Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 30, 1899)
' t& "-" t 6 THE NEBRASKA. INDEPENDENT- November 30, 1899. it I. I 1 THE PRICE QUESTION. REVIEW OF TRUST PRICES UNDER A RISING LEVEL OF PRICES. Wnaree Vm4r Klelna; Pvlerm for the Product of l.nhor How Farm r rod act Are Affected Omm of Xenopollea .Alone Ueneflted. The following Is taken from advanco het8 sect out by George II. Sulblcy, director of the department of money and prices. litircuu of Economic Ite earch. New York city: ' Sluce the rising price level net in dur ing 1S07 tbere lias been a deluge of trout formations. What has been the effect of tbcae trusts upon the prices of the things they cell and upon the prices f the things they buy? Before the development of trust prices before the control of prices by boards of directors of private corpora tions Instead of by the law of sup ply and demand as the volume of money increased the buHlness expand ed so that the average price did not rise in proportion to the Increase In the volume of money, but now the average price goes up faster than tbe volume of money. In other words, the boards f trnst directors are putting their sell ing prices up unduly fast and new en terprises are not being established as was always the case heretofore when there bus been a considerable rise In the price level. One cause of the absence of new en terprises Is the fact that the wage earners have not received any ma terial Increase In the amount of money paid them for their labor, and there fore have nothing with which to ex tend their purchases to new articles; nor have tbe owners of land and build ings any moro money, except In rare Instances; nor have tie creditor clung; nor have many of the employers out side tbe trusts any more money. In abort, the class -who are reaping la crooned profits are tbe owners of the ,nionopo!!M- Eninely, the owners of th trusts, railroads, telegraph lines, street ears, etc. This class Is receiving not only the increased quantity of goods which results from tbe Industrial nc 'tlvjiv, but the real wage- the purchas ing power ?f the mocsy wlg;e Is nc tually being leMneuod In most cacs, the owners of rents arc receiving a "tssened purchasing powen, the owners of credits nre not receiving aa much pnrehnslng power, and the employers outside the trusts, Including the farm ers, are paying so much more for what tbey purchase that, combined with the unduly low prices of most of their prod ucts due to the trust prices being put up so as to take up the Increase lu the money volume and leave but little for rarm products, that even they, the farmers and other employers outside the trusts, are being Injured under a rising price level, or at least are not ncneuted. ; , Tin surplus which llio monopolist nre taking to themselves they ara ex porting now and hove been doing so for a couple of years, but soon they can no longer get securities for their sur- plus, and therefore must exchnngo It for other produce for consumption In this country, and then they cannot And purchasers for It hero, for all the In come of our people Is already being ex pended. Then some of the mills and factories will Iw closed down, and with uch stoppage there will be a propor tionate stoppage of wages, and this will lessen still further the demand. This gradual nmniug down will con tinue with lltful starts, owing to wars, etc., until the trusts are so controlled that the Income of the people will pur chase nearly all that they can produce. Before the development of trusts ' that Is to say, before the abolition of competition among business firms, the abolition of supply and demand us the determinant of particular prices the periods of ludustrlnl depression were caused by the falling price level, duo to an insuftlclcut volume of money. But now a new cause of industrial depres sion has boon developed In the affairs of men. The trusts are an additional ause of industrial depression. If a falling price level occurs along with the existence of trust prices, then the tendency to Industrial disorganization will be seriously accentuated. The development of monopoly iu the production ond distribution of com modities duriug the past two years lias been the greatest Industrial change the world has ever witnessed. A sec ond great change Is the rising flood of gold, and it has