Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-09-06
TEL pARnEp WIRE TRUST AGAIN.


urers' Association in making a large
and arbitrary advance in prices has evil
den-Iy encouraged the recognized
Barbei Wire Trust TO draw the lines Of
its organization and try the effect Of an
upward ,wis. to the prices Of fence wire.
The wire nail manufacturers and the
makers Of barbed wire are virtually the
same interests. as the largest concerns
are producers Of both articles. Negoti-
ations extending over a period Of sew
eral months illuminated in q meeting Of
all the barbed wire manufacturers in
Chicago on August 16, When AL differ
e1ces were harmonized,' as the Iron
Age puts il. and prices were advanced
about 20 per cent. The whole business
was readjusJed upon a new bass. and
everything was fixed up to suit the ideas
Of the parties 70 the Trust.
ct the beginning Of this year, and IN
I'll the general revival of trade in April
and May started the upward movement
in all prices. barb wire sold at the low
est figures ever reached. In the mid
de Of March the ordinary painted barb
fence wire sold in Chicago on the basis
of S16O per 100 pounds AZ the factories.
With the increasing demand, and the
efforts 70 form a close combination Of
manufacturers. prices advanced slowly
until $50 per 100 POUNDS became the
Chicago quotation in the early part of
August. just before "all differences We're
harmonized. Last week the resusci-
Jated Trust announced that the price
for August and September would be
$3.50 per 100 pounds, making an adj
vance Of 40 cents, or over 20 per cent.
at one sweep and an increase Of 70
cents, or nearly "A per cent, within
three months.
The new Trust is said to include every
manufacturer Of barb wire in the coun-
try with the single exception Of Baakes
& Co., of Pittsburg.
Barb Wire is disdnc-ively anAmerican
product, and by virtue Of a close control
of the numerous patents the trade has
.been kept free from foreign competition.
regardless Of the tariff. which. however.
has never been permitted to expose the
interests Of the American manufactur-
ers TO any risks from outside. In De-
cember, 1889, when McKinley's Ways
and Means Committee was shaping up
its tariff bill, Mr.. George T. Oliver. of
Pittsburg, testified that no country
made barbed wire in competition with
the United States. He said there was
one license under American patents i'm
England, and another in Germany: but
that they were barred by their license
from selling in this country When the
Tariff act of 1894 was in process of con-
strucron and dissection by Congress-
several attempts TO place barb wire on
the free list We're made in order to give
the Western farmers something to cor
respond to the free cotton ties for the
Southern planters. Although the SEN
ate agreed to an amendment to that eff
feet, barb wire was missing from the
free list when the bill finally became
law. Then the House Of Representatives
promptly passed a 'pop-gun" bill put
ting barb Wire on the free list. But the
bill is still slumbering in Senate
pigeOn-hOle.
The revivided Barb Wire Trust is in
a position to twist It's screws sharply on
the farmers. As the first advance will
increase the price about 80 per ton. ex-
elusive Of the extra charges for fcti-
tious freishts. 1t viii be seen that some
body Will have TO pay a liberal tribute
70 the Trust