Show COMBINATION IN FRANCE I Large grocery and general merchandise merchandise I dise d e dealers at Rheims France instead of selling their merchandise at whole wholesale wholesale wholesale sale establish a number of retail stores in the tho different cities under their own control and management placing in the same agents who are responsible to them These agencies are said aid to have be become become come very popular since they enable the public to purchase the necessaries of life Ute principally food tood products at I first hand and at reasonable prices The five large firms of ot Rhelma Rheims and their branches in the surrounding country did a business last year of over over tons of products having been turned over by them They give employment to 1500 1600 hands in their offices and stores not to mention the agents who with their families amounted to another 1000 persons person These agents replace the former retail grocer and seem to be bewell bewell bewell well contented with their lot This looks like a happy solution of the problem It is a solution solution solution tion so long as there is competition and the prices are low But these five fiC big firms have formed a society and there is nothing to prevent them from tram putting on the screws any time they see fit In this country such a society would be called a trust or combination In restraint of ot trade It was the dream of the farmers when the National Grange was organ organized organIzed organized or forty years ago to eliminate the middleman and deal di direct direct direct with the wholesalers and manu manufacturers manufacturers The experience along that line was not a happy one for the farmers and arld the middleman is still sUll with us It may be that eventually we shall have some such system as aa that now employed at Rheims for the distribution distribution distrIbutIon tion of food products that we shall have agents of the wholesalers In Instead Instead Instead stead of or retailers The tendency of the times Umes is toward the concentration of capital for the purpose of ot doing business on a large scale and keeping down the expenses s as much as possible possible ble So long as aa the enterprise is legitimate mate there is no way waT to prevent the consummation of such luch a purpose It will be time enough to speculate upon such matters however after atter the Supreme court of the United States has rendered an opinion In the Stand Standard Standard Standard ard OH Oil and American Tobacco com company company company pany cases caS 8 at which time the future path of the trusts will be plainly marked |