FIGHTING THE TRUSTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 13

FIGHTING THE TRUSTS.

HIGH FOOD PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES. Tlio hirti cost of living considerably affected Christmas celebrations in hundreds- of thousands of poor American homes (wjoto the "Manchester Guardian's" Now York correspondent, under dale of December 2(1) is proved by the numerous schemes that are being .tried all over the country with the object of reducing the prices of necessities of life. It is 0110 of the British Protectionist's hichons, continued the correspondent, that high prices nro confined almost entirely to New York mid the crowded districts along tlio Atlantic seaboard, but when one finds au "egg strike" in Cleveland, 'Ohio, and au impromptu municipal market in Indianapolis, both in the Middle A\ est, and a scheme for municipal shops as far Wost as Portland, Oregon, the fallacy of such aa idea becomes apparent. Cleveland's egg strike is duo to tho practice of tho cold storage trust storing up eggs so as to obtain high prices, and so thoroughly has this practice been maintained that a fortnight ago it was almost impossible to obtain, eggs for less than 2s. (id., per dozen. Cleveland householders accordingly formed a "thirty-cent egg club," tho members of winch pledged themselves not to purchase eggs until prices had resumed their former level of 30 cents (Is. 3d.) per dozen. I lie scheme grew in popularity so rapidly that within a, week the egg strike was so effective that many provision merchants reduced their prices, not all at once, of course; but on Saturday thousands of Christmas shoppers we're able to find shops where they could obtain eggs at Is. 3d. per dozen, and the promoters of the thirty-cent club are confident that within a week or so tlicv will have forccd tho cold storage flcoplo to their knees. In Indianapolis, Indiana, the municipal market opened by Mr. "Lew." Shank, tho Mayor, enabled thousands of poor people to buy their Christmas dinners at reasonable cost. Mr. Shank and his wife, with tho assistance of a number of municipal officials, sold every imaginable kind of foodstuffs nnd Christmas comforts at cost price, or with just sufficient profit to cover tho cost of carriage. _ Encouraged by the success of the Mayor's bold attack on tho trusts, many of tlio actual producers arc now coming into the market to sel Itlieir produce direct to tho consumers, and while the latter arc able to purchase the necessities of lifo at reasonable priccs, tho producers declare that they can nuke more front than tliey over did out of tho trusts, Mr. Rushbright, tho Mayor of Portand, Orecon, has joined in tho campaipn airamst the trusts and has ordered the (■lly Council to. appoint a committee of business men to conduct a series of onoperative shons where tho profits will !m dls , V." ltprl nmol >K tho shareholders. Iho public stock is to be issued in ,1!5 shares, and to prevent tho trusts obtaining control of the shops no person will bo allowwl to take up more than one share. Otlicr municipalities in Oregon proposo following this example.