
ing one. AS to what will come from
all these probefests it is hard to say.
Congressional investigations are some
times fearful and wonderful things.
I recall one of score of years ago
into the railway mail graft that was
a shame and an outrage on the coun-
try, as subsequent disclosures have
proved. AS a general thing inquiries
by congress are probably fairly hon
est and thorough, yet l would have
my doubts about one where the COM
tined trusts are concerned. And I
think these doubts would be shared by
nine out of ten men in the country. An
inquiry by Secretary Wilson would
have more public confidence.
While all these Investigations and
threatened Investigations of food prices
are going on, there is one movement
that may come to much or little &C.
cording to whether the people take it
as crusade or joke 1t is the pro.
posed boycott Of high priced trust
products led by DR.. E. L. Scharf Of
Washington. DR.. seharf wants to gel
a million householders to join him IN
the boycott and proposes to start with
meat. The only trouble with this pro
gram is that if Scharf and his million
boycott all high priced trust goods they
may starve to death.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
LAKE OF SOLID SODA.
Twenty Square Miles Of the Mineral
Found In Africa

Twenty Square Miles Of the Mineral
Found In Africa.
Fred Shelford. an engineer of the
projected African railroad from Ugan-
da to Lake Magadi. tells of a wonder
full soda lake which he discovered aft
err most Difficult ) >urney over a wa
terless country. Shelford says:
Lake Mngadi is picturesquely sit
uated between vast mountains. There
were no signs of human life. We
found the water few inches deep
covering hard surface looking like
hard marble. This is an immense de-
post of soda, which when bored was
found to extend to a considerable
depth, indicating an area of at least
twenty square miles of solid soda"
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28

wants to throw dust In the eyes Of the
people. Where is all this increased
amount of gold? Is it in the pockets
Of the people? Have you seen it? Is
it in the vaults Of the United States
treasury? Is it in the banks? Where
is it? Does it not exist chiefly in the
imaginations Of certain statisticians
who are trying to make case? Where
70 all this gold produced? In Alaska?
All the gold taken out of Alaska is
but fyspeck compared to the worlds
commerce. So far as can determine,
most of the people who claim that the
influx of gold is the cause of high
prices are taking somebody else's
word for the marvellous and stagger-
ing increase in the output of gold.
Moreover, If this were the real cause
it would affect all values alike, when,
as a matter of fact, it is universally
admitted that it has not affected
wages. Before coming to the last
cause, the food trusts, a word about
the tariff, which had well nigh over
looked. I take it that the American
people want the truth of the matter
and are not particularly interested in
partisan claims one way or the other.
Well, the truth is that there has been
an advance in prices in Europe as well
as America, though not to the same
extent. Part Of Europe is free trade.
T. !s alsn trne that here at home arti-
cles on the free list have been affected
by the rise as well as those that are
protected. Hides were conspicuous for
having been taken off the dutiable list
ut the direct Intervention Of the presi-
Dent, yet there was recently decreM a
sharp advance in the price of shoes.
do not claim that some Of these
factors may not enter into the problem
as at least contributory causes to the
increased cost of living. I only insist
| that they are not the chief causes and
that all of them taken together could
not produce the unusual condition by
which we are confronted. A study of
the situation forces one to the conclu-
] sion that our high prices are artificial,
mat they were not produced by nat.
ural causes and that some unusual fac
| ter has entered in. There are many
| proofs that these high prices are arti
| fetal, of which three may be men
| toned. One is that during the panic
Of 1907 the price level kept up, the
| first time in history that such a condt
ton prevailed during panic. Anoth
er fact is that the laws of supply and
demand seem to have been set aside
/ However bountiful the harvests may
have been, prices continued to climb
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
ana Aldrich have not been accused of
1t yet, but the trusts have been, and
that is much the same thing.
vegetarians and Leather.

