The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-04-07
FORGET THE TRUSTS
BY Scott Nearing,

Many an ardent reformer has
broken lance on the trusts during
recent years. Indeed there was a.
time, not so long ago, when all Of the
economic and social ills Of the coun-
try were blamed on the trusts.
People are growing wiser.
They are learning to look upon the
trusts as logical steps in the develop
ment of economic organization. They
are learning, Furthermore, through
their recent experiences, with high
prices, that the trusts are not the
mothers of all economic iniquity.
During the past few months eggs
have moved with startling rapidly
along the upward price curve. Here
and there a fortunate commission
merchant or egg buyer would state
with pride that he had cleaned up
hundreds Of thousands on his buy
ings and settings of this life staple.
The housewives of some cities boy
cotted eggs. Housewives in other
cities protested to the authorities, de-
handing protection against the egg
trust The egg dealers replied with
the statement that the war was re-
sponsible; that there was a. scarcity
of the eggs and that freight conges-
ton rendered it impossible to suSply
the market. These and many equally
unconVincing arguments were ad-
vaneed to justify the price increase.
No one denied that the hens were
laying about as usual. No one could
prove that there was particular
shortage of eggs in any part of the
country.
Now there comes to the surface an
even more startling situation. Ohio
grown onions were selling at $12 to
$14 hundred-weight In New York.
They were bringing about the same
price in the leading cities of Ohio.
The women of New York rioting as
a protest against the impossibly high
cost of the ordinary life necessaries
frightened the New York City gov
eminent and the New York produce
dealers, so that the price of Ohio
grown onions dropped from s12 to 81
a hundred-weight. At the same time
in the city of Toledo, the same onions
We're bringing $12.
There is not an onion trust any
more than there is an egg trust, a
potato trust, or a trust in any of the
other commodities that are grown by
the millions Of competing farmers all
over the country.
The prices of eggs, onions and po-
tatoes are high because those who
grow them, those who buy them and
those who handle them have seen an
opportunity to make huge returns by
holding back the supply until~7the
price should be many times that nor
mally received.
The trusts are an incident in mod
orn business development. Just at
the present time they are playing lit
tic or no part in creating the econ
orric pinch which is draining the
pocket book of the small spender.
The consumers of the nation are
being robbed through the monopoly
power Of organ ized business. Onion
growing, buying, jobbing and retail
ing are carried on for profit. The
more profit there is in the transac-
ton. the better, it is for the person
who holds the onions; ard the worse
for the person who wants them.
Just at the present time, the war
furnishes an excellent excuse for
driving the price Of this commodity
far beyond the purchasing power of
the community and the organized
business forces sbehind onions have
taken advantage of the situation.