Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1907 — THE TRUSTS AND PRICES. [ARTICLE]

THE TRUSTS AND PRICES.

The Boston Transcript, a Roosevelt Republican paper, says that Fairbanks’ candidacy is “stuff and nonsense” and that if he should be nominated his votes in the west would have to be looked for under the column beaded “scattering.”

Col. George Harvey, editor of Harper’s Weekly, has just returned from Europe. He says that the rulers of Europe find “a peculiarly pleasing sign” in what they regard as a reaction against Democracy in this country in threatening to give Roosevelt a third and fourth term and to subordinate self-government to idol worship and personal domination. But Col. Harvey need not be alarmed. The people of the United States will not give Roosevelt a third term, much less a fourth, even to please “the rulers of Europe.”

A special letter to the Indianapolis Star from a staff correspondent says that “Fairbanks is the idol of the Colorado Republicans.” And who are the Colorado Republicans? They are largely one Simon Guggenheim, who financed the campaign of the Rev. Henry Augustus Buchtel, uow governor, and who bought for himself a United States seuatorship. Guggenheim is the head of the smelter trust, a $100,000,000 concern that cheats miners in assaying and weighing ores, dictates rates to railroads, bankrupts competitors, breaks up labor organizations and indulges in general outlawrj’ because it has the money and the power. Of course “Fairbanks is the idol of the Colorado Republicans,” who are just now Simon Guggenheim and his smelter trust.

Now suppose the Standard Oil trust is fined $20,600,000, Do you suppose for a moment it will hurt the trust any or that it will even feel it? Not on your life. The oil trust will simply give another twist to the price of its product and the public will pay the fine, while the trust will go right ahead paying its 40 per cent annual dividends and violating the law. This “trust busting” can never be effective until the trust magnates are sent to prison, the same as any other law violator, and are subjected to the same prison fare and treatment that other prisoners must endure.. Notwithstanding the great increase in the production of oil and its by-products and the improvements in refining and handling it by reason of labor-sav-ing machinery, the consumer pays considerably more for it to-day than he did ten years ago.

There is a row in the office of the state bufeau of statistics growing out of the question as to who shall'be a candidate for the place next year. Miss Stubbs, who holds the office by appointment, is thinking of asking for a nomination and so are divers and sfindry deputies. In order to be free and follow his own sweet will, one deputy has resigned. The only way to keep these Republicans from fighting among themselves is to keep them out of office.

The ‘‘trust busting” antics of the present administration would be amusing were not the results so seiious a matter to the consumer of the trust products. In each and every case the price has been increased to the consumer. The trusts go right ahead, doing business at the same old stand and heaping up millions of dollars in dividends on watered stocks. The lumber trust has put the price of lumber so high that no one is doing any building now if he can avoid it. The retailer in all lines is making no greater per cent profit, if as much, as he did a few years ago, but generally speaking he will echo that old trust song about “increased cost of production” “scarcity of the supply,” etc. There is plenty of timber in the country and the “scarcity” that has all at once so affected the lum-‘ her prices is largely a myth. Every farmer knows that the price of hogs has ranged from 4 to 6 cents per pound for the past ten years and that a few years ago he could buy nice breakfast bacon and ham —trust products—of the retail butcher atl2| to 15 cents per pound. Now, while getting no more for his hogs, he must pay 25 to 30 cents per pound for the same meats! And the retailer is not to blame, either, for one has to pay as much or more by the slab or full ham in any of the big department stores of Chicago, where such articles are usually sold at a very small margin of profit in order to draw customers to other departments.

You needn’t tell the farmer that it is "scarcity of hogs” that causes this, because he knows better. He knows the hog grower is receiving no more for his hogs than he did when the finished products were but 12| to 15 cents per pound, and that there has been no material increase in wages or other expenses, any increase having been more than made up by improved and cheapened methods of handling. Yet the consumer must pay double what he did then! The same inquiry into other trusts will reveal a like condition of affairs, and the question arises, where will it all end? How long will the people submit to this order of things which is continually growing more and more burdensome?

Canadian Baseball Players. Jimmy Cookman. the Newark (N. J.) Eastern league, third baseman, puts up a claim that major league managers make a big mistake by not scouring Canadian territory when in quest of players. Cockman says that Canada Is full of good material, especially near Guelph, Ont., where he resides. According to statistics furnished by Cockman. there are but eight Canucks playing professionally in the United States, Including himself, all of whom have made good. From Guelph come Cockman, Greene, one of Jack Dunn's new pitching recruits, and Congaltou, Cleveland’s heavy hitting outfielder. From other parts of Canada come O'Hara, Baltimore’s fleet footed left fielder; Archer, catcher for the Detroit Americans, and Nig Clarke, Cleveland's star backstop. Crystal, the former Providence twirler, who Is now pitching winning ball for New Orleans, in the Southern league, halls from British Columbia, Where he is interested in a salmon Ashing enterprise. Harvey Williams, who was brought out by Ed Barrow, the Toronto manager, last season and who was farmed out to Albany this spring, Is a resident of Toronto.

Coaching From the Bench. Just how much a manager on the bench should be allowed to talk to his ball players is a matter of considerable controversy among umpires or others. There Is a wide difference between coaching and talking. Managers have no right at all to coach from the bench, but a perfect right to talk to the play* ers. It is a question if it were not better that no one be allowed to sit on the bench who is not In uniform. Then the manager could coach to his heart’s content If be desired to do so.