OCR Text |
Show THE EOOD COMBINE. Tho Tribuno is certainly making progress in its investigation of tho causes of tho abnormally high cost of living in this city. Tho butter trust, for example, is found to bo an absolute, abso-lute, arbitrary, commercial bossism that, without regard to tho interests of tho consumers and without regard to competition in tho market, demands that ccrtaiu prices must 'bo exacted, and this by porcmptory notico day by day. There has been somo relaxation in this since tho agitation began, and so far as this is concerned it is evident that tho retail dealers aro not to blame. They cannot help themselves, but aro obliged to soli at Cho prices namod or havo their butler supply shut off. This means, of course, that, tho butter market mar-ket is controlled by tho wholesalers' trust, and that, tho retail dealers arc as helpless as the community at largo in this respect. And thus tho light is broaking. Wo hope to get the bottom facts also on other matters hero, as in tho abnormally abnor-mally high retail prico of meats and of other articles of daily and necessary household use. Tho idea, however, that tho whole blame must rest in any particular par-ticular quarter is already dispelled and the inquiry is spreading out, A good many of tho retail dealers lay tho blamo upon the railroads in tho excessive and hostile discriminating charges imposed upon this city. Duo allowance must bo made ou this point for tho popularity of the sentiment just now that Salt Lake City is entitled to bettor railroad rates than it has been receiving. It is always easy to load up one who is, in tho public opinion, an offender with even more offenses than ho is shown to-be to-be guilty of. And this perhaps would be a just criticism on some of tho efforts ef-forts of the retailers hero to shift the blamo for tho excossivo prices charged. And yet those dealers aro clearly right in a number of instances, in laying the blamo upon the railroads for tho exces-sfivo exces-sfivo charges for freights to this cit In all these matters The Tribuno endeavors en-deavors to consider tho question of prices to consumers from tho fair standpoint, of comparing tho quality of goods in ono place with tho samo qual ity of goods elsewhere. Of course thero aro a great many grades of goods. There are great differences in cured meats. Somo are soft, flabby, and in a measure tasteless; others arq' firm, compact, rich in flavor, and worth a good deal more money than the poorer grades. This is truo of a largo portion of tho articles that may bo bought, and tho comparison is not fair unless lii; a is compared with like. In all this mat-tor mat-tor Tho Tribune's idea is to be entirely fair and just,- And iis object is not swiftly to condemn anybotty, not to put itself in a censorious attitude towards an3' interests or any dealers. What it wants to get at ia the fact iu every case. It is nndeuiable that most of the articles arti-cles of common necessitj' aro higher in this city than they oupht to "be. This is an cvij for which Tho Tribune is seeking a remedy. Wherever tho local butchers and grocers aro blameworthy they should correct tho abuse and put themselves ou a better footing with tho community. If they aro not to blame, then they should help us to trace tho trouble and fix it where -it belongs. Tho Tribuno in all this matter does not moan to occupy a destructive attitude, ,but a constructive one. It aims to help the community and benefit tho city; not to injure any one in trade, business, or fortune. It wants the facts; it wants community relief; apd it asks all concerned con-cerned to point out to us just whero tho troublo rests and how it can be remedied. Wo are on inquiry, and en-gagod en-gagod in a faithful, honest search in the interest of the community at large. And wo welcome everything having bearing upon tho solution of this great question, and hopo to relievo tho community com-munity of the overcharge which has for a good while been imposed upon it unjustly and, as. wo boliovo, by arbitrary arbi-trary combinations to unduly inflate prices, |