The Washington times., 1911-12-14

he said; yet, In 1910. Q competitor.
Thomas q. Plant. brought out COM
plete system Of shoe-malring machinery
declared by many experts to be superior
to the trunt's.. The competition was 20
formidable that the trust, though In
violation OF law. bought out the Plant
system for about 5000 900. and to this
day no machine Of this system has been
marketed.
"The efficiency Of monopoiies would
not Justify thsir Aexistenee unless the
community. should benefit. and efficient
truatt absorb these benefits 70 them
eelves. Thus the Standard Gil increased
the, price OF re6ned OIL naphtha. and
raraffine. from 1885 to 1905, 4s per cent.
The profits per pallon on Grade oil
increased between 1859 and 1905. from
1.7S cents to 3.O6 cents per gallon. The
profits OF the trusts. marketing conr-
panies Impressed from .ss cent per ga!e
nearly doubled between 1898 and 1905.
"Ertwecn 1850 and 1907 the price Of
smoking tobacco rose from 2.l cents
cents to pa The price OF plug tobacco
rose from PAS TO A4 cents: the profit
from 1.9 to S.7 sents.
'Ina snuff the trus. controlled 81. per
price rose from 29.2 cents In 1900 to 81
in 1M7, whereas the cost decree sed from
?2.G to 2o;s. Thus the profit rose from
sc to 16.a so that in 1907 the trust
exasssSn eg sssn. profs Of about 81 per cont
Price Regulation.
"Tbe high prices maintained by the
Steel trust are Of common knowledge
In less than ten years II accumulated
in surplus or paid In dividends on stock
representing water. over $650.000,0 ,000
Compare this with competitive busi-
nesses where prices and the ratio OF
profits have shown marked tendency
to decrease. In, book paper the average
selling price declined from 70s cents in
1859 to 4.A in 1899 and s.ss in 1910; profit.
In 1888 and 4 in 1910. Yet the principal
raw material used, wood, like wages,
has steadily risen In price during this
"A Government commission to Ak
prices might prevent. excessive profits,
but would be p0werless to secure for
the public the low prices attendant
upon competition. The limitation Of the
this Incentive. reduce the monopoiy's .
efficiency. To take away the fruits of
efficiency would psraiyss enterprise
and t.sn Sans aor
As to the steel Corporation, John
Fitchs study Of the steel workers Of
Pittsburgh supplies the answer. The cor
poration has brought over 80 per cent
has driven unionism out Of the mills,
has increased working hours till the
eight-hour day has practically disap-
peared. About q majority Of steel work
days in the week. There has been no
corresponding increase in wages. In few
cases has 1t been proportionate to the
there sare IN Ssns S.ns actual aas In manH
wages. 'a,f| 80 as -."f
''In one plate min at Homestead Sc
lected as typical, between 1892 and 1907,
y ,,s,'y I'll. earnings L fell from to q per cent
from eight to twelve. This degrada-
ton OF the laborcr was made possible
by driving out the nnion. The Steel
sseads osy the ea' rem anS to yaoe
measures. Intended to preserve e.ficier,. ns
cy, have curtailed free speech and free
activity Of citizens.
Debt To Unions.
1.-The same policy Of suppressing trade
unionism has prevailed In Standard OIL.
the Tobacco. Snoe Machinery. Harvest
er. Cash Register, and other trusts. At
time when the American people were
stunned by the crimes OF high trade
unions officials. II Is hitting TO recair the
debt America owes to labor unions. To
them we owe the rise in wages. shorter
hours of labor. better conditions OF en-
ployment. protection Of women and
children In industry.
"The successful trusts have created
conditions absolutely Inconsistent with
Amerioass Industrial and social needs.
In our Just Indignation over the crimes
disclosed at Los Angeles, should not
statesmen seek 1the cause of this wide-
spread, deliberate outburst of violence? ?
Was 1t not because they and men like
them believed that the wage-earner.
acting singly or collectively. is not
strong enough to secure substantial
Justice? Is there not casual connec-
ton between the development of these
huge. and indomitable trusts and the
horrible crimes now under investiga--
tion7 Are not tAese trusts, important
contributing faetoguk Of social unrest7
Is It not irony % espeek Of equality Of
their bigness r " 80
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