New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-04
THE TARIFF AND TRUSTS.

II ia pitiable to see public Journals presuma-
bly intended for the use of intelligent people, re-
ierating the assertion that the multiplication OF
industrial combinations is mainly due to the
tariff. One can comprehend why demagogue
without honesty or conscience should imagine
that such assertions might impose upon the
large body of ignorant voters who never read
and rarely talk to anybody who does. But why
the editor Of any journal, even II he has Free
Trade leanlngs, should elect TO be considered an
MSS by his own readers 1t Is difficult to see.
Presumably they have followed the daily dis
patches which have told Of the formation of in-
dustrial combinations in almost everything,
protected or not protected, and have observed
that an oil trust, without any duty whatever to
prompt or help 1t, has been more profitable and
powerful than any of the concerns which deal
with protected articles.
Reading people also know that such combina-
tons have multiplied in Great Britain. without
any duties to aid them, even more rapidly than
in this country. recent series Of articles by
"The London Economist" not intended TO cover
anything like all the corporations of industrial
character, but only those which have been in
active operation, have paid dividends in some
of the last five years and have securities quoted
eighty-three combinations but with all the en-
ergy Of the promoters and sensational rumor
manufacturers in this country there are only
about one hundred and forty, actual or imagi-
nary, nature, born or only partly born included
In the lists Of American combinations. Nor is 1t
so much question of number as of variety, for
the British list includes hotels and sweetmeat
dealers, clothiers from Redfern to Baker, ware
A.
Iron Works, the great shpbuilders the carriage
and car makers, bolt and nut makers and coal
mines, manufacturers Of thread like Coates, of
cartridges like Eley Of Pears soap, jam and
dog biscuit.
Combinations have been sufficiently varied in
this country also TO make it absurd to suppose
the tariff the author of their being. A host of
them are in gas works and street railways for
cities. which can have no foreign competition;
in electric roads and heat and power plants; in
breweries Of many cities which are not even ex-
posed to competition from other towns In this
country, but do ship beer to Europe; in eeva-
tors, which no foreigner offers to import: In ice,
which is frozen as cheaply In American water
as anywhere; in milk supplies for various cities,
oyster-beds, peanuts and vinegar. But II COM
binations are found desirable in scores of such
cases Wnere no IoTelSu cOlupetltlOn exists or is
possible. what sense is there In imagining that
others formed in the manufacture Of many pro-
tected articles are caused by the tariff?
The story Of coal combination, referring to
anthracite only, excites one innocent to say that
1t is result Of the duty on bituminous coal,
there being none on anthracite. which is largely
exported to Canada The brick combination
moves somebody to imagine that there might
actually be flood Of foreign bricks but for the
tariff. The tinplate combination is called by
somebody child of the Dingley duty, whereas
II was formed when American tinplates were
under that duty being largely exported to Eng
land The rail combination was formed by men
who were then and are now exporting steel
rails, and the structural steel combination by
men who were exporting structural beams and
angles, and others in the iron and steel indus
try were formed under like conditions The
main cause in most Of these cases was the ex-