The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-06-04
Highest Of all in Ieayenng Poweu Govt Report Aug u, ss,
R&a:'!I!! al! Batins Bs9;ass'!
H. @A9s@@ . il OW0GF
ABSOLUTELY PURE
THE Ak TRUST.
why It uad co Reduce Prices-Improve-
mcnts In Ak Making

why It Had Co Reduce Prices-Improve-
ments In AK Making.
Before the AK trust was organized
early in the spring of last year the
Wholesale price of axes was rs low as
$5.2j per dozen, but by December the
trust had forced up prices to @9, Under
the competition of outside factories, how
ever, prices are now lower than in De-
cenber, being now from So to 81 per
dozen. The trust is composed of SIX
teen factories, aud there are some six or
eight independent factories. besides n
number Of smaller concerns which have
sprung up since the trust raised prices
AS the result Of the arbitrary action of
the trust in putting up prices there liz u
disposition among dealers to handle axes
made by the independent concerns. AS
announced in the trade papers, all the
companies outside of the trust are rushed
with business. The Collinsville Comm
works, with more money than the syn
dicate itself, have to run day and night
to fill orders. The Cohoes IN. " shop
is overrun with orders, and the propri-
etor has started two outside shops that
uthNG llOI Dttll lOE INO ytetlS.
Notwithstanding the utterly uncalled
for action of the trust in raising prices,
Mckinley continued the old duty of 45
per cent on axes. This duty is not need
&c to protect the trust from any outside
competition, since we import no axes and
our manufacturers are selling their prod
uct successfully in many foreign coun-
tries. An AK manufacturer is authority
for the statement that $500 dozen Amer
ican axes were recently shipped to Nor
way and Sweden, and at least $1,000 doz-
en- to Australia.
The ability of our AK manufacturers to
compete in the worlds markets is due to
several causes In the first place, the
method of manufacturing is different
with us from what it is in Europe. In
our AK factories nothing is made but
axes, while in Europe various kinds of
edged tools are made in the same estab-
lishment. The result is that much time
is saved by keeping each man constantly
| doing the same thing.
A further advantage is that in our fac
| tories labor saving machinery is used to
an extent unknown in Europe Only
within the past two or three years ma
| chine has been invented for welding the
steel bit to the body of the AK, by which
| two men-the bit drawer and his helper
can weld $50 axes per day, as against
only $50 before this invention was made.
Another invention is a patented process.
controlled by Pittsburg company, for
making fine crucible steel for AK bits.
Our Ak manufacturers formerly import
ed their bit steel from Sheffield, England,
at a cost of about 81 cents per pound.
Now they get it from Pittsburg at to
81 cents. This steel snow regularly ex-
ported to England and Sweden, from
which we formerly drew our supply.
The ax manufacturers have a further
advantage in very low labor cost OF
production. A manufacturer who is in
the trust says that labor represents only
about 30 per cent. Of the cost of an ak
Yet, to cover the pretended difference in
the labor cost in Europe and America
the McKinleyites put duty of 45 per
cent. on axesl Even the daily wages paid
workmen in az factories are by no means
high The following are the wages pre-
vaillng in a western New York factory;
Wages