The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-31
AXES TO GRIND.

The American Axe and Tool Com
pany is the name of trust which
controls the trade in Pennsylvania and
regulates the prices of labor as well as
of the manufactured articles. Of course
it is opposed to the Wilson bill. And
one of its movements was the reduc-
ton of wages at Beaver Falls in the
beginning of the year, the probable
passage of that bill being the excuse.
But it appears that several reduc-
tons of wages were made during the
previous year, while the trust was get
ting the full benefits of the Mckinley
tariff. And there is no record of any
rise in wages. when the rise was made
in the duty on such articles as the
trust controlled in manufactures and
in the market
This course of the trust occasions
some inquiry as to its methods. and
brings out as a result some facts and
figures which support the position
taken by The Herald, as to the dis
elimination made by protected manu-
facturers and corporations against the
home purchaser and in favor of the
foreign trade.
About a year and a half ago, in the
United States Senate, Mr.. AIdrich pre-
sented the annexed letter, during a de-
bate on the trust question:
New York. July 90 1892
Hon Nelson w. Aldrich: Replying
to yours to UnderhilI Edge Tool com.
pany, no trust controls production or
prices of axes, which are lower than
ever before American manufacturers
supply the world
AM ERICAN AXE AND TOOL, COM
PANY."
Here is a singular denial as to the
control of prices of axes by trust.
and a valuable admission as to the
foreign trade. If american manufac-
turers supply the world" what need
have they of a protective tariff? Is
not this the only answer: To enable
them to charge higher prices to the
American buyer of the goods for their
wares than if the tariff was taken off?
There seems to be no other in truth
and reason.
If American manufacturers were
competing successfully with foreign
firms, underselling them in an open
market, why should they want protec-
ton from those foreign goods which.
when brought into American ports.
have the addition of the ocean freight
age on the already higher price than
the American article?
Investigation shows that it is with
the American Axe company as with
other trusts-for it is a trust as we
shall show. That is, it's goods are sold
cheaper abroad than at home. That the
American buyer of axes pays more for.
the same kind of article than the for
eigner does, and that the additional
price evens up with the duty imposed
to protect the axe and tool trust.
The subjoined, from the Buffalo Cour-
Ter, of October "a. 1892, makes the trust
part of the argument complete:
The Trust called the American Axe
and Tool Company was formed in jan
uary, 1890, and embraces fourteen fac
tories and all the principal ones in this
country. Five of these factories are
now shut down. Mr.. Francis was ask
ed why operations had been suspended
IN these, which include his own
When | went into this Trust he
said, it was done with the expectaf ion
that my factory would not be shut
down. When the Trust was formed.
prices were advanced 50 a dozen on
axes. l supposed this advance strenu-
ously. but the majority believed that
higher prices could be maintained The
consumption of the product was cur
tailed. as well as the production. .
Mr. Aldrich was evidently deceived
or he would not have denounced in the
Senate, as guilty of "a miserable Ii
bel" such persons as asserted there
was an axe trust. The further state
ment of Mr.. George w. Francis, a
member of the trust and his opinion
as to the tariff will be interesting in
this connection. He said
We must have larger foreign mark
cts and to enlarge our exports we
must have free raw material I'm
der the present tariff, as soon as BUSH
ness improves, the Trusts will be all
powerful. When higher prices can be
maintained, the Trusts will increase
them. The only way to make the