Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-05-07
Here are tie exports, as reported by the
government:
EXPORTS OF NAILS

Now for the Pool manufacturers ad-
mission tina. they sell to foreign buyers
a. prices lower by 40 per cent. than
those which our own people are forced
to pay. The Pittsburg Commercial Ga
zette, a high tariff organ, the other day
said:
"The long and short of il is, according
70 The present prices of the Nail Pool that
a man using American nails in Germany
can buy them almost dollar cheaper IMAM
he can buy the same nails with which TO
build a house in Piitsburg. where the nalis
are made"
Il appears that the Gazette heard that
wholesalers had taken advantage Of
this outrageous discrimination against
American consumers by purchasing
nails for export, shipping them across
the Atlantic. bringing them back again,
and selling them here at a price which,
though lower than the POOLS price,
yielded a handsome profit. The dis
count for export is about 81 per key
for wire nails selling at the mills for
81. SO. for consumption in the United
States.
The scheme was operated as follows
The New York firm would snip the mans 20
a Hamburg hardware company OF 10 Solile
other foreign port. Instead OF pelHS un-
loaded. the cargo remained intact ana WIS
sent back 10 Baltimore, Philadelphia vi
Boston, consigned to jobbing importer,
He would then dispose OF the mans 70
American wholesalers al price oeioW 'udC
asked for nails for domestic use. As ne
nails were made by American factories, ana
bulk had not been broken on the DINER slue,
no tariff was collected when they were
brought back.
'Wire nails are quoted IN the Cernd.
markets a; $i.4 TO SLIGO at the mills, ana
the freight 10 the seaport would make them
higher there
American nails were sod to The export
or for SIS. price now 20 people OF me
United States S255D and Il cost 20 cents 10
send hem across the Atlantic and ~ cents
20 return them. They We're landed back IN
America at A.S per keg.. Allowing LOT
SteveGOre charges, they probably cost ABOUT
go ne- Had the nails been bought lot
domestic use they would have cost S2.fP
Che price IS nOw S2.55 al Pi;tsburg ana
50 20 at New York; which gave the eX-
porter a margin Of 80 cents.
With respect TO the admissions of the
manufacturers. The Commercial Ga
zette says:
"An Investigation was made The office
OF the Consolidated Wire and Steel Com
pany. in The Westinghouse Building. was
visited No attempt was made 10 deny the
story but 10 was made light OF ny MI
StOne assistant manag ger. The explanation
was given that an exporter had bought a
cargo of nails Skipped them abroad, failed
20 sell them. shipped them back ana SOFA
them 10 domestic BUYERS. The 1obber was
caught in the act. We knew our own nails
as soon as they were landed. and his supply
was cut or said Mr.. Stone"
The same paper says that this COM
pany. the largest concern in the Pool,
earned 2716 per cent. in 1895 and that
its profits are now at the rate Of 80 per
cent. upon a capital of s4,OOO,OOO.
These are the facts: An industry
which Cas shown by its export trade)
needs no protection whatever is enabled
by means of Pool agreement and with
the help of the tariff duty on imported
nails to increase prices at home by 200
per cent. in the course of a few months.
and to compel all buyers in this coun-
try to pay this ring price, while i. sells
nails to the people of Germany and 9TH
er foreign countries for price lower by
81 per key. or about 40 per cent. The
Republicans have voted to add 10 per
cent. to this Pools tariff protection. "