Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-29
BY[RS BLAk[S TRUSTS
ATTORNEY GENERAL DISCUSSES
REASONS FOR HIGH
PRICES.
GROCER AND BUTCHER
ARE HELD RLAMELEss
Byers Says Meat Boycott Will Not Sc
euro Permanent Results = Stock
Gambling, Tariff and Railroad Trans
portation Charges All Contradictory
causes lua.. .i.lAl
,ecial to Times-Republican.

Speclal 10 meS-ItepuDllcan.
Des Moines, Jan. 29.-Attorney Cen
eral Byers does not agree with that
portion of the general public which is
engaged in lambasting the butcher and
the grocer for the high prices Of life
necessaries. He states that the meat
boycott and the boycott against other
articles of high price will not produce
permanently the desired low prices
The remedy, he says, must be worked
out in Washington by national legisla-
ton.
The responsibility of the price that
is too high rests almost wholly upon
the trust, the excessive tariff the ex-.
orbitant transportation charges, the
stock and grain gambling" he asserted.
and il one is any more to blame than
the other of these, 1 would fix their
responsibility about in the order have
named"
Would Amend Sherman Law
There is q remedy for this, he SAYS,
but 1T must be worked out in Washing
ton, by the amending of the Sherman
ANTITRUST law, the creation of a pernla-
nent nonpartisan tariff commission. the
of the Hepburn act giving
the interstate commerce commission
more power over transportation COM
panles, and the prohibiting of stock
and grain gambling in Wall street ana
great market centers of the Country.
The sherman law should be amended.
he says, by defining anew what are
combinations in restraint of trade and
lheh make membership in any such
trust or combination felony and pun
lshable by imprisonment.
The permanent .nonpartisan tariff
commission which he advocates as part
OF the remedy should have. he states.
the power to ascertain the physical val
ue OF the railroad properties of the
country.
Outlines His Position.
Attorney General Byers, in this state
ment of his opinion of the question of
nigh prices gives the position he will
occupy ii he attends the meeting of at
torney generals of midwestern states.
called by Attorney General Major of
Missouri.
The object of this conference is to
discuss the question of high prices and
to decide upon, if possible, some man
ner of combating the evil. 1t will be
held either in Kansas City or ST. Louis.
Inc date has not been decided upon.
Attorney General Byers, asked as to
how he will stand in this conference.
stated the following which he believes
gives the real cause of high prices and
shows the real and only remedy:
When men fight in the dark they all
ways hit the man nearest to them no
matter whether it be friend or foe. It
seems to me that is just what we are
doing in the campaign that is on just
now against high prices" Everybody
who works for u living feels a hurt-lle
feels 1t in the home. in the office, in the
shop, in the mill, in the NINE in the
business house and OH the farm--the
blow is from behind and in the dark.
and in a sort of blind frenzy we are
striking not at the right man, but at
the one nearest to us. The man in
town strikes the butcher the grocer,
and the other retailers, and they in
turn strike at the wholesalers and the
farmer 1t must be evident to all
thoughtful people that in such a fight
lneie VIII pe many innocent NlctlmS-
that We are all likely to have our eyes
blackened without touching the right
man.
Right Beginning Essential.
To make an intelligent and an ef-
fectual fight we must begin right;
there must be recognition of the fact
that it is not every high price that is
wrong and to be denounced, but only
such prices as are high because of
some improper influence or element en-
tering into the fixing of the price, as