The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-04

ne fnancial report OF tho stool
1Fo1e fse NE last quarter shows that
~ ~ psoAts OF the corporation for
- pGiod were sll4.4ss.o7s-more
>~an xorty-eisht million dollars profit
: men>h. - shows also that the steel
1fue ~ taking advantage Of war con-
s,(teoog and arbitrarily fixing sxorbi-
eant pr1esv for ~ products i system-
etio6lly robbinx the public. >such
Droots are nsithsr reasonable nor
heoepe. war conditions being no ex-
epse. II y patsnt that the steel Trust
= nce paying its workmen q wage
sale n keeping with the prices II ex-
y eeo % the public. for n It did no
sneh proat could b piled up. What
~ ntsel Trust II doing on monu-
neptal scale hundreds OF other con-
Germs are doing ON . smaller scale.
sn1 z = stated on coed authority that
some of the smaller tsusts are amass-
ins even greater profits. In proportion
= their Invested capital. than the
oreatsst Of all trusts. The trusts need
( Estulation and control under existing
eea1ltions more than they ever needed
. = the past. and II In doubtless lus
- sheir insIdious influence In Wash
noeen snat congress has failed 10 long
. teke any decided steps to deal with
0to with IN iron hand. II tho pro-
loeere Of food and other necessities
wese oe,s to and did exact the same
e.erbl>ant profits on their products as
~ Industrial trusts are sxacting there.
would not be enough money In the
/. eeentry to buy food and clothing for
ths l'eople for = month In the same
Sotlo cotton would be selling for two
- three dollars pound. corn four or
~ doalars bushei and wheat thirty
- forty dollars q barrel II the gov.
ernment has to buy the materials to
carry on the war at the prices that
INC trusts and their associates demand
the country will be mortgased for ten
t epaerssions TO those blood-suckcrs,
Who have no more patriotism than a
German subsidized newspaper. 1t is
nith time for the government TO step
= and not only regulate. but control
prices OF the necessities of life and
Dstsrials that are required by the
4 army and navy. We believe that the
pisn Of financing the war by taxing
sxcess profits In not only Just. but alb
solutely necessary to the salvation of
the ninety per cent Of the people who
are not sharers In the war swollen
dividends Of tho trusts and munition
MAKERS Excess profits should not
only be taxed heavily. but should be
connscatcd by the government. After
the shareholders OF the trusts have
received fair and reasonable divi-
dend on their capital the govern
ment should take tie balance.
The result Of the meeting of cotton
growers called for the purpose of
considering the organization OF mar
keting association will show wheth-
or or not there are sufficient num-
Der Of farmers In the county willing
to uiite In a business organization for
their own benefit to make the or
sanization a success. Marketing Is
one thing that tho farmers cannot
have done for them. Neither the
Chamber OF Commerce nor any other
organization can handle the selling
end Of the farmers business
farmers must get together and dcal
directly with the consumers OF their
products. II they would receive the
highest prices the markets AFFORD
This has been proven by the California
Fruit Exchange. by the Florida Citrus
Exchange. by the Virginia Truckers
Exchange and several other co-opera
tive marketing associations organized
and managed by farmers for their
own benefit. These organizations have
cost the farmers money. but they
have brought rcmuncrative prices for
products and prosperity to the mem
bera The cooperative selling asso
Citations have paid for themselves owe,
and over again In the better market,
and higher prices obtained. what has
boon done with fruit and truck. boti