Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-01
WATER FlLTERs-EwINe BROS.
semer pig iron. The following is an
other paragraph in Mr.. Gates letter:


The history Of the German manufact-
urers or iron and steel is that they nave
always been Notwithstanding concerns
The reason for this is that they nave a.
ways dumped considerable portion %
their surplus on the markets OF the W ~ u
at the b5s, possible price, thus ehaoH-s
them to run their works full and manuiaGl-
ure their goods cheaper, employ tnelr Ia
Dor at low wages, and therefore Iedu' a.
they have been doing for some years p@S1'
all the manufacturers of iron and steer III
Europe The writer has always been a ~
publican and protectionist; and peHeNes
these principles are correct.
1t is TO be inferred that President
Gates defends and commends The prac-
tice of the German concerns, if indeed
he does not assert that this practice is
in accord with Republican and protec-
zionist principles in the United States.
It is notorious that manufacturers Of
iron and steel in Germany have COM
bined to take full advantage of the Ger
man protective tariff and thus to exact
from German buyers prices as high as
the tariff duties will permit them to de-
mand. We remember that the German
Rail Combination once insisted that the
Government should pay a price consid-
erably higher than the price of imported
English rails with the duties added, and
that the Emperor expressed his dis
approval by ordering the purchase Of
the English rails.
President Gates row says that these
German concerns sell their products
abroad at competitive prices and are
thus enabled to employ their labor at
low wages" and make money, the profits
coming from the sales at high prices to
the people at home.
Are the leading American manufacJ-
urers iron and steel, asks the New York
Times, ready TO defend this practice, as
he defends it, when they ask for the re-
tention of our present tariff duties on
iron and steel or urge that these duties
shall be increased? Mr.. Gates believes
that a Republican and protectionist'
is justified in extorting S29 per ton, by
means of ring agreement, from Amer
lean buyers of rails, and in selling sim
liar rails to foreigners at $21.26. He
believes that the principles Of protection
are not violated when a Nail Pool in
creases the prices of wire nails 60 Amer
icans) from So cents to $3.50 per key
and sells the same nails in Germany at
S1.55. And he commends the similar
German practice for the reason, in part,
that it enables the manufacturers ito
employ their labor at low wages"
Is this doctrine-extortion at home,
accompanied by benevolence abroad
to be accepted and made prominent in
the McKirley-Hanna tariff campaign?
1t is held. as we see, by the head of one
of the two leading iron and steel COM
panies in this country; it is .eXemplifed
in the practice of the other great COM
pany. Mr.. Carnegie's, and we have rea-
son to believe that Mr.. Hanna is in full
sympathy with them so far as this mat
ter is concerned. 1t is admitted that
high duties are called for in order that
they may be used to the injury of our
own buyers of protected goods and for
the benefit Of buyers of the same goods
in Europe or Japan, the American peo-
pie should have an opportunity to hear
the arguments of Mr. Gates, Mr.. Car
negie, and their associates, and to dis
cuss the doctrine from the American
consumers point of view. Write anoth-
er letter, President Gates, and longer
one.