White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-10
TRUSTS MULCT PEOPLE
MORE THAN WAR
COSTS GREAT BRITAIN

The war is now costing Grea
Britain $4,000, 900 a day, or, say
10000. 90. 900 a year.
That Is astounding enough. But
nor astounding thing is that the
war Is costing the American people
as much per week and per veal a.
1t is costing the British people.
The trusts and m%onopolies have
used the war as a pretext for charg'
ing the American people considerably
over a billion dollas more for the nee
e~ssities of life than they were charg-
ed In 1915.
Now, when Great Britain borrows
and spends $40, 900, 900. 900 in a year
she never expects to pay the princi-
pal of the loan. She will pay inter-
est only, and that at not over 5 per
CEN in the long run. So we may say
that the "a is costing the British
PEOPLE this year the interest or her
total borrowing for war purposes,
which interest may be roughly set
down as about $500, 1000, 900.
And this huge sum is actually not
so large by 5000. 10000 as the in
creased taxes the trusts and monop-
olies have levied on the sugar, meat,
-four. coffee, milk, butter, vegetables,
rents, coal, gasoline and other actual
necessaries of life this year.
The country consumed 5000 900
barrels of gasoline in 1915, and will
consume more this year. AS part of
the war tax levied on the American
people, the gasoline trust alone has
laid a surtax on industry amounting
to over $3.50, 900, 900 since war was
declared in Europe.
In the year ending June 80, 1915,
s,625. 793,32S pounds of sugar were
consumed in this country. At this
rate, the Sugar Trust has laid a war
tax of s120,762,10 on the American
people in the past year.
The Meat Trust has increased the
wholesale price of meat about 25 per
cent OH the average.
The fluctuations in meat prices
make 1t impossible to estimate ac-
curately the increased war tax put on
the American people by the Meat
Trust. But an estimate of 5000, 000,-
900 would o be far out of the way.
There are about 5000. 100000 gal
1zr. of -a<I1 a1aattYnaA .-oat.lx, In thtC
country in different terms. A direct
and indirect increase of l cen a
quart mea a war tax of 100000
900 on those who use milk. butter
and cheese.
When we add to these taxes on
American consumers the extortions
of the Flour Trust, the Coal Trust,
the Paper Trust. and the increased
rents and transportation charges due
10 these extortions, you see, do you
not, that we Americans. though at
peace, are paying more for this in
fernl European war than the richest
of the nations who are keeping up
this wicked and hellish struggle?
And yet, four years ago. We were
asked to elect the present Democratic
Administration on the ground that
the Democratic party was opposed
to trust extortion and would curb the
power and end the extortions of the
trusts If given the reins of govern
ment.
We are quite sure that the history
of the country shows no such extra
ordinary and amazing difference be-
tween promises and performance as
this huge difference between the
democratic candidates promises in
1912 to curb the trust extortion and
the Democratic administrations COM
PLEASANT liberation of all these trust
extortions in this year 1915.
If hat Is the way the Democratic
Administration believes the people
should be protected from the trusts,
then God save the people from theiI
protectors.-San Francisco Chronicle