Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-12-20
The Nall Association.


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The Nall Association.
The Western nail association has
determined that the works OF Its mem
bers shall cease manufacturing for six
weeks. the prices of nails to remain un'
changed. The object is to maintain
prices by reducing production, which |
exceeds the demand. There are more |
nail works than are needed, and the |
business used to be very Improbable |
one, before the association OF the manu-. |
facturers was formed. For some years
under the association 1t has been pro6ta- |
BILE and no doubt will continue to be SO
IL the association can be main. |
tanned. But there are times when
the bonds of such associations are
severely tried. 1t is not pleasant thing |
to stop business and meet the cost OF
maintaining the works while there are
no profits coming in. When such sus.
pensions become frequent, members Of
the association who can manufacture
more cheaply than others get tired
of the associations restraints and
other members who are not scru-
pulous of their obligations seek
secretly to evade them. The final re.
suit, in long periods of trade depression,
Is that the association falls to pieces and
the individual members come under the
general law Of the survival of the fit.
test. The probability is that some OF
these days the nail association will suffer
this experience, and we will have nails for
awhile at price below cost, as we used
to have. The nail men have been for a
good while objects Of envy to other iron
manufacturers, and the disposition has
been great, in all the branches of the
manufacture, to associate rs they have
done.
It is a question whether such aSsocia-
tions are of ultimate public or private
advantage; and it is a more practical
question than that Of free trade or pro
tective tariff. These associations work
much as q protective tariff to theil
members. Their rules keep up the pric'
of their products to the consumer. L
the associations are not too avariciou
and put the price of their goods at but
moderate advance upon their cost 1t MAJ
be said that they do the community nC
injustice or harm for it is not
public benefit to have goods sell be
low their cost. Somebody has tC
pay the difference and it is the
creditors Of the manufacturers, who pay
the piper for the dance, II it is not tn {
customers. The danger of the arrange.
ment is that the manufacturers will put
their prices too high, either because OF
their greed or more probably TO protect
the members of the association who
produce their goods at too great cost. II
is not to the public interest that home
manufacturers, disadyantageously situa.
ted for their work, shall be protected by
an undue tax upon the consumer. The
nail manufacturers association does not
have a healthy look. 1t ought not to be
necessary to stop manufacture for so
long a period as six weeks. Especially
at this season of the year, when the
work is most advantageously done, and
when the workmen can so i'll afford TO be
idle. Nails are too high according tC
the price Of iron; and it would have beer
better to work off the surplus product b.
dropping the profits instead of stoppinl
the works, though some OF the concern
did die in the effort.