Palisadian., 1925-06-26
TRUSTS THE BIG ISSUE

Mark Sullivan, perhaps the fairest
and most non-partisan OF the nation
ai1y-known political newspaper CORE
spondents, has said one highly i'm
portant thing lately that has created
widespread interest. In discussing
the deep-rooted position of the heart
eating trusts that have multiplied 50
that they cannot be counted, Mr.. Sui
1ivan says that the trust issue is very
indefinite, but that its very indefinite
position in the public mind makes 1t
outstanding. In other words. all
Federal action against the violations
of the antitrust law, having been SC
long suspended, the law itself is vir
tually looked upon as dead letter
The law is there on the books, but the
spirit of it is deader than door nail
intellectually, Mr.. Sullivan says Presl
dent Coolidge is in favor of anti-trus;
law enforcement, but the party lead
ers direct the practical side of the
trust issue into one of favoring Big
Business.
This is an unfortunate fact.
In speaking of President Coolidge's
stand on the trust question, Mr.. Sui
1ivan says:
4The anomaly about Coolidge's
position lies in the fact that ap-
parently he believes intellectually
in the antitrust school of thought.
When he was making an address
last January to one of these trade
ha Accnniatnd Gem
eral Contractors of America, he
quoted that old statement of
Adam Smith to the effect that
People of the same trade seldom
meet together, even for merri-
ment and diversion, but the con-
versation ends in conspiracy
against the public or some con-
frivance to raise prices
This is the most orthodox of
anti-combination sentiment. A
man who believes that necessarily
cannot believe in trade associa-
tions that hold monthly meetings
for the strictly business purpose
of discussing trade matters. A
man who subscribes to that SEN
timent of Adam Smith would
never support the recent decision
of the supreme court in the cases
just mentioned"
Here we have the difference IL
trust theory and trust practice.
The truth is, there is now abroad
very serious general thought find
ing expression on the trust issue
The progressive Republicans are Sc
rious in their attitude against the
trusts, yet more and more of then
are being organized to squeeze the
common people. The man of small
income is given no consideration
whatever. Everything is higher thar
ever known Nothing is of medium
price any more. If the progressive
Republicans combine with the Demo
Gratis they can make it most uncom
Portable for the Republicans at tht
next Presidential election. The tariff
called the mother of trusts, is ruling
Big Business with an iron hand, ant
playing into it's hand every minutt
of the year at this time. Some tim
ago there was talk against thu
aluminium trust That has all diet
down. Secretary of the Treasur,
Mellon is the big head of the alumni
nun trust.
The basis of all trusts at the begin
ming was the elimination of waste il
order to reduce cost of production
Nowadays the same basis of elimina
fion of waste exists in the formation
of trusts, but the elimination of al
the money possible from the consumer
is the principle upon which the trusts
operate. Their control is so absolute
upon most of the necessities tha
prices are fixed so that on things one
needs one pays trust prices or goes
without.
These are simple facts, and Presi