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tho authorities tflll proceed at once to crush out
tho tobacco trust system. The Record-Herald cor
respondent says: "Inquiry recently mado by tho
inland revenue department disclosed the fact that
tho American Tobacco trust has invaded tho
provinces to such an extent that within a few
months it would have a close monopoly on tho
trade in case it were not curbed. It has already
put out of businsss three of the five cigar factories
that existed in Canada. It has thriven at the
expense of a system of regulating selling 'prices.
It has obtained reduced freight charges and is
ablo to undersell the dealers without financial
loss. With its $300,000,000 capital it has managed
to put the thumbscrows on the Canadian retailers,
and by offering strong inducements it has pre
vailed on them in many instances to handle its
brands exclusively. By its exclusive contracts,
whereby retailers pledge themselves not to sell
the output of the independent factories, the trust
has secured 84 per cent of the cigarette trade, in
addition to getting its clutches on the cigar busi-
i
RGBS.
THE growth of the combine In Canada has as
sumed such menacing proportions that par
liament has taken drastic measures to crush it.
The Ottawa correspondent says: "An amendment
to the revenue act was prepared by- Minister
Brodeur of the inland revenue department that
will enable the excise officials to control the trust
by the simple means of canceling its licenses un
less it stops tho exclusive contract practice. The
new act wont through with a rush. It was passed
by tho house of commons on August 5, the day it
was introduced. It was passed by the senate on
'August 6. It is one of the most important anti
trust pieces of legislation over passed in Canada,
and although it is directed primarily against tho
tobacco trust, it affords a means of summary pro
cedure against any o'ther combine that comes
under the inland revenue act. In substance it
permits the revocation of excise licenses held by
concerns that sell goods, on condition that "the
pimihaayt v shall not handle like goods produced, by
manufacturers. It reads: 'Resolved, That it is
expedient to amend tho inland revenue act, in
providing that any license authorized by this act
may be canceled in any case where a person who,
being a manufacturer of any class of goods subject
to a duty of excise, either directly or indirectly,
makes a sale of any such goods of that class In
connection with his own business subject to the
condition that the purchaser shall not sell or deal
in goods of a like kind produced by or to be ob
tained from any other manufacturer or dealer, or
makes such sales upon equal terms that would, in
their application, deprive the purchaser of any
profit upon the sale of such goods, if he should
sell or deal in goods of a like kind, produced by,
or obtained from, or to be obtained from any other
manufacturer or dealer, or consigns any such
goods to another person for sale upon commission,
upon such terms that tho consignee can protlt by
such sale only if he does not sell or deal in
goods of a like kind manufactured by or obtained
from any other manufacturer or dealer.' "
THE legislation against the tobacco trust was
asked for by all the independent tobacco
companies and dealers In Canada. The Ottawa
correspondent says: "After looking into the mat
ter, Minister Brodeur found that the men who
had taken out letters patentN in Canada were the
ones associated in the American Tobacco com
pany. Whenever tho company had established a
branch store it was found that it was rapidly driv
ing out the smaller manufacturers, and the inde
pendent dealers wero finding it impossible to make
a living. Further inquiry discloses the system of
exclusive contracts, and also unearthed evidence
that tho trust was trying to get a better foothold
by tho samo means it employed in England, where
it agreed to spend $1,000,000 to lay out the local
dealers. As soon as the "royal assent Is given to
the bill tho inland revenue department will start
at once to uproot tho trust. The company will be.
allowed to operate in Canada on the samo footing
witluthe independent manufacturers, but the mo
ment it exhibits any trust propensity or any ten
dency to continue tho scheme of exclusive con
tracts Minister Brodeur says he will at once ter
minate its excise licenses, which would crowd
the trust to the borders at once."
""V.
N THE AUTHORITY of one to whom tho New
York World refers as "the most irifluentlni
republican camnaiKn manager." tho Wnrin- Wo
that President Roosevelt has received the assur
ance of J. Piorpont Morgan's support. The World
Q
The 'Commoner-
explains: "Mr. Morgan was for a long, timo
greatly incensed at President Roosevelt, privately,
denounced him and threatened to oppose his
olection. Tho peace go-betweens wero George W.
