Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-09
HE Ak TRUST..
why 1t Had to Reduce Prices-Improve
mcnts in Ak Making.

why 1t Had to Reduce Prices-Improv We
mcuts in AK Making.
Before the AK trust was organized
early in the spring of last year the
wholesale price Of axes was as low as
S5.25 per dozen, but by December the
trust had forced up prices to IS. Under
the competition of outside factories, how
ever, prices are now lower than in De
cember, being now from So to 81 per
dozen. The trust is composed of six
teen factories, and there are some six or
eight independent factories, besides a
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 is a
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 Conn. }
works, with more money than the syn
dictate itself, have to run day and night
to fill orders, The Cohoes On. " shop
is overrun with orders, and the propri-
etor has started two outside shops that
have not been running for two years.
Notwithstanding the utterly uncalled
for action of the trust in raising prices,
Mckinley continued the old duty of IS
per cent. on axes. This duty is not need
ed TO protect the trust from any outside
competition, since we import no axes ani
our manufacturers are selling their prod
uct successfully in many foreign cour-
A. 20 g
for the statement that $500 dozen Amer
lean axes were recently shipped to Nor
way and Sweden, and at least 900 doz-
en- to Australia.
The ability of our ak manufacturers 10
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 Ir
our AK factories nothing is made but
axes, while in Europe various kinds OF
edged tools are made in the same estab-
hshment 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 80 before this invention was made
Another invention is patented process.
controlled by a Pittsburg company, for
making a fine crucible steel for ak bits
Our AK manufacturers formerly import
ed their bit steel from Sheffield. England,
at cost Of about s! cents per pound.
Now they get it from Pittsburg at to
6! cents. This steel is now regularly ex-
ported to England and Sweden, from
which we formerly drew our supply.
The AK manufacturers have further
advantage in a very low labor cost Of
production. \ manufacturer who is in
the trust says that labor represents only
about 80 per cent. Of the cost of an ak
Yet, TO cover the pretended difference in
the labor cost in Europe and America
the Mchinleyites put a duty of A per
cent. on axes! Even the daily wages paid
workmen in Ak factories are by no means
high The following are the wages pre-
vailing IN western New York factory: