The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-07-30
VITAL WASHINGTON NEWS
rAvGNNER, "wRireR AND THINkER" ovgs vs the
FAcTs As THEY REALLY Gx,sT. 81

Washington, July 27--Face to face
with the realization that Democratic
administration is coming into control
of the government, and knowing that
this will mean the end Of the tariff
protection privilege under which they
have plundered the people for nearly
q. score Of years, the tariff trusts have
let II be known that q rise in the pric.
es Of their commodities may be ex.
pected this fall. These trusts are de-
termined to take one final gouge into
the pocketbooks Of the people before
they are pushed away from the trough
Of special privilege at which they have
been growing fat.
The leather trust, which Ia owned
by the Chicago beef barons. has an.
nounced that the price Of leather is to
be increased 20 per cent. This will
mean Q corresponding increase in the
price Of shoes. This trust attributes
the necessity for increasing the price
to the growing demands Of the auto
mobile makers for leather. This de.
mand Is no greater now than II has
been for the last three or four years.
and those who are familiar with the
leather situation say the excuse is
only subterfuge.
The cloth manufacturers also have
announced that an increase in cloth.
ing OF from s to fifteen cents yard
will be put into effect this fall. The
cloth manufacturers-whi means the
wooden trust-say there is going to be
a big shortage In wool, not only In
this country, but in other wool pro-
ducing countries as well, and that la
Dor costs more than formerly.
As to this latter contention It will be
recalled that Immediately after the
Lawrence, Mass, strike last winter
the wooden trust raised the prices on
all Its goods, giving the increased cost
OF labor as the excuse. At that time 1t
was figured out by men who are fam
iliar with the clothing business that
the last increase in prices was suf.
ficient not only to meet the increased
cost Of labor, but to pay for the losses
caused by the strike, as well, with
enough margin left over to insure the
trust q largely increased profit.
After the wool trust raised the price
on cloth last spring the market value
Of its stock increased, and at no time
has there been . falling OF in the divi.
dends paid to the owners Of the heavi.
ly over-capitalised wooden trust. John
Nicholas Brown, whose picture is ap.
pearihg IN the hewspspers'a great deal
these days. 10 rated a. the richest b.
by in the world. His fortune consists
Of stock In the wooden trust. which
pays wages Of IS. 50 and 81 q week,
and dividends of all the way from fif-
teen to one hundred per cent
The prices increased are purely ar
bitrary, and are based on no other rea.
son than the greed Of the trust owners
to get the last possible cent out OF the
consumers before Democratic ad.
ministration knocks the main prop
from under them, namely. the tariff.
There're Al Doing Il Now
The big trusts have found out that
nothing pays SO we'll as dissolution"
As a result of the Supreme Court de.
cree ordering the Standard OIL trust to
dissolve, the value of that trusts stock
went up in leaps and bounds. The
court decree, without charging the
trust In any way except in the matter
of administration, amounts practically
to government guarantee to violate
the laws. After the decree was issued
the monopoly discovered that 1t stood
In no further danger Of federal prose
cution, inasmuch as the decree fixed
the legal status of the trust. and as
this menace had been the chief worry
of the trust, and the only remaining
thorn In its side, It's value went sky
ward Just as soon as that menace was
removed.
As o result. the other trusts have
begun to dissolve" The beef trust
has announced dissolution" plan.
so that 1t, too, will confirm to the su'
preme Courts notion of what consti'
tutes q law abiding trust. The powder
trust has already dissolved" the
terms of it's dissolution decree having
been written by its own lawyers. and
later approved by the Federal court In
Delaware.
Next to the high tariff, dissolution"
is the best thing that ever happened
to the trusts.
Wilson and immigration
A great deal Of comment is heard
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