One genius has arrived at the re-
markable conclusion that the advanc-
ed price Of shoes. for example, is due
to the vegetarians. Owing to the agi-
tation against meat eating fewer
beeves have been killed. Thus the sup
ply Of hides has decreased, and leath-
er has advanced. That logic is abb
solutely hole proof, like the socks
we buy with coupons attached. We
knew the vegetartans would do some
thing horrible. and now they have
done It. They ought to be. made to go
barefoot, like victims Of one of these
now cure cults who battle their bare
,tootsies in the morning dew. II the
+vegetariausewiu not eat the carcass Of
the COW they should not be allowed to
wear her tanned skin. In principle it
~ just as bad to kill the poor beast
for her hide asAt Is for her beef. To
be consistent the vegetarians ought to
wear wooden shoes or moccasins WOW
On from grass. Nobody but an unfeel-
ing brute and barbarian would take
life IA order that he might deck his
feet with the pelt Of the victim. Yet
; hare .eyer heard that vegetarians
object to wearing shoes. Why this
Discrimination between the inside of
the carcass AND the outside?
What marnelonss explanat lions are Of
fered for high prices by those who Ell
Their do, not see the true cause or want
10 conceal It! Take this vegetarian
thing. torsexample. which has been ad-
vaneed seriously by business man Of
repute. Its he Is correct In stating
that the demand for beef has fallen
Of beoause Of the anti-meat eaters
why has not the price Of beef gone
down? As matter Of fact, meat prices
have been radically advanced. It was
the complaint against dear beef that
had much to do with starting the
whole agitation against high prices
Thus there is q flaw in the argumen,
somewhere II the price Of hides has
gone up because the supply has de
creased, why should not the price Of
meat have gone down when the de
mand decreased? In other words
the argument that decreased consump
ton Of meat has produced highe,
prices ofyleather because itcut OF thu
4 supply Is refuted by the fact that 4
has not caused lower prices Of meat
sllpopsA Is sgt QG III. demand I haxs
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
Aeronautic Course For Boys.

Aeronauts for the future will be
trained at the West Side Young Mems
Christian association. 31S West Fifty
seventh street, New York, in special
course in aeronautics for boys. This
course in aero navigation for boys is
an outgrowth of the class established
in October last for the study of the
science of air fight. The old class
grew so rapidly and embraced such a
large variety of ages that it was de
cided to make special division fol
boys and arrange course especially
adapted to them.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
PHEASANT EXPEDITION.
Colonel Anthony kuser Gives $4,000;
For Worldwide Study.

The New York Geological society has
sent out an expedition to investigate
the habits of pheasants in all parts of
the world Colonel Anthony Il. kusc.
has donated 100000 to cover the OK
penses of the expedition and the pub
LEGATION of a monograph on the birds
subsequently.
c. William Beebc, curator of birds
Of the society, is at the head of the
expedition. ~ photographer goes wit
him. They will tour England, Chin
Japan, India, Borneo and other coup
tries where pheasants are known OF
believed to exist.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28

Uncle Sans Quick Curing Powder.
Uncle Sam is sole owner Of smoke
less gunpowder which will cure" in
three days. Other processes take six
months for curing" THIS informa-
ton was recently given to the house
committee on military affairs by Z. F.
Bncknell. agent Of the Du Pont Pow.
der company
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
The Barrier,

Blobbs-No; shall never marry.
slobbs-But you don't seem like wo-
man hater. In fact, you seem very
fond Of the fair sex. Blobbs-Yes, and
I talk in my sleep.-Exchange
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-28
TTMEsREpUB1loAN, IOWA,

