Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-10-29
THE STEEL BEAM TRUST.

lana Leader ON oepJenDeT D, 1867.
THE structural shapes used in the
building trades are manufactured by
about half dozen firms, none of which
have plants west of Pittsburgh. There
Is small plant in Chicago, but it does
not cut much of a figure in the indus
trial world, in competition with the
eastern mills. The six concerns alluded
to have been members of trust which
has lived for fifteen years with but one
or two breaks. Every new mill that
makes beams and channels was taken
into the combination as soon as it found
a foothold. The prices of the trust are
kept intact and, it is said, the members
of the association will not undersen
the com mbination figures a cent ton.
The trust fixes the prices of structural
iron for different localities, and in
Cleveland the cost of beam is q cents
per pound, or S5S ton.
''The value of beams imported into the
United States in 1889, at foreign ports
of shipment was rs cents per pound,
or S26.S8 per ton, and the duty upon the
same was 1 and Ia cents per pound or
$2s Ss per ton, or 1O2 rs per cent The
cost of the labor paid for the manufac-
ture of to- of steel beams based upon
the cost of production per ton is only
IS. 90 per ton or about per cent of the
selling price. Who gets the other
1913 Ss of the tariff laid solely for the
benefit of the laborer if not the trust?"
In a speech in the United States sem
ate, while the Mckinley bill was under
discussion August 1, 1890, Hon. Preston
B. Plumb, of Kansas, said:
II know, Mr.. President that when
the contractor for the construction of
the statehouse at Topeka came to buy
steel beams to go into that building he
found it to his interest to buy in Bel
GUM and pay the 103 per cent duty
which the law imposes Was that be-
cause the American manufacturer could
not furnish the beams? No, because
he offered to do it, Was it because he
could not afford to furnish them at the
foreign price. with freight and 103 per
cent duty added? Does any one believe
that? If so, then the duties upon struc-
ture iron ought to have been increased
in this bill But the manufacturers
were in a com bination, and would only
sell at an agreed price, which was far
above that of the foreign manu- 'acturer,
with transportation and duties added.
SIN other words, they proposed to take
the consumer whom they could catch
"short," who had not the facilities tc
buy abroad, from whom they could ex
act an enormous profit rather than dc
all the business of the people of the
United States at a reasonable profit
and take possession of and maintain
this home market which we had given
them an enormous duty in order that
they might do.
THE same was true of the Texas
statehouse, as have it from the lips OF
one of the parties who was resDon
sible for it's erection. These people
were not satisfied with profit
that came from 1O3 per cent
duty and foreign transportation
but entered into foreign combination,
still maintained, as | have reason to be.
heve, whereby they exacted still great
er prices prices above the importing
point, and if they could not get then
they would not furnish the goods,
"a friend of mine came down here
from Chicago a few days ago, appeal
ing to the secretary of the treasury
against the rule of the custom house IL
that city in regard to certain manufac
turers of steel which he was importing
They were the ordinary tools used by
\ laborers upon railroads-a pick, a hal
pick, sledge, a crow bar, shovel, anC
a 30 on. l said to him: Where do yol
sell these goods? the minimum dut,
upon which, as | remember now, wa
45 per cent Sell them?' he says. g
sell them in Pittsburgh Impor
them, | said, from Sheffield an,
bring them through the custom hous
at Chicago, pay freight duties, and SEM
by rail back to Pittsburgh and sell then
there? Yes he said ID,
you understand he asked
''that the American manufac
turer does not manufacture anything
he can not make certain and grea
profit ON, and that he stands out of thu
way of the foreign manufacturer as t.
other articles on which he can no
make satisfactory prohtsY
shovel was part of the list. I under
stand that the American shovel, o
which we all are so proud Of the Anne
shovel, can be bought on the other sid,
of the Rio Grande at from so cents to Z
cents piece cheaper than they can b.
bought for on the north side. hav
been told so by men whom l conside
entirely reputable. The manufacture
insists he will not take any chances, ant
80 the Carnegies and Jones, of Pitts
burgh, and the Dolans and Dobsons, O
Philadelphia, have prospered and grow
rich beyond the dreams of avarice a
the expense of the people of the Unite'
States, while they were not filing tn
market which we expected they woul
fill and had right to expect the,
would fill when we gave them tn
duties which the present law imposes
to be increased by the bill before us
upon the articles which they prod uce.
THE THREAD TRUST.
It might be a surprise to the peopl
to know that there is annually used il
the state of Ohio alone 81, 500, 900 wort
OF sewing thread.
This article is now made extensivel
in the United States by four wealth
manufacturing corporations, com bine
together on prices SO that no compet
ton whatever exists on this side of tn
Atlantic. This trust is protected by
tariff tax of so per cent, which enable
the great thread trust to collect fror
the people of Ohio, at least $500, 90
annually more than could be done
competition were open; and thus in tn