The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-12-21
Evils of Special Privilege.
COMPETITION.

Competition is hell" is the paraphrase on General
sherman's famous remark about war. The only COM
petition far obtained in this world has been that Of
special privilege. Under this power tho only competi
ton is to which unit in any line Of industry
first develop power larger purchaser the
mad chase attain the desired end every effort 10
made to increase production that with ncreas
ed consumption of materials the quality
be obtained at decreasing cost Increased consumption
OF finished products is spurred by price cutting and
during such periods those competitors possessing the
of the smaller purchaser only. skate over very
thin ice At other times those possessing the OF
the larger purchaser bring about lull in the
price cutting campaign in order to realize
ita for their businesses BY selling their products the
price for margin Of profit for those
ing the smaller purchasing they make the ad
donal profit Of the savings in cost of production
only to those possessing the larger purchas-
ing power. This is the principle that
actuated tho dreamertrader and the chiefs
The dreamerader made 10 beaver skins profit each
hundred spears sold the basis of skin per
spear. and for selling the same quantity at the same
rate the chiefs made 20 beaver skins profit.
The constant for greater production bred
production and in the wake OF this whenever for
public confidence became shaken the nations
currency system fater. Its credit system
would disntegrate and panic would sweep over the
country. Only those units in each line Of industry that
could buy and sell cheaper could make any pretense
OF running factories during such times The factories
of the smaller purchasers the that shut down
to the wall consolidated with larger pur.
chaser. It during such panics that the men who
unconsciousy building tho Money Power drew
from their stores Of ready cash their ability to be
favored first with credit and bought up at bargain
prices large percentages of the nations natural
and its railroads and various units OF industry
hitherto held those weak weather the financial
storm and business depression.
It has been almost axiomatio with tho great com.
mercial rating agencies that OF every 100 men who start
in business IS fail and only succeed. In the light Of
the law OF special privilege and the competition that
holds Hereunder this had better read that OF
me n business who try obtain the power
larger purchaser succeed and build their up
their absorption Of the other 95 who remain pos
sessed only Of the power OF the smaller purchaser.
Viewed from this Of monopolisc special privilege
1t may be said that such competition hell
LABOR.
Labor. too. has suffered under the law Of special
privilege. In tho early days of special privilege
petition labor also the competitive basis. The
fastest and most efficient workmen used the
pace settlers. As much work as possible was done
a piece work scale. Theoretically, ON this basis tho
moro a workman produced the more money he made.
In practice, however, though he might produce more,
he really made more money on the average. In.
creasing productivity OF workmen met by reduc-
ton the piece work SCALE the manufacturers ap-
proprating tho reward OF abors increased output in
order lessen the cost Of production vital considers
of price cutting and racing for the posi-
larger purchaser Under this system the fast
duction in price of piece work. the manufacturer
string encourage them to keep the fast pace the
spur gave the efforts Of the average worker It
upon this latter class that piece work reductions
fell heaviest. No matter what point they
their productivity the wages they drew but .
thin barrier from starvation. During the lus
price cutting campaigns they might receive lit
tie increase in pay but it was only temporary
enlargement Let another price cutting campaign get
under way and the manufacturer Immediately was
IN ia Or II 0anic urrod
20 many workingmen would be thrown out Of work
that competition between the tobless and the few
still at would in q short time send all labor costs
tumbling to lower ngures Even late 1911 the
Wall Street Journal has been stating that a result
of tho present business depression. during tho
Of which capital commodities have bob been qu1-
Dated liquidation in labor is over due.
Labor evidently believing with Napoleon that God
IL on OF the heaviest artillery. undertook
r1xht its In practically every branch Of
manufacturing industry It began to oFEanise into unions
- ~ . UuaD ua10 0A . A1AnB.