Perkins, of tho Morgan firm, and Elihu Root, now
Morgan's representative in the Northern Securities
suit. The president of a great New York corpora
tion helped. Mr. Roosevelt has promised to be
good hereafter. Large profits of government bank
ing operations have been turned over the Morgan
firm the Panama $40,000,000 transfer, for in
stance, on which a commission of 1 per cent
amounts to $400,000. Panama also paid commis
sions to the Morgan firm after President Roosevelt
had designated it as this government's agent. The
republican campaign managers are greatly cheered
by the guarantee of J. P. Morgan's hearty sup
port." HUMAN beings do not have a .monopoly upon .
tho pathetic. A reporter for the New Yoric
World relates one of the most pathetic of stories
concerning a dumb brute. Here it is: "Two lit
tle children whose parents had deserted them
were takv,n in a patrol wagon yesterday from an
xeast-side tenement to the rooms of the society
for the prevention of cruelty to children, at Fourth
avenue and Twenty-third street. Behind the pa
trol wagon trotted a wide-awake Scotch terrier
that seemed anxious and puzzled at the turn af
fairs had taken. He was evidently the playmate
of the little folks and a family pet, and meant to
see that they came to no harm at the hands, of
the big men , in the blue coats and "brass buttons
who were taking them for a drive. The rterrier
leaped up at the children and licked their hands
when they were taken from the wagon at Twenty-
.thlrd street, and-gave every evidence of affection.
They wanted to take him into the offices of- the
society . but the policeman shut him out and or-r
dered him to go home. He remained at a distance
until the police came out and. the patrol wagon
had disappeared. Then he went back to the door
and began scratching and whining for admittance.
He seemed convinced that something was. wrong
with hk playmates and wanted to go to their as
sistance, it was not long before the actions of
the terrier attracted a small crowd. His distress
was so apparent that some one raised the cry of "
'Mad dog!' Then a policeman elbowed his way
to the door. Nobody knew that the faithful, llftle
animal was simply grieved at being parted from
his companions. The policeman glanced at the
poor brute and accepted the popular verdict, there
was a glitter of steel in the sunlight, followed by a
flash and a "bans." The little terrier's troubles
were at an end.
SPEAKING to a reporter for the New Orleans
Times-Democrat, a Louisianan said that
there is a comical side to the war in the far east.
This gentleman added: "Do you read the stories?
If you like comedy, read them. You will find all
the funny stuff you want right in the , reports
which are coming out of the far east today, tomor
row, or any other old day you may select. The
way Russian reports begin, or the way they began
for .a while at least, has passed into the current
humor of the day. We all remember that I re
gret to report' which has been going into St. Pet
ersburg since the war began, and we can not have
failed to remark the humor resulting from the
consistency with which this statement has been
used. But the funniest thing I have seen yet was
the statement made the other day that the Russian
soldiers were complaining of being tired on ac
count of the retreats they have been forced to
make under orders. The way the statement was
put left no room to doubt that the Russian sol
diers meant that they were tired running from
the Japs that the Japs, in fact, In their efforts
to catch them, were simply about to. run them to
death. Yet Russia was going to sign peace terms
in Tokio. Funny, isn't it? If this thing keeps up,
and tho Russians keep on retiring 'in order,' as
a result of Japanese aggression, it may happen, in
tho course of human evonts, that peace terms
will be signed at Harbin instead of Tokio, or it
might be that they will be signed at some point
still further toward the Russian capital. War
plays curious tricks on the judgment of men and
you can never tell just how the dice are goinp to
roll until after the throw has. been made and
even then it Is wiser to wait until the bones ouit
rolling."
AN INTERESTING incident in connection with
Liberty Bell is told by a New Orleans Times
Democrat reader, who .had visited the Wood's
fair. This gentleman said: "With a prirty of
; VLVME 4 NUMBER 31,
friends I had been looking at Liberty Bell and wo
had" spent some' time here because of a certain
patriotic fervor which welled upon account of the
old relic, and each had something to say, some
little comment to make which seemed appropriate
at the moment. I had noticed a serious looking
young woman near the big bell, but paid no par
ticular attention to her Until we had turned and
and. starterd away, though I imagined that I had
detected an evidence of nervousness or impatience
on the part of tlie young woman while we were
still walking around the bell. As soon as we had
turned to go away the young woman hurried and
excitedly pulled a postal card from a wallet which
hung from her wrist, pressed it against the big
bell and quicker than I can tell it pressed .her
lips against' the card. She had kissed Liberty Bell.
She did not want to be observed while making
this'' sacred offering1 to the old relic, and that was
why she waited until she thought we had turned
our backs on her. How long she had remained
there watching for a chance to offer this tribute
I do: not know, but evidently from her manner
she had been there' for some time. It was a
' pretty, poetic incident, in a prosaic age, and 1
could not refrain from reflecting that a country
whose women are thus held by that is best and
most patriotic in" its history, can not but have
.; mucli to. hope for."
A" S TEMPORARY chairman- of the republican
u national convention, Elihu Root said that by
reason of iheaggrcssivefiess-df the Roosevelt ad
minls'tratiori thfere is "-no longer any serious com
plaint of trust exaction' -Mr. Root added: "No
investment in lawful business nas Deen Jeopar
dized, iib fair and honest enterprise has been in
jured, but it is certain' that wherever the. con
stitutional power- of the national government
reaches trusts are boing practically regulated and
curbed within lawful bounds as they never havo
been before, and the men of small capital are
finding in the efficiency and skill of the national
department of justice a protection that they never
had before against the crushing effect of unlawful
combinations."
COMMENTING upon this statements, the Wash
ington Post, that can not, at least, be said
to be prejudiced against the republican party,
says: "There is nothing in the record to show
that the man of small capital is finding any pro
tection 'against the crushing effect of unlawful
combinations.' Mr. Root will have no difficulty
in discovering that there is no chance for a man
of small capital to engage in the business of
selling anthracite coal in Wasnington or any
other large city in the country. The prices are
fixed and rules for the conduct of the retailers
business made by the trust, and the man who
violates any of them is promptly forced out or
business. An independent meat market owneu
and operated by men who refuse to dea wiw
the beef trust and adhere to prices fixed by tne
trust would be forced to bankruptcy In snoic
order in any city of the country in which tne
trust seeks to control business. Beef is Mgner
in New York today than at any time since uo
civil war, although the owner o? me cat tie i is
receiving about 30 per cent less than he uiu two
years ago. In Philadelphia the tobacco trust is
refusing to sell goods to merchants who will not
agree to sell none hut trus.t-made tobaccos, i"
fact, there has been nothing in the commercial 01
industrial history of the last year to Ind cate tnat
the man who wishes to engage in uusinefo j J
any more protection from the trusts than 1 he nas
had at- any time since tho era of consolidation ana
combination began. Political leacers w ho 1 iae
been advocating the policies of the administiat on
have heretofore been ..content to ten us ai
party proposes to do in the way or prosewunb
the "bad" trusts. We have had notices that &et
retary Cortelyou's young men are mPms " -ii
trail of the beef trust, and that Attorney GenerM
Knox was preparing to begin aggressive 1 acura
against the coal trust. Then Mr. Crtelyou ar
ranged to resign, and General Knox also resit u ,
after starting his first assistant to Alaska 101
summer. Despite these changes, wo have u
assured that Mr. Moody will go after the iru
with a sharp stick as soon as he becomes ia mi
with the affairs of. the attorney general om
But Mr. Root has gone them one bettei. xi c
su're's us tharthe fight has.. been, made ana
and that the trusts are unable to. do. us harm
more. It promises to be- a campaign 01
prises." "..-
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