126 CHARLES J. BULLOCK 



trusts would care to arouse public resentment by unneces- 

 sarily harsh methods. 



To consider this line of argument in any complete man- 

 ner would expand this article into a volume; and we can 

 discuss, therefore, only some of the more important savings 

 that trusts are believed to realize. Of the twenty specific 

 economies that have been enumerated, we shall take no notice 

 of eleven, five of which may be considered either doubtful 

 or of minor importance, and the others of which represent 

 no substantial advantages which large independent companies 

 cannot secure. Three more may be set aside for incidental 

 discussion in connection with the views of those who deny 

 the tendency to monopoly. Of the remainder, three items 

 relate to advantages in the manufacture and three to econo- 

 mies in the exchange of products. 



Thus it is claimed that trusts, by filling orders from the 

 nearest plant, can effect a great saving in cross freights. But 

 data upon this question show comparatively small results. 

 The reason for this is not difficult to discover, and has been 

 recently explained by a writer who has heretofore emphasized 

 most strongly this particular economy of consolidation. 

 When the monopolized product is of a bulky sort, the industry 

 is already localized pretty thoroughly before combination 

 takes place; and, since most of the former independent estab- 

 lishments were producing chiefly for their natural local con- 

 stituencies, the trust can save little in cross freights. When, 

 however, the product is light, transportation charges become 

 a matter of small moment. In either case the room for 

 saving in cross freights is not nearly as large as has been 

 represented, while often it does not exist. 



Then it is urged that a trust can draw upon all the 

 patent devices of the constituent companies, and employ 

 only those that are most efficient. But advantages accru- 

 ing from this fact will in most cases prove to be of a tem- 

 porary nature, as trusts that have tried to base a monopoly 

 upon the control of all available patents have learned in 

 the past, and will learn in the future. Moreover, a simple 

 reform in our patent laws will make the best processes 

 available for all producers at any time that the public finds 



