The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-05
LOCOMOTIVE BUILDERs PETITION
Congress TO Repeal the Purchasing Clause
OF tho sherman Bill.

Congress TO Repeal the Purchasing Clause
OF the sherman Bill.
On Friday last Senator Hunton, OF
Virginia received the following letter and
petition from the Locomotive Builders OF
the United States and laid it before the
! Senate:
RICHMOND. VA, Aug. 81, 1879
| To General Eppa Hunton, L. 5. Senator
Washington, ID. G.
Dear Sir: We forward herewith Pc
| tition signed by manufacturers Of loco
motives in the United States, embracing
we believe. those who manufacture nine
| tenths Of all such machines. This COM
pany. though the last 10 sign. has done
| so with the utmost readiness, because We
/ have felt most severely the effects Of the
present condition OF our national none
| tarv system. We are absolutely con-
vincd that the cause OF the suspension or
orders and our inability 10 negotiate the
| best kind Of railroad paper is due 10 the
| deep-seated unrest and dissatisfaction OF
| the people with our existing silver legis-
! lation. We believe that we will have no
! improvement in this distressing CONDITION
until absolute assurance Is given by Con-
| gress that our monetary system shall De
| placed upon an indisputably sound basis.
We believe that the first step TO this end
| is the unconditional repeal Of the pur-
| chase clause of the Sherman act
Whatever may be your personal views
| about this. we have arrived at these con-
! illusions from painful experience ana we
| ask YOU. as our representative In the
I United States Senate, TO present TINS Pc
! tition I'm all due form. We desire Il TO
/ a.. fu
with the rest Of the most advanced manu-
| facturers of this country, and that, like
/ them. we have been made TO suffer by
unwise legislation. Yours very respect
| fully.
RICHMOND LOCOMOTIVE AND MA
| CHINE WORKS.
| BY G.. +. JONES, Secretary,
Aug 2lst 1898.
| To the Senate and House Of Representa-
| tives Of the United States:
We. the undersigned, the locomotive
| builders Of the United States, finding our
! Industry. as we'll as that Of the country
generally. seriously embarrassed by I'M
| wise legislation, address ourselves 70
your honorable bodies, asking for the
relief that you alone can give.
The workshops that we represent are
| distributed over various parts Of the
| lnlDns ana nave al AAiilNtelA NtA lt-~-Nf
! 1900 locomotive engines, worth from
! So O.000 10 s3000600 Excluding the few
| railroads that build their own engines.
| IL is to us that the vast network OF rail-
roads extending from Maine 10 California
/ and from the Great Lakes TO the
/ Gulf. looks for its motive power
| since no locomotives are imported
from beyond our borders. We
furnish, in addition, the main
/ supply 10 Canada and Mexico, and our
| product Is largely exported 70 South
| America and Australia. and mas MADE
| its way to Russia, South Africa and the
FAR East
Viewed from the inside. we employ from
| 1900 to 1000 bands. a large proportion
| Of whom are skilled mechanics, and dis
tribute in wages about Sl2O000O yearly.
We are purchasers. besides. Of large guam
! tites Of material from makers OF railway
! supplies Until within a short time TINS
/ large industry was exceptionally active
/ and prosperous. The railways wanted
| power. and many OF US were behind WIN
| our orders. The prevailing monetary us
| turbance. however. has reacted upon MS,
| as upon other producers, so that we are
now storing completed and partially I'm
! isbed engines that the railroads cannot
! take. though they were strongly urging
! delivery but few weeks since Of these
!
| very machines.
We believe that this anomalous situa-
| ton is mainly due 10 .he operation OF
the Sherman law Of 1890. To 10 must be
attributed the return of our railroad Sc
| curties from abroad and the outflow OF
| gold. which. en- turn. so undermined con-
| hdence here that the present monetary
and industrial paralysis is the result.
| We respectfully submit that a law that
/ - failed I'm ifg intent.
but has also caused unexpected disaster.
should be promptly removed from the
statute book.
| II sometimes happens, in the course OF
our business. that we offer 10 the rail-
roads Few devices. or engines or mover
design. Indeed we should not be Ameri-
cans il we We're not constantly striving
90 make improvements When, however,
our experiment proves disastrous ran
ure I'm practice. we have learned that we
must relegate IL to the scrap heap without
delay.
Nor do we find II wise 10 refuse to with
draw our failure unless another doubtful
expedient IS accepted In its place. We
! have found it better in such cases 10
give our customer promptly and precisely
Just what he wants.
we therefore ask your honorable bodies
10 restore confidence I'm the only way
| in which II can be done, namely, py the
speedy and unconditional repeal Of the
silver purchase clause Of the Sherman
| law Respectfully,
Durham, Williams & Co.
Baldwin Locomotive Works, Phila-
delphia.
Rhode Island Locomotive Works,
by Earl Philip Mason. Vice Pres
| Schenectady Locomotive Works.
by Wm. D. Ellis, Treas.
Brooks Locomotive Works,
by NJ l.. Hinman, Pres. and Treas
Pittsburg Locomotive aud Car Works
by Wilson Miller. Pres Pittsburg
H. X Porter & CO., Pittsburg, Pa
Rogers Locomotive Co, by r. 5
Hughes, Pittsburg.
| Cooke Locomotive and Machine Co.
Paterson, n. J.
by Fred w. Cooke. Vice Pres.
Dickson Manufacturing Co. Scran.
ton. Pa. by VIM. II. Perkins, Sec
and Treas.
Richmond Locomotive and Machine
Works. Richmond. Va, by G.. f
Jones. Sec.