been during the rising prlco level, caused by this gold, that the development of trusts has taken place. Let us consider-some of the details which ace now Included In the forego ing. History shows that for the past hun dred years at least the condition of the wage earning class In this country has been benefited by u rising prlco level, except since the loss of com petition be tween business lliuis and the existence of monopolies trusts. History shows that this Is so. Sta tistics show It. jin l descriptive history shows It. Take a chart showing the periods of rising prices, and observe that when fulling prices existed the tendency was for the unemployed to Increase, owing lo the disorganization ot Industry, and the real wages tended to fall. Big flops have teiuMtrarlly offset this tendency, but when normal rois came the evils from the falling price level have Ikm-u iiccenttmttMl. On Ihe other hand, with a rising pike level the tendency has boon for the unemployed to receive work, and then the comiKtltlon for help bus put tip the money ' wage and to. Hitch n'j er.tout that the real w.ise lias been Increased. But with the abolition of comiH-titlon between business firms for the services of workmen Iherc Is no longer the rise in the real wage un der ft rising-price level, extent where 1 J? the routract provides a slldlnc scale or ''here political necessity compels the trusts to put up wage. The . trusts are trying to protect themselves from legislation la tbe peoplo's Interest and therefore are desirous of cultivat lug a friendly relation with union la bor. (See proceedings of the Chicago trust conference.) But there la no real community of Interest between them, ana the bribes, so to speak, iu the way of Increases iu tho money wage, will not keep the wage earner from voting against the Imperialism of private mo nopoly. July 1, 1890. the prices of six "bread stuffs" I. e., wheat, corn, oats, etc. averaged 20 per cent higher than two years before. 'During this time the price level had risen ubout 20 per cent, and at first glance It might be thought that these farm products had received their fair share In the rising price lev el. But this Is not so, for we find that during the two preceding years the world's crops were short, and there fore the surplus usually carried from year to year was so lessened that the first good crop will not fill the bins as full aa they will be after there are two or three good crops. In other words, tho world's supply of grain Is some what short, and the demand U extra strong, owing to tbe Industrial activity, and it follows that the price of grain Is unusually high as compared with man ufactures. And yet with the prlco lev el 20 per cent higher the prices of grain wero only 20 per cent higher. Tbe trust development has only just occurred. What will it do to the farm er If it continues to develop and la un controlled an at present? Wage earners are In competition with each other except as trades un lous are able to shut out competition. But this simply accentuates the compe tition among those who are not In tbe strong unlous. Farmers are In compe tition with each other when they sell their products, and manufacturers, mine owners, vessel owners, etc.. are each la competition with those In their vocation except as a few are able to protect themselves and gain an advan tage by cotiiblulug to shut cut compe tition ond put prices up. The few who secure tho monopoly receive large re turns nud at the expeuso of those who are not In tho "comblce.". This is evi denced by the divide ads paid by tbe monopolies. The prices at which th monopolists sell are unduly blglt, nnl the prices at which they purchase are unduly low. The prices, however, which people have been In the hublt of paying help to keep tho monopolists from going to such extremes its they otherwise would, but with a rising pi Ice level this barvlor disappears, and the Belling prices are raised beyond what the height of tho price level war rants. This Is done under the plea of "extra demand." etc. There Is an ex tra demand, of course, but not great cuough to put the prices so high. Reviewing the above. Is it not evi dent that since the development of trust prices and the abolition of the law of supply and demand as to many things that each rise In the price level Is Injuring tiearly all tho producing classes except tho owners of tho mo nopolies? Whereas provlous to 1897 a rising price level benefited the produc ing classes, , Capital Cai.