The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-07-29


Present administrator.
The eleventh paragraph Of the re-
publican platform was not quite two
weeks old when the of the
steel rail trust held a meeting in this
city yesterday and decided hat the
trusts price ~ SO per ton should b.
maintained This paragraph Is - fol-
lows:
"NI.-We rcafirm onr opposition. de-
clnrcd in the republican platform -
lsss. to all combinations Of capital. or-
gEnized in trusts or otherwise. To con-
trol arbitrarily the condition Of trade
alnong our citizens We heartily n
d,rse the action already taken upon
this subject. and ask for sneh further
legislation as may he required a. rem
cdy any defects in existing laws and TO
render their enforcement more OH
plete and effective
The combination Of the manufacture
ers Of steel rails. commonly called the
Steel Rail trust, has cxacted this ring
price of $40 per ton for the last seven
.een months. in spite Of a marked de-
cline in the cost of the raw material.
Its greed has recently been pointed OUT
by the New York Tribune and other
high tariff journals Even the Phila-
delphia Manufacturer. which i the or
gan Of one Of the two powerful high
tariff associations. complained mildly
as follows a few da.ss ago:
'valueso som products. lin the iron
trade. notably pig iron and plate iron.
.-n 81. .- .Atu& A~A- rt-N~
but steel rails are held firmly by The
combination at $50. although Ee~semer
pig is now 80 per ton cheaper than II
| was in 1855. when rails sold at SO per
ton.
The Manufacturers figures were
doubtless taken from the annual report
Of the American Iron and Steel aSsocia-
ton. where the prices are set forth as
follows:
| Brssener pig iron at Pi.fsbsrrh III o. "a a.
Steel rails al Pennsylvania mills % % 80
Difference. noo &c o
These figures, however. represent the
lowest prices in lsS5 and 1891. The fol-
lowing table shows the average prices
for iss5 and the prices At the present
time:
Besscner pT ron..-.-.----- EG ,noi
Steel rails : SN
Difference. -*-- .sioA tlo o.
The combination IS able 70 exact $50
now. when the Jaw material Is selling
| for Si4. because IL exercises absolute
| control over the industry AMI Is pro
| tectcd against importatiois from
| abroad by a tariff duty Of si3.44 per on
The price Of rails in England now. free
| on board. is s.opcr ton. With the duty
and freight charges paid they can be
The duty is therefore rrohibifory. and
| the associated manufacturers can safely
exact $50 without regard 70 tie cos; Of
raw material. And while they cxacs
| this ring price by unlawful agreement
| they can also reduce the wage Of their
woriSmen. a. press dispatches have
| shown.
In March last Attorney General lii
Ter said % the agent Of a press associa-
ton: I'VE are cndcavoring to execute
the antitrust law. and wherever a con.
Germ Is found which offers a fair field
for investigation. IL Is pursued 20 the
best Of our ability" hut no one will
ever induce the attorney general 70 I'm
vestigate" or pursue the combinatsu
~ manufacturers Of steel rails. in whisil
his friend Carnegie holds = prominent
q place. No unlawful com bination that
contributed literally to the republican
campaign fund in lsss and is willing q
contribute literally again this year
will he disturbed by the department d
justice.-N. n. Times. June -. 1891