St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1913-03-14
Subscription price 500 per year.

Mr.. r. G. Stokes, in view of
the fact that we have advocated
unity or consolidation of the
various churches, asks why this
idea be not carried farther so as
to embrace a consolidation of
the different stores, in an article
published last week. There is
a considerable difference between
commercialism and religion. In
the former there can be compe-
tition and monopoly, while in
the latter there cannot. Few
make any endeavor to be more
religious than his neighbor,
while in competition one vies
with the other to make the great
est success of his business.
Therefore, while there is no APP
parent reason for uniting under
one church ediiice, there are rea-
sons why business men do not
care to amalgamate. Taking
our own business men for illus
tration. as Mr.. Stokes has done,
they know il would be more
economical TO unite i'm one large
store, yet they prefer not to do
so. Why? Because it is the
nature of normal man to be in
dependent and not be compelled
to rely upon others TO manage
business. He would sooner pad
die his own canoe or fly his own
kite with his own efforts than
make even more money by form
ing a monopoly and incurring the
danger of disagreement among
lhe owners. The big interests,
however, have found that il pays
20 cooperate and consolidate,
hence we have the tobacco trust,
the steel trust and various other
trusts, which are in reality CO.
operative concerns. And. strange
TO say. because they have done
this very thing that Mr.. Stokes
so earnestly advocates. the public |
is far from satisfied. and the |
government is endeavoring TO |
dissolve them. If these combines !
are not good in big business, |
why would they be good in |
smaller ones?
Mr.. Stokes asks il our people |
would sit idly 10y if Uncle Sam |
should open another post Office |
in st. Johns and then raise the |
postage TO three cents. and by |
and by another and again raise |
the price of stamps. " II Uncle |
Sam did not have the monopoly |
he enjoys on the postal business |
we dare say that another post |
office in st. Johns would result |
in the reduction of the present |
rate Of postage instead of an in
crease. Asa matter of fact com
petition NEVER raises the price
of a product; the monopoly which
Mr.. Stokes advocates would do
that. DO you believe for one
minute that If all the stores i'm
ST, Johns should combine that il
would result in a lowering of pri-
ces? No, of course not. They |
would benefit by the saving, not
the public. Big business does
not consolidate for the benefit of
he consumers. neither would
business. Commercial
competition ever lowers the price
o the consumer. and monopoly
never.
And is not this vast waste of {
competition that the Socialists .
10 greatly deplore more ofamyth
han anything else? The extra
lbor heat, light, rent. etc,
ecessary TO competition is all
enefcial 10 some few. and any {
hing that is beneficial cannot &
'e termed waste. I'm monopoly I
My a very few receive benefit. /
IL is mans nature 10 be his L
'wn boss. " He would rather
make less by havinga little busi- c
ess of his own than by working b
or some one else, and unless he {
eeds partner for financial rea- g
ons. he would sooner go il
!one." " d
Until something better is \
tfered than amalgamation of [
BUSINESS houses, we shall refrain Il
rom applying for a red card" v