' 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 "
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