The third proof Is that during all this
phenomenal rise in food and farm
products the farmer has been but lit
tie benefited. Actual Investigations in
the state of Michigan disclosed the
fact that, while potatoes were selling
for 30 cents a bushel in rural districts,
the farmers receiving but % cents,
the same grades of potatoes were re-
failing for from 20 to 75 cents per
bushel in Detroit, although it was but
a few score of miles distant and the
transportation charges We're not more
than to cents bushel. Like con-
ditions were found in other lines.
confidently predict that like investi-
CATION in any large city of the Union
when compared with the country one
or two hundred miles away would
show similar contrasts. Who gets all
this enormous margin between what
the farmer receives and what the ulti-
mate consumer pays?
The Rat In the Meal Tub.
What is the unusual factor in the
situation? There has always been
more or less tariff, there has always
been a certain amount of luxury, there
have always been some lax methods
in farming, and to offset whatever in
creased production in gold is actually
found to exist it must be remembered
that silver has been demonetized as
ultimate money Of redemption. These
other factors have been present and
are not radically different from what
they were before. For this unusual
rise in prices there must be some I'LL
usual cause. What is it? What is the
/! new factor?
There is but one answer possible
| the trusts. Prices are no longer ruled
/ by the natural laws of competition.
They are arbitrarily fixed by combina-
tions There is monopoly in enough
of the chief articles of commerce to
govern the entire price level. What
ever minor causes operate to produce
high prices, and they are many, these
combinations in restraint of trade are
the chief cause. Here is a quotation
from Congressman Julius Kahn OF
California which is so pat that 1 can
not forbear quoting it. Being asked
to what he attributed this increase ii
cost, Mr.. Kahn said:
I attribute 1t first Of all to the forma
ton Of trusts that control these things
Take the item of fish. In the past, whel
there was an abundance of fish in thu
Pacific coast markets, the price wen
down Now when the market Is gluttet
the dealers simply send the surplus to
fertilizing establishment, where 1t Is con
verified into fertilizer, and that amour
of the stuff as an article of food is with
drawn from consumption. This creates
fictitious shortage. and the price is keE
up. The same thing is true of fruits
Fruits ought to be cheap in California
but the price is kept up when there Is a
unusually big crop through the practic
of destroying that which falls. putting
in cold storage or otherwise keeping
out of the local markets. so that the sur
ply is reduced. The natural law of suppl
and demand is distorted, and the peopl
c,,ffor occordinp1V
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-28
Reduction in Price of Red
Metal May Be Expected as
Result of Production.
GUGGENHEIMS SEEK
TO BE METAL KINGS
Their Desire to Control All Mar
ket Metals Will Affect
All Prices.

Some improvement was noticed in the
copper share market yesterday, East
ern dispatches indicated that some un-
Outstanding had been reached among the
large copper producers. whereby there
would be an abandonment OF the present
plan of an immense over-production of
the red metal, Some OF the local in
vesters took hope from these reports and
gave 1t as their opinion that the mar
ket had reached bed rock and from this
point there would be a gradual ascent.
A man who Is we'll known in mining
circles, and who Is a student OF copper
mines and markets gives as his opinion
that there has been no agreement reached
and that so far as the Guggenhelm low
grade copper mines are concerned there
will be curtailment Of the output. He
says that naturally there Will be a re-
duction in the market price OF the red
metal and it may be marked down to
ten cents. Even at this low price the
porphyry mines of Bingham and Ely can
while the Butte mines of a similar char
acter, having a higher cost, VIII have
to abide the time for better metal
market,
Reports have been given currency that
the Amalgamated company was seeking
control of Utah Copper and Nevada Con-
solidatcd. Our informant says that the
Guggenheims have nothing for sale, They
today are the largest producers OF lead
ores in the world, and 1t is their sole
ambition to get control OF the copper
metal also. In Alaska they have large
gold properties, and eventually they as
pire TO be known as the metal kings
OF the universe.
With the passing OF Henry II. Rogers
and some Of the old guard OF the Stan
dard OIL crowd, 1t is claimed that the
new members of the company have lost
their grasp on the mining situation TO
large extent Their selling agency. the
United Metals, has insisted upon carry
ing its copper stock, and in this manner
they have accumulated the bulk OF the
copper surplus. Recently they have come
down with the market prices, but com
petltors are still underselllng them. Dur
Ing this period the Guggenhelms have
been selling their copper as fast as the
finished product came into the market,
and today they have sold the copper
supply several months in advance, The
Amalgamated still has n large surplus
stock on hand. and the Guggenheims are
waiting for more OF the stock from their
mines to make deliveries.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-28
Logan & Bryan Stock Letter.