-rpatrndna;. Following close upon the Pttlliuan Wagner deal, by which the two sleep ing car companies have been consoli dated, comes the announcement of a prospective consolidation of the New York Central railroad lines of the Van derbilts and the Now England railroad lines of the Rockefellers. William Rockefeller has been placed on the ex ecutive I ward of the New York Cen tral, and the passing of tho New York, New Haven and Hartford road to tho Central is a matter of a few weeks only. Tbe Boston and Albany, the Boston and Maine, tho Fltcbburg and the Maine Central lines will follow when the consolidation plans can be arranged. Thus will tho leading roads, except tho Pennsylvania, between Chi cago and St. Louis and all New Eng land points be placed under one owner ship and management Another consolidation on which work has ttoen going on for a year Is the on ion of tho Vandetbllt and the Gould Itarrlnian lines, which would carry this single ownership Into the south west as far as New Orleans, Galveston and El Paso. When this shall have been effected, upward of 80.000 mile of railroad, or nearly one-half tho rail way mileage of the United States, will have been concentrated under one man agement. The bare statement of the fact Is appalling. It is an indication of the rapid advances that a single syndi cate is making toward the ownership of the entire transportation facilities of the United States, mote convincing than auytblng else could be. ' What have economists and social phi losophers to say regarding this aston ishing fact? Considering the methods by which all tlila wealth has been ac cumulated, tho ease and rapid My with which It is being concentrated in a lew hands, the absolute control which It has over the rates of transportation snd the tremendous p'ower it cau exert over all brunches of the government, this consolidation is certainly calculat ed to make people think and to luquire. What of the future? If they can ar rive at any other conclusion than that the nation Is fast drifting under a rule of plutocracy, we shall lie glad to have another conclusion demonstrated. Jienver News. To Check ffenrh trrnonrf. "Let the people again take to them selves the full and absolute sovereignty which Is their right and the federal courts will cease 'to be looked iion with eyes of Jealousy and as a thing foreign and ununited to a republic." Hih h was the statement nuide by Stephen II. Allen, late associate Jus tice of tho Kansas supremo court, when referring to the extraordinary powers arrog'iicd to Itself by the su preme court of the United States. TROUBLE FOR THE TRUSTS flew of tho Slraatlea Taken r a Leading; Labor Jaaraal. The Pittsburg Labor Tribune, the oldest trades union paper In America and for many years tbe official organ of the Iron and Steel Workers' associa tion. In speaking of the trusts says: It may be predicted with reasonable assurance that the trusts will extract none too much comfort from tbe com ing session of congress. That the Dem ocratlc representatives will.be against them almost to a man cannot be ques tioned, and the Indications are that there will be fewer champions of the combinations on tbe Republican side than tho stock watcrers are prone to hope and expect. Practically, the mat ter has already resolved Itself Into a mere test of good faith. No party convention anywhere In tbe country has, so far as Tbe National Labor Tribune has been able to learn, under taken to maintain the benefits of trusts to anybody but their promoters, Conventions of all parties have de clared unqualifiedly against them, and all that remains to be done Is to prove the' sincerity of the declarations. A good way to begin would be for con gress to request the president to re move his attorney general Griggs. Popular protest Is already very strong. What will It be. then, when the trusts get tbe "situation" well under control? Tbey. have not carried out their programmes yet, except In one or two cases, the Standard Oil company. for Instance. On the contrary, they are Just beginning. Where they have shut down one mill, tbore may be two that they Intend to shut down. Where they have harvested $1 through their absolute control of wages on one hand and prices on tbe other. It can be de pended' on that tbey have $10 in their "mind's eye," which they will add to their benevolent bank accounts In due season. Bo patient, you who feci kind ly toward these philanthropic conspira cies. You will reallste your error soon er or later If any, more self serving end dictated your position. Cumberland, Md., baa Zsi bad ail object lessoa la progress of trusts that make thtaresting reading. Ac Covdlug to a dispatch from that point, tbe committee sent to Chicago tc confer with the American Tin flute company relative lo having the tin plate plant which the trust closed at Cumberland resume returned and made Its report at a public meeting. Congressman Pearre, the spokesman, said he told President Arms of the trust company that nnless (he mill Is started, as the Republican representative in congress for western Maryland he would offer an amendment to the Dingley bill to have tin plate put upon the free list. President Arms replied that the mill would be started If the Cumberland mill could put block plate in the Philadel phia market as cheap as the Newcas tle (ra.) mill. Arms afterward admit ted that the Cumberland mill could compete with any mill iu the United States, and said he would call bis ex ecutive committee together within ten days to take action. TOUCHING THE TREASURY. Polltlciaas Napported at be Expense of tho People. The industrial commission just now investigating trusts is costing the na tion annually $150,000. Kut It exists by law and not by favor, and. though Its membership may not lie conducive to belief in good intentions, it has a chance to accomplish mucb and con fuse its detractors. President McKiu ley appointed a Nicaragua caual com mission. It spent $230,U00 and report ed that the ennal route was feasible, its construction practicable, It coKt $118,000,000. That did not please tbe White House syndicate. For reason of its own it did not want tbe work of building the Nicaragua canal begun Just yet. There was more money to be made by postponement. A lobby of tremendous proportions and rich bank account was swarming about the cap itol and tbe White House. It was anti canal, and It won. By Republican votes In house and senate tbe adminis tration forced through the Burton amendment to the river and harbor bill. This amendment appropriated $1,000,000 and authorized the president to name a new commission to go over the ground traversed by the old com mission, examine and report. The en tire deal was a lobby coutrivance, aid ed and abetted by the Ohio peculat ors. The president ktiew it. yet be signed the river and harbor bill and later selected the member of tola gi gantic Junketing committee. Tbey are all la Paris at this time at public ex pense, rioting in tbe knowledge that there's $1,000,000 In tbe treasury for them to spend, lustead of investigat ing conditions 6rst hand In Central America they are getting inspiration from the i'anama lobby in I'arls, and again the nation Miys tbo freight. Some time ago Senator Allioon of Iowa bad a constituent out of a job. Hfiiatnr Mark Hannu of Ohio was In the wuue predicament, and gptiator McMillan of Michigan confessed that he. too. bad a man not yet placed. Th Immediate necessity for relieving such a condition of affairs evulvcd the trio of guverti nietit tax eaters, otherwise known n the Insular ooiiMnlKxIoii. Curtis. Wal klns and Kennedy were named: Alli son, ll.innu and McMillan were re lieved. The nation has thus far been the victim to the extent of .fVt.OOK. Robert l. Porter, lis nre fakir and sta tistical coullilcticc expert, was y.'it by Mclvlnley to Cuba as a tariff r-omrah-slotier: later he wn Kent to ncrlln to tell tbe emperor that tho betf trust was cniHised of honent men mid nil lis nauseous products were reserved exclusively for sale to the American army. William McKitiley commander In chief. Porter touched the treasury for the uiodcft sum of flO.flW.Ver- d!ct. i PLAQUE IN RUSSIA GItm Bl to Some Carton FreparaMene Against It Spread. I saw the other day a curious device attached to the mooring rope or cabls of a steamer which was loading at this port, writes Consul Heenan from Odessa, Russia. The cable was run through a piece of iron pipe about a foot In length, and welded on the end