The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-08-13
A BUSINESS WARNING.

cents per pound before the war broke
out and it could be had in abundance
When the ammunition makers began tt
call for it to harden shell castings, spec
ulators grabbed it and cornered the
output of the mines and great fortunes
were made over night. But many new
mines we're opened in China and soon
there was more anthony than was
needed. But in the excitement the ar
ticle had gone to the price of $500 pei
ton in gold and it was predicted that
1t would go to 81 800 per ton.
During that time metal which was
used on the linotype machines in the
printing establishments, in sterotyping
plants and in other Industries where
the composition requires a considera-
bile percentage of anthony, went from
eight cents per pound to eighteen, all
due to the internal Spectator, the go
between the parasite,as Ebert Hub,
bard fittingly described him.
Now linotype metal has dropped
back to ten cents per pound and there
are many ship loads of antimony on
the way to New York which are mort
gagged to New York bankers for more
money than the mineral is worth on
the open market Before it is disposed
Of its market value will hardly be more
than half what the bankers actually
have in 1t. Men who cornered the out
put of anthony, it is said, are now
very busy trying to limit the mine pro-
duction in order to save themselves
anG still maintain high price, but
the prediction is that the wind is all
cut of the sails and this,war- sky-Feck-
ct is turned toward earth.
Paper is another product that is I'M
reasonably high without the shadow
of an excuse for it, Thousands of 9TH
err things have scared in price much
in the same way antimony went up,
and the excuse rendered all the time
is that the war has caused it.
This country has not seen such rapid
Initiation of prices for the necessary
commodities at least in a generation
Much of it is due, of course, to demand,
for the country was at business
standStill for at least year after the
European catastrophe broke on the
world. But the greater portion of it
is due solely to the work of specula-
tors who are making their millions
while there is sort of excuse for it,
This is not natural, healthful state
of business. There is great rush of
business in factory and foundry, the
country over, but it is an unusual, I'M
even business status which makes it
only possible for the paper mills to
get $1.90 per hundred pounds for paper
while the great trust which handles it
sells it to the consumer at a cost of
$500 per hundred. This condition ap-
plies in hundreds of instances where
other commodities are cornered.
The merchant and business man.
the consumer and the investor among
lis should remember that this is no
time to get excited and grab off too
much stock in any commodity at such
prices as are prevailing. 1t ought to
be made a hand-to mouth proposition
and a strict rule should obtain where
by the unusually high commodity is
bought only in such quantity as will
be required to meet immediate de-
mands. This will reverse circumstan-
ces and Immediately slacken the de-
mand, The wind will then go out OF
the sails of the Spectator and he will
be left with his millions only on pa.
per
The local buyer cannot afford to buy
heavily at such prices as are prevail.
ing. 1t is especially a time for care
full investments A sudden drop to
even normal prices would work dis
aster for merchant with a heavy
stock of goods bought at these un.
usually high prices. There will be
hundreds of cases similar to the anti.
mony sky rocket and there will be