The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-04-26
barometer of Public Opinion
How to proflicer.

Successful proriccrlng calls for nm elaborate
and efficient withal invisible and unscrupulous
organization, says tho Golden Age. II is not a
game that tho tyro can break into without
proper training or conscience and greed. Not
every ono can find ndmittanco into thi.
charmed circle Of chamber ~ commerce. re.
'spcctahillty. whore there exists Commercial
honor" The honor Of thieves s more worthy
Of respect than Is this pllfcring Of tho pockets
~ widows and paupers.
However, if ono is TO become a profitcer, he
must dedicate himself ia the profession. and
learn tho way into the sacred precincts CIeve
land 1t appears. IL able 70 teach something
about profitecring. Thea. ls a. lake on one side
part ot the profteer's art. but lacking I'm tho
essential Of secrecy: for nothing done upon
Lake Erie could hc kept from the popula ce.
who are to he proritcered upor, and must not
learn the game.
on the far outskirts Of tho city IL q hog
travcrscd 10y lonely railroad line. and there +,
IL that the daily rot train dumps It's burden
" is to 81 carloads Not that the fruit and
vegetables nrc spoiled or In any way lnedbe
They are too good 10 kcep-so good that the
Cleveland robhlo Of a million hungry stomachs
would gladly buy such perfectly good food. But
part OF tho education of the protlteer tx in the
art OF making away with sufficient supplies to
keep the price up enough for real profit on
the rest and not to educate the common people
back to tho ancient idea that occasionally there
are bargains BECAUSE there la plenty
The Cleveland News is Ia furnish lesson mum
her two IN tho school Of profiteering. Accord
ing 20 this publications admissions have been
made by prominent Cleveland railroad officials,
who do not desire their names made known.
presumably because It might interfere with the
lbcir standing" with other members of the
commercial md financial elect In Cleveland
It takes four concerns prominrni enough to be
able TO control the situation Ia profitecr prep
crly in food products that the populaca would
cat, Il they could get them,
The consguccs says the News. are members
81 what * known In the commission house dis
trict aud nt the railroad receiving stations aa
"thc combination.
Az four members, II ~ pointed out very often
deal with the same shippers simultaneously,
even going 80 far Hs TO offer special induce
mcnts This hcing done. n If said for the purpose
NJ giving tho. urression that there is no secret
understanding between them
In the case OF four carloads ~ Cucunhers
that were DESTROYED the four con-ignees placed
their orders simultaneously, one of the comhina-
ton for two cars out ~ Il total of five, When
the cars were delivered, however, he Hccrptot
only one. That left four ears on the track, all
of which were refused despite the fact accord
ing to the railroad officials, that iheN were IN
perfect condition,
The purpose Of placing the order when tho
"comhno' hnd NO intention ~ making us" of
the cntlro shipmcnt, was TO prevent II from
going to amy one elise. Il rs said II this way
they had the market In their hands and could
dictate pricos.
The combination IA 80 perfect one railroad
official saws that the four members even go so
for ms TO share ono car ~ u shipment and refuse
the remainder,
Ito specifies one Instance who're n Cleveland
ai,Ng NE "a ian
80 vigorously condemns. coruerrd the entire
Michigan potato output for period ~ weeks on
promise 20 tho shippers 90 give them 10 cents
hushel above the market prices,
"Whon the shipments hogan 60 arrive" he
Rays, the commission man proceeded very
promptly TO refuse all hut few cars, making
the, excuse that many lots were Epockcd and
Otherwise bad. lie thcn made tic offer 20 take
over tho shipment ON speculation. agreeing to
C'Nc tho HhipporH what he could get Nv tho
time tho dlckcring was completed much ~ the
shipment had rottcd, ana the shippers got for
tho rest a price that WIS 30 or % cents below
tho prevailing market price, Tho rmlssl0u
man, % course sold a. tho then current prices
Ito cleaned ur n nice sum OF money while the
shippers suffered"
In tho meantime, the railroad official OK
plains drcnN of most ~ tho shipments served To
keen potatoes on tho scarce" list and made II
possible 20 maintain high prices
This VIII DO FOR lesson number two Tho
profitecrs arc stil out of JAIL except "a fow ones
~ microscopic Importance that rctailed a little
sugar a fow cents above tho current price pre-
among those 'mou of social and commercial inn
portenc'' that the time had come for the big
raise from 10 60 20 cents pound and for the
releasing ~ the millions OF pounds hidden"