was a flange or funnel, which looked like the end of a trumpet, with the wide end facing the vessel. The Iron pipe was stuffed with oakum to pre vent It from slipping, and also to pre vent rats from passing through it. This novel construction was quits close to the ship. On inquiring what purpose this device served, I was in formed that the Russian authorities furnished these appliances and obliged all ships to use them whenever they came from a port infected with the plague, in order to prevent the rats on the ship from coming ashore. It Is generally conceded that the plague has been carried and spread by rats which bars left ships coming from in fected ports. It is known that rats make use of the cable to come cn shore, and this Iron pipe, with its funnel- shaped arrangement, was employed to prevent sueh visits, if possible. These devices are attached to each cable by which the ship is moored. In addition to this precaution, the master of the ship is obliged to take down his load ing stages every night and erect them again the following morning, in order to prevent tbe rats from coming on shore during the night. I do not know whether this device is known to our sanitary authorities, and I scud this description of it in the hope that it may be of service. Tko Trunk, Strap. "No good," said a baggage mas, touching as he spoke a rope that was tied around a trunk standing in a rail road baggage room. It was a stout rope and securely tied so far as tlx knot was concerned, but it did not bind on the trunk, and It would have been difficult, If not Impossible, to draw it close without some mechanical means to help. As It stood with tbe rope loose about it 'the trunk could have been easily broken by careless han dling as though tbere bad I ecu no rope around it at all. "A strap is tbe only thing," tbe bag gage man said, "to put around a trunk. Ncr York Sun. Dr. Bull's Cough Syrup will give immediate relief to a child suffocating with the dreadful croup. Mothers, keep this reliable medicine always handy and it will save you many uneasy hours It costs but 25 cent. To induce people to come in early for holiday work I will give 10 per cent off 1 on all our best photos until December 15. Ve make all the latest and besl styles at reasonable prices. Come early 1 and avoid the rush. J. A. IIavden, 1 1029 O Street. Hides and wool. I0BS0N & UUDGREN Dealers in Hides, Wool, Tallow, and Furs. Send in your goods and get the HIGHEST market price. 920 R STREET, J LINCOLN, NEBR The Way to fa California is in a tourist Bleeper, personally eon ancted, via the Burlington Route. You don't change ears. You make fast time. You see the finest scenery on the globe. Your ear m nnl an Tnjiunalv fu.niA ... . .umujow d as a palace sleeper, bnt it is just as ciean, juss as comioruoie, jntrt as good to ride in and nearly 120.00 cheaper. It has wide vestibules; Pinteeh gas, high back eate; a uniform Pullman porter; clean bedding; paeious toilet rooms; tabled and a heating range. Being strongly and heavily built, it ridee PHioothly, k warm in winter and cool in Hummer. In charge of each eiourion party is an experienced excursion conductor who accompanies it right through to Los Angeles. ' Cars leave Omaha, Bt Joseph. Lincoln and Hastings every Thursday, arriving wuuu.;M)au- galea, Monday. Only three dayu from the iniiwuun ivivrr u me raeitic (joant, in cluding a stopover of li hours at Denver and 54 hours at Halt Iba Oiri the most interesting cities on the eouU- For foMtreirinf- full in fnPmarinn Anil at any Burlington Route ticket office, or wruo w ,1. nuacis. Oenl Pass. Agent, Omaha, Neb. Look at This! epBcuiA tOeftyraaeJ rim Die &e Talcum Powder It Hoodf 8rprilla Vte f Wine of Cerrfut 7r St Pinkhams Vegetable Compound Hie foe Carte Little Liver P:-Ua He ft Ajera Hair Vior i&c rkierbeee Germsn Hjrrnp 50e Ue Do W Ufa One Minute Comb 5 True Ke SI Malted Milk ...7. hm t ar-npe Hainan 7 &0e 81iiHh C'onomtioD Core SOe l Pinin gflo 1 H.8.S , ftje SI Kmahioa Cod LirerOil , 75e 1 Bef, Iron and Wine Tonie 7Se fteCriinn Glycerine Salve Me itaGrart Toa.... ....Wo t Mile Nervine Ifie 1 ralnei Olery Compound T&c $1 RMmen 8wmp Boot i't Xf. CenU'ri Zt ft Piercet Mvorite Prencripltoa ? 