The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-03-27
THE AMERICAN
LEAD TRUST.
American Lead a Cent a Pound
Less In England Than
IN HIGHLY PROTECTED AMERICA
The Government n Partner In All Tariff
Trusts-Does Not Share Profits But
Keeps OF Competitors and Isa
Valuable Partner.

Much has been written and spoken of
late about trusts. For the life of me
cannot see the difference between what
a trust can do and what a firm with a
large capital can do. Both may employ
a promoter and place worthless shares
of stock, bonds or some variety of "se-
curities" on sale, keeping an eye on the
guileless, all of which is common. and
like the confidence game, goes on for
ever.
cannot, however, share in the abuse
of a fair and honest aggregation of
capital and especially of that particu-
lar aggregation known as corporation
an absolute necessary form of organiza-
tion for carrying on business-but will
and can agree with the utter condemna-
tion of what some Of them do, what they
are intended for doing, but what is only
made possible for them to do by the
government being in partnership with
them-and a most powerful partner, too,
without a share in the profits, as a
government.
The government booms the stock,
keeps any competitor, humps things UP
occasionally for the stockholders by
introducing bill in congress for build
ing ships, and what not?--and lately a
coterie has the gall to propose that the
government pay for building other ships
than it's own!
The most of the combines Of today,
created for the purpose Of extortion in
price, could not and would not exist,
if it was not for the part the United
States takes them.
II
Here is one example, and the same
is true of several commodities managed
by combines. This quotation is from
the New York Commercial, March 6,
1900:
'Lead-Was steady and unchanged at
4,70c per ID spot to March. In st.
Louis the market was firm, with scant
offerings at 4.57R@4.62R, according to
brands. Soft Spanish was unchanged at
L16 lis Sd in London. Arrivals at this
port were 1000 tons bullion from Tampi-
co; exports from this port, $50 tons to
Hamburg. Imports of lead during the
week ending March were 2,SO6 tons
exports for the week 1,794 TONS"
Few see these quotations. Very few
understand them. The great mass do
ilOl hHO" dllS llllLlB dDOuI lIlSHl WlldI-
ever. Figure out the pounds, shillings
and pence and the London quotation for
a long ton of 2,240 lbs, and it makes the
price of lead in London $3.50 per 100 lbs
as against $40 in New York-$1.1 10
more in New York than London, or a
difference of $1,000 a ton of 1000 Tbs.
Yet, some is exported and must go at
the price in London. Please note, some
is imported, also; this is brought here
and re-exported without payment of any
duty.
The kernel of 1t all is that about 20
men are managing the matter of price
of all the lead consumed in the United
States and have been doing so for some
time-with the aid of the government.
Not a pound is sold without the con-
currence of these men. and it is held
as firmly and nicely as could be. 1t is
managed with consumate skill.
Most likely many will say, at first
thought, lit is nothing to me if there is
a duty on lead" Such people do not
know how this material enters into the
cost Of so many things. Thousands of
men are working with this material
which costs 80 per cent more than 1t
should-30 per cent artificial value. We
pay this artificial price but the govern
ment does not get 1t. ct amounts to
about $5,000,000 a year extorted from the
American people.) 1t enters into the
cost of every house built and Of thou
sand and one things which people do