Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-11-15
Nh Extra ordinary Case orFarif-
SWindiins.


The following extract from a speech by
the Hon. William L. Scott, NJ. c., at Erie,
Pennsylvania, recently as reported in
the Erie Herald, contains, we think, the
most extraordinary expose Of the extent to
which tariff duties are used by Pennsylvania
capitalists and rings to plunder the people,
under the pretence of protecting American
labor and home Industries, that has ever
been made public. There can be no i'm.
peaching the authority, no pretence that
the statement is o free-trade lie. for Mr..
Scott is man who knows what he is talk
ing about, and has an eminently level head
He said:
We hear great deal about the protec.
ton of the wageworkcr, ard am ir favor
OF protecting the wage-workeY But may it
not be that we are protecting the mauufac.
turer more than the wage worker? / cennot
give better illustration of this than hy re.
ferring to an incident in connection with
Mr.. Jarrett. That gentleman said he was o
Welshman and that he had como cver TO
this country and Immediately become an
American citizen, as soon as the Laws of the
country would permit. About the same
time that Mr. Jarret came owe. there was
another subject Of the Queen OF Great
Britain arrived in this country and in this
State. he finally located in PittsbuTg, but
he never gave up his allegiance to the Queen,
aud QUE Of his prouGest boasts TO day is
that hs Is not an American citizen, but
subject CT the Queen Of England But he
went into the manufacture OF iron and steel
in Pittsburgh, and | know positively, from
statements made by reputable gentlemen,
that although he did not own the entire
works, he drew out Of that establishment
during period Of 800 days profits amount
ing to $4,000 per day, or $1,000, 900 in one
year. He is now building o castle abroad,
and he expects 10 return TO his native coun-
try after he has feathered his nest under the
protection OF this government, and die,
suppose, y British subject. Nov let Us take,
for instance, this article CT steel rails, of
which you have heard SO much Eighteen
months ago l had occasion 10 Guy 10000
tons of steel rails. | went 10 $ rolling mill
in Pennsylvania and bought tncm for S25 80
per ton. The parties who aoll them 10 NO
were perfectly satisfied with III" price. At
that time there Waa no coInhinaIiou between
the steei-mills Of this counlry. About six
months afterwards the seve!i or eight steel
rail mills OF the country combined and
agreed to divide among themselves the
amount Of rails that the country would re-
quire, and gradually the price Of steel rails
went up until it reached S333 per ton, which
is the price day. From $25 to S333 is an
increase Of $3.50 Now, the advance in the
cost of producing ton of steel rails does
not exceed 10 per cent. over and above what
l paid at the time, or 81 so per ton.
That would leave in round mum
hnr Il
So Il ton without any necessity for it.
There are seven or eight steel rail mills and
they produce about l 800, 900 tons Of Steel
rniis 81 year, and this additional profit Of s.
per ton amounts 70 the auin Of 81, 800 900 to
be divided between these seven or eight
mills. DO you think that the railroads pay
this excessive profit On the steel rails they
buy? Not by any means. The railroads
simply advance the money, and it is you
who travel over the railroads, and who
transport your merchandise and produce
over them. who in the end pay this i'm
mense profit to the manufacturers. It Comes
at last upon the people. Less than year
ago was talking with g friend Of mine on
this question Of steel rails He probably
purchases more steel rails than any man in
the United States. I said TO him: "These
mills are putting up these rails pretty fost.
Don't you think they ought to stop ?"
YES" said he, II think they ought to-" I
know that ne knew what be was talking
about. Said he: You know how TIE iron
industries have been for the last few years
apparently hardly alive. But do you
know one thing?" and then calling GER
tain iron and steel company in Pennsyva-
MIA by name, he said: THAT company rep
resents capital of S1O,000,OO0. You know
how the iron and steel industries have been
depressed, and get know that the princi-
pal bone of contention in tho board of di-
rectors of that company for some time has
been whether or not they should make an
extra dividend OF si0,000,0O0." Applause.