7e foe Ht Tonic 20s All Other M i'xtrnt M-llrni toe All Other Me Patent Mwficlnee 40o A7 Of tier tie Patent Mnlicinee Me Fine Maclmia Taster Oil, prr eal Ksi Vine Mnctins t.nbrieating Oil, per Sal l' Kins Mih-Mii Blank Oil 2ue hi 11 itm limn, vii ... - .....,,.. M Y ly Done, to keep off diet oa boreal odeattJe, per sal. $1.M Antl H au Loweirt price Drna Store In Lincoln. Neh, 20 jrreri expor:nee ia tbe Drue Bueiueea. That mean toiretilf . Riggs' Pharmacy, TVSIZ OPERA H0U8K, Uth sad 0 Bin. ' Rheumatism A slight indefinite pain in the joints is the first sign of Rheumatism. When you feel this warn ing sign take Dr. Williams Pink Pills for Pale People and the progress of .the disease will be arrested.- This remedy acts directly on the blood and nerves and has cured hundreds of cases of rheumatism that have been declared hopeless by physicians. See that the full name is on every package: Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People III. Mary Hilton, or Barry vine, ftnlllvan Cc.K.Tl ftheMye: About two year eeo 1 bad a re attack of rheumatism. I oof. fered acuM pain and roueh Inconvenience. Puyelciaue were nnablo , to chock the dleeaee, aod 1 wan directed to a similar enit, wnlon was tired or Vr. WllUanu- Wok Mils for Pale PeqjMe. My eon bongbt me nurne of tbe pill and tbe llrel box did me IT maeb good tbnt I iiiucunu nuuiuer wi mciu luuw rui ror rate reopai eorea me." Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People contain, in a condensed form, all tbe elements necessary to give new life and richness to tbe blood, and restore shattered nerves. They are an unfailing specific for such diseases as locomotor ataxia, partial paralysis, St. Vitus' Dance, sciatica, neuralgia, rheumatism, nervous beadache, the after-effects of the grip, palpitation of the heart, pale and sallow complexions, all forms of weakness either in male er female. Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People are sold by all dealers, or will be sent, postpaid, on receipt of price. 50c. a box or six boxes for $3.50 (they are never cold in bulk or by the J 00), by addressing Dr. Williams Medicine Company, Scbeneetady, N. Y. OigBnnaBBnannVHnnaanflBVBaBMaaBBi "sjaneae 'life r lakemer if i1i ft AkaU.A-7 EVERY WEEK ON THURSDAY AT 6 P.M. The Burlington have a Pullman Tourist Wide Vestibuled Sleeper leave Lincoln for Los Angeles without change and the price of a double berth is but $5.00. City Ticket Office Corner loth aad O Streets. Telephone 335. Notice to ftoldiers of Union Army All soldiers or sailors, their widows or heirs, wbe nerved in the Union Army or Navy, who tiled a homestead claim for lewn than ltW acres, prior to June 2Z 1874, it makes no difference if tbey abandoned their bome stead or If It waa cancelled or relinquished, thay are still entitled to said additional right and we will buy it. Their additional right its enongh mere land with their original entry to make 160 acre. Call ea or Address Independent McBride Block. PIANOS AND ORGANS, Picture Framing, etc. MThe celebrated ESTEY and BALDWIN ' PIANOS AND ORGANS Pianos as low as $185. Organs as low as $45. All tandard main ure F'nlly (iaaranteeil. Send tie year aldreM aad WB Will WOfl JUII CUV. aia South nth St. 1-3 OFF ORKAT TABLET SALE 3 FOR 2 All Tablets, Pencil or Ink, whether ic, 2c, 3c, 5c, 10c, 15c 20c or 25c, three for the price of two. You pay for two and get three. Special Sale on Mixed Paints. Great Re duction .n all lines. This Sale to Continue Thirty Days. EiffiSsw ROY'S DRUG STORE The Rock Island Playinp Card are tbe fclickest you ever handled. One pack will be sent by mail on receipt of 13 cents in (-tainp;. A money order or draft for 50 cents or name in utaiups will cure 4 packs, and they will be writ by eiprewi,charirea prepaid. Addrew,John Sebatiao, G. P. A, C. R. I. A P., Chi "go. .. .. . 41 two 01 ijr. wiiUamjr ltta Re Wlffpf Time by tbr, t T lOCi forelock by buying your coal NOW BEFORE THE RUSH-1 We sell all kinds at as low pries ae ene. ' 2,000 pounds to the ton is what we give Centerville Block Coal Co, 1 10 South Twelfth. Phone 397. Yard Phone 38a Burlington Depot 7th Street, Between P and Q. Telephone 25. Land Company Lincoln, Nebraska Arthur Betz. Some Druggists Cut Prices. We Cut the Cutter's Prices. All $1 .00 Patent Medicines 67c All 50c Patent Medicines 35c All 25c Patent Medicines 20c Dr. 0. C. REYNOLDS, SURGEON, Rooms 17, 18, 19, Burr iiik. Phones CM, 454. Lincoln. . I " I j 1