James A, Pollock & Co.. bankers and
brokers, furnish the following received
over their private wire yesterday after
noon:
Logan G. Bryan Stock Letter New
York.-The strength Of London induced
higher opening and In addition it ap-
peared after initial sales that some sup
port was being given the list. Heavy
selling OF Rock Island caused a tenn
porary halt in the upward movement,
but that Issue later recovered sharply.
which served TO stimulate activity and
an advancing tendency In the market.
Various rumors were in circulation most
OF which could not be verified but at
the same time II seemed to be the gem
eral impression that several weak pools
were strengthened over night and that
the heavy pressure during yesterday g
session temporarily marked the end OF
urgent liquidation. The list seemed en-
titled to a substantial recovery after the
recent drastic declines. but we would not
permit ourselves TO be misguided by the
present show Of firmness, as the atmos-
phere has hardly cleared sufficiently to
warrant the expectancy OF sustained
upward movement. We feel that the
well-seasoned dividend payers, however
are selling at a level quite attractive to
investors, and therefore are inclined tc
advise moderate purchases on the occa
sional recessions. provided that the same
are we'll protected or paid for in full.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-28
ELY OUTPUT IS
SHORT IN JULY
Refining of Furnaces Cuts Cop
per Production for Month
at Guggenheim Camp.

The July output Of the Steptoe Valley
plant near Ely, viii be about 5.500.0o0
pounds of copper, according 10 the esti-
mates of the officials of the plant, The
output will run short In July because
a part OF the plant has been out OF COM
mission for ten days. while the big fur
mace was being refined.
There has been a constant demand on
the furnaces for matte for the convert
ers, and this also has q tendency toward
reducing the output, by keeping the
matte in the furnace at a low ebh. which
causes less satisfactory results than
when the furnaces are kept we'll filled.
y new device for Introducing silica
into reverberatory furnaces is now being
installed at furnace No. 4, and II the
experiment proves to be n success the
other furnaces will be fitted up in IL like
way The overhead hoppers will carry
the crushed siliclous rock into the fur
mace by gravity Instead of shoveling IL
I'm from the side OF the furnace under
present arrangements.
All material for the fifth furnace has
been delivered on the ground, and 1t
will probably be ready for service at
an early date. as the furnace Is badly
needed to supply the cqnverters with
the necessary amount of matte. The
waste heat boilers have been brlcked in
and are now boing piped.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-28
KINGSTON MINE IS
ON ACTIVE LIST
California Man Bonds Nevada
Property; Austin Picking
Up New Life.

AUSTIN. Nevada. July 27.-The fa-
nous Kingston mines. just out of Austin
at the head OF Smoky valley. have re-
sumed operations. A bond has been
signed by l. Hirshfeld OF Bakersfield,
Cal. and work under his direction has
already been commenced, Three shifts
VIII be busy next week driving III the Irvine
cut the contract ledge OF the mother lode
OF the district. The Kingston mines have
produced more than $4,000 and are the
property Of ]. a. Miller and ]. A. Miller.
Jr. OF tho Bank Of Austin. Mr.. Hirsh-
field has previously worked this property.
having expended $50 600 In Its develop
and Trust company put him out OF bust
ness. He has recouped his fortune in
Bakersfield oil and is now right back
at what he believes to be one OF the
The Austin Manhattan company has
machinery installations In shape. for a
more vigorous mining programme In Aus
The siXtyhorsepowcr hoist is In place
at the Jack Pot and the gallows frame
almost completed An. air compressor
few days, sinking on the ledge from the
200 foot level Will he commenced.
AT the ophir shaft, which VIII reopen
the. entire Union section OF the camp; amp
retimbering has progressed to the 100
foot level. The power hoist. formerly in
use at the Jack Pot will be transferred
to the Ophir and these operations VIII
go forward with much more speed than
in the past. At the mill everything Is
ready for the expected arrival Of the ma
chlnery for the electrostatic reduction
plant which has been shipped from Bos-
ton. Alterations OF an extensive ma.
ture have already been made In the mill
structure, These will be completed by
experts who will arrive from the East
most any day,
The Maricopa Mines company, leasing
at the Patriot are installing a complete
heavy mining equipment and will carry
on operations second In Importance TO
none In this section Of the state. This
company Will drive a tunnel $500 feet
In n mineral region that has furnished
some OF the richest ore over shipped
to the smelterS from Austin,
Joe Bray Is installing a furnace to treat
antlmonlal ore at his mines, twelve miles
south from Austin, These mines have
produced orc that was shipped to Eu-
rope at a profit and now that methods
have been found to reduce the ore on
the spot. it is believed that the antirnony
mines of Lander county will again come
to the front,