In the Middle Ages the forestaller, who piled up a lot of goods in order to force high prices from consumers, was liable to get his ears chopped off. Modern monopolies are forestallers incorporated, and are punished, within a particular nation, through anti-trust laws. But no laws yet exist against monopolies (forestallings) in international trade. Brazil controls coffee, Russia platinum, Chile saltpetre, Germany and France potash, Great Britain tin and rubber.
British rubber magnates want the price of rubber never to fall below 42ยข a pound, which represents a fair profit for the average...
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