The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-20

street, but nothing has appeared par
ticularly to date, directing the atten-
ton of the country to the fact that
the great mail order houses Of today
are, practically every one Of them,
financed in Wall street. The chairman
OF the board of directors Of the
greatest m~ail-order house in the coup-
try sits as t~henapresident of one Aof
the New York banks, and two of
the others who are bidding for the
trade of the entire country have re-
Gently been financed by the much dis
cussed and talked about J. Pierpont
Morgan & Co. -.
To such an extent has the business
of these great enterprises increased,
some by hundreds and even thousands
per cent, that our factories, whole
sale and jobbing houses are subject
to their dictation. They force dis
against h small dealer. ,
First Cost Not All the Cost. /
The plea set up by those who con-
troll these enterprises is that by their
great purchasing power and oncen
tration of, distribution the necessities
Of life are distributed more cheapIy to
the consuming public. I am here to
deny, when we take into considera-
ton every phase and every result Of
this method OF merchandising, that
this is true. There is something be-
sides first cost to the in
considering this problem of distribu-
ton. Assuming for the sake Of this
argument that merchandising along
these lines will not result in depreci-
alton OF quality and will foster cheap
ness Of price, yet are we not compell-
ed to. take into, account many other
phases Of the equation? If cheapness
were the only element entering into
a problem of this kind. laying aside
all other results growing out Of the
concentration Of business into a few
hands, it is in your power and in the
power Of congress further to cheaper
the necessities of life of every kind
and character. In considering the re-
vision. of the tariff you took into ac-
count the fact that many articles Of
consumption would be cheapened by
a reduction. If taking off a part of
the tariff would cheaper some article,
following that line of argument, vol
ing all tariff duties whatever. You
might, with the approval of congress,
cheaper many things in this country
if you would enact a maximum instead
of minimum wage law. Certainly
cheap wages would mean cheaper
products to the But cheap
wages, / am sure, is not the onlything
sought. for, because there are many
other things to be taken into consid-
Grafton when we come to deal with the
matter Of reduction in wages to the
|laboring people.
Congress and state legislatures
might cheaper many things by abol-
ishing the eight-hour law and laws
regulating the hours of work for girls
and Many things might be
made cheaper if we should repeal our
immigration laws and permit a horde
of Chinese, Japanese and Hindus TO
come into our country and take the
place of our working men at half the
wage. If cheapness is the only thing
to be desired, why should our good
state of California be so solicitious
about the influx of the Japanese?
T claim, Mr.. President, that every
argument that could be brought
against putting u country on a
ing a. maximum instead OF a minimum
wage for our }laborers; against re-
quiring our men and women to work
more than eight hours; against re-
pealing our immigration laws, is a
valid argument against the concen-
tration Of the distribution OF merchan-
disc. at retail. into the hands OF great
mail order houses and department
stores to the elimination of the mill
lion and a quarter retail merchants,
independent business men, their own
masters. owning and controlling their
own business, helping to build up and
foster every good work in the go, 900
communities OF our land.
Other Issues Are Involved.
I submit there are other questions
and issues involved in such a posi-
lbility besides that merely OF heapen-
ing Of merchandise al the one thing
Ito be desired. Even III the claims
which we have heard for SO long from
these aggregations OF capital were In
any sense true, which we do not adj
init. especially when made at a sac
ri1ce OF quality and without any serv-
ice rendered such as is rendered every