The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-28

Protector Considers 1t the Best in the
United States-Talk Of steel Plant.
EvERErT. April 27-The visit of Mr..
A X. Whitney, of New York, to Ever
EFT Is fraught with matters of vital in
terest to the industries here. He is at
the head of the Brooklyn Wire Nail and
Steel Company. and planned the nail
works in Everett, which have been man.
aged by his son. Speaking of the growth
OF the wire nail trade, Mr.. Whitney said !:
In 1883 the duty on wire nails Was cent per
pound. The Arthur tariff passed that year ad-
vanced the duty from / cent to 4 cents per
pound. There were then but two wire nail
factories in this country, one at Cincinnati and
one in Cleveland. making . few wire nails,
about $1,000 kegs year. In 1884, the year after
the passage of the tariff. 25oO,O kegs were msds,
and the Brooklyn Wire Nail Company built the
next factory in Brooklyn aud patented the
machines now used by the Puget Sound Wire
Nail and Steel Company in Everett We are
now making the 9OOth machine. 1t has been
acknowledged as superior to any other machine
The Everett nail works have the exclusive right
to the use OF the machines west OF the Rocky
Mountains. The Mckinley bill reduced the
duty on wire nails from to 2 cents per pound.
and for the purpose of refuting MI. Cleveland
theory that the tariff 10 q tax, would say that
we would not have gone into The wire nail bust.
ness II We bad not been protected by the duty,
and the following il the result of protecting the
wire nail business: Prior to the passage of the
Arthur tariff and during the year 1888 four
penny common nails, tina: 10 a nail one and one.
half inches long, sold by the oOO0 kegs at
cents pound, and there were made, a. said
before. $4,000 kegs. Under q duty of cents
pound We reduced the price OF those nails to 4
cents pound. and today We are selling the same
nail on the Pacific coast, delivered at san
fnp . q III
make this year in the United States be.
tween 100000 and 100000 kegs OF wire
nails, showing conclusively that the consumer
does not pay the tariff, and therefore it is not q
tax. In addition to all this it furnishes labor
Tor thousands of men and retains so 600 900 in
the country that otherwise would have gone
abroad. In the course of q couple OF months
We shall make some additions to the Puget
Sound wire nail factory that will increase the
output considerably on the day run. The quail
ity OF the nail and the key that contains them
Is uneQuaied in this country. never saw such
handsome kegs a. are made right here in the
factory At Everett We are handicapped I'm Ev.
erett BY the different railroads. They have
made very unfair rate tariff. discriminating
against Everett For instance, they will bring
nails from Chicago to the Pacific coast, q dis
lance OF 2, 166 miles. for so cents per hundred
weight, while they charge US to Spo-
kane from Everett, S75 miles, Is cents
. keg. II they can build up the Coast by these
methods fail to see It All We ask 10 that they
give W the same rate per mile from Everett
eastward that they give coming this way. l
consider this the finest nail plant in the United
States Although had great deal to do with
the plans, it far exceeds my expectations Wire
nails can be manufactured - cheaply here -
anywhere in the Union As soon as congress
acts upon the tariff We contemplate erecting a
steel plant here in Everett, but we shall not act
until then. Capital 10 timid and will not in.
vest unless capitalists know that they will re-
ceive profit on the investment We shall erect
the steel plant on the Sound, in close proximity
to the nail factory, to save rehandling the rods
to make nails of. There is plenty OF iron ore in
the vicinity of Everett, and coke equal to Con-
nellsville.