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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 1905)
SEPTEMBER 28, 1905 TAGE 11 Vhe Nebraska. Independent TRUST REACHES OUT BEEF COMBINE GETS CONTROL OF WOOL AND LEATHER Armour and Swift Obtain Monopoly of Raw Material and Advance the Prices Clothing and Shoes Will Be Higher Working quietly and secretly, the beef trust has practically obtained control of the leather business and the wool business or the United States. It will be able to dictate its own prices for those commodities. The result will be increased cost of clothing and shoes. For months the leather trust has been 'accumulating a large supply of hides and buying up the tanneries throughout the country. Over ten years ago the United States Leather company, generally re ferred to as the leather trust, was or ganized and incorporated, there be ing about forty tanneries included in the formation. Large blocks of the common and preferred stocks were placed on the market and sold to in vestors in every state in the union. Dividends were assured on the pre ferred stock and up to the present time there remains unpaid about 45 per cent of them. .,. . Armour in Control Later followed the reorganization of the United States Leather com pany, and incorporated for about one half the amount for which the former company was capitalized. It is said the reorganization of the United States Leather company was brought about by Armour, who is at the head of the largest packing con cerns in Chicago. It is also said that Armour is now the controlling power of both the United States and Cen tral Leather companies and through those avenues he disposes of most of his hides and other- useful material which originates In the packing house. It is generally known that one of the "big four" packers at Chicago has been a large purchaser of the stock of the American Hide and Leather company, which is another corpora tion formed on the same plan as the other companies, its object being to control the light leather production of this country, but up to this time TiPither the United States company 'nor the American Hide, and Leather ! company has been a success. A recv dispatch from Windiest er, Va., sss that the Central Leather company has purchased the Cover Drayton tanneries for $1,900,00. Advance Prices The foregoing companies have es tablished branch offices throughout the country and in. that way they have got control of the market and added from 10 to 15 per cent to the price of the raw material which they have on hand and In the course of tanning, and the finished stock that is unsold. This one way of forcing a profit by inflating values, which of course will enable them to make a better show ing and allowing both of these com panies to pay some kind of dividend, but should they be unable to keep the prices of raw material at the extreme high figure 'which is now being paid, the inflated values will decline and the innocent purchaser of the stock will have to take whatever he can get. In this way those in control of the companies can juggle the market for the stock up or down and when they get prices high enough they will dispose of large holdings and then re purchase the same stock at greatly reduced values. Juggle' the Figures Several months ago when the com missioner of commerce and labor was ordered by the president to in vestigate the business of the sup posed beef trust, had he known of facts similar in some re spect to the foregoing inflated values he would undoubtedly have been in a better position to make a different re port that he did. For example, it is said that through the different departments the pack ers chargo such a department with the goods which are handled by this particular department, the valuation of which is placed on the goods when they are delivered to its department."" If an inflated valuation of 20 per cent is added to the prices when the goods are transferred to the department to which it is assigned, the actual profit will be small, where if the actual values were given an altogether dif ferent profit would result. Siezing the Wool Market The startling announcement was made a few days ago that the firm of Swift & Co., of Chicago, is now exe cuting plans to obtain control of the and has already established the larg est office in this country at Chicago for the purpose of accomplishing sjuch results. It is said the company has branch offices in nearly every state in the union, and already has obtained immense supplies of wool and pelts. "The Free Pass Bribery System" Is the Title of a New Book BY GEORGE W. BERGE As its title indicates this book tells the whole dramatic story of the bribery influence of the free railroad pass. Hie story tells astounding facts that the people should know. It reads like an exciting novel. In vivid language ibportrays how the railroads, through the free pass bribery system, have procured the government away from the people; Iww pass-Jwlding of ficials have entered into a conspiracy with the railroads to de feat the people's will; how the pass-holders have been in fact a policing sffuad for the railroads to protect the railroads in their extortionate freight and passenger rates charged the peo ple ;hoiv the pass-holders are controlled by professional lobby ists who herd them as a sheep herder watches over a flock of sheep; how theselobbyists, through the passes in the pockets of the officials, organize and control the legislature, state officials, judges, and all city and county officials; how the pass bribery system makes conspirators, prejurers and grafters of all wlto thrive under the system. The following are titles to some of the chapters: THE FREE PASS SYSTEM IS A CONSPIRACY. TREASON OF OLD TIME PASS HOLDERS. THE SEDUCTIVE INFLUENCE OF THE FREE PASS. PASSES AND PERJURY. PASS BRIBERY LEADS TO GRAFT. STATE INSTITUTIONS IN GRIP OF PASS BRIBERY SYSTEM. THE FREE PASS HOLDERS A POLICING SQUAD FOR THE RAILROADS. HOW FREE PASS AGENTS ORGANIZE AND CONTROL THE LEGISLATURE. The book in popular language gives the reader all the fund amental objections to this vicious system. Mr. Berge has given the question exliaustive study and no one is better able to write upon the subject than he is. "Death to the free pass bribery system" was the keynote of his campaign in 1904 when he was candidate for governor of Nebraska.' TtieseedtJiathe then scat tered lias not only takzn root but is already bearing fruit. Tfie people begin to see that this bribery system must be destroyed before they can again assert their influence in government. The book should be in every library. Every reader of The In- dependent should have it. Every student of politics should have it. It is the only book ever written upon the subject and everybody will want to read it. It contains more tlian SOO pages bound in heavy cloth". The Price of the Book is $1.00. By Mail, Postage Prepaid. TO NEW OR OLD SUBSCRIBERS TO THE INDEPENDENT - One Year's Subscription to The Independent $1.00 The Free Pass Bribery System - - $1.00 BOTH The book is now in the press and will be- ready for delivery in about two weeks. Orders for the book will be filled in the order in which they are received. Orders are eJ ready coming in a.nd readers of the Independent are urged to send their orders in it once so tha.t they vill get this book from the first edition. .. . rjrar REMITTANCES MUST ACCOMPANY ORDERS. Address, THE INDEPENDENT, Lincoln, Nebraska.