Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-01-12
PLANS TO FIGHT TRUSTS
Carnegie Going Into Sheet Steel,
Wire, Tin Plate and Coal.
]. PIBRPoET aoRGAE's INTEREST.

Aid National Tube Company--pipe
war VIII he Bstter--rresident af
Trust Declares Prices Win Fail.
pittsburg. Jan To- Andrew Carnegie's
decision to engage IN the pipe business, II
Is stated here. means a war OF millions
between Carnegie on one side and j.
Pierpont Morgan and The railsoad inter-
ests of the country on the other
Mr.. Morgan Is the money power behind
the National Tube company. the $s0,o00.-
coo combine row controlling the pipe
trade. Officers OF the company say they
win not sit idly hy and allow Mr.. Carne-
gle to engage in the business without re-
tuliatinG
Joshua Rhodes, chairman Of the board
of directors OF the National company.
said. Prices will drop as soon as the
new Carnegie plant is put into opera.
ton" Other officers limited that with all
the advantages they possess IN the way
Of money, supply Of raw material. etc,
there Is nothing 70 prevent them engaging
In the rail and steel structural business in
opposition to MIR Carnegie.
Mr.. Morgan's control OF the railroads
from the Atlantic to the Pacific favors
them in the matter Of rates aud supply
OF cars.
Details such as the number Of men 10
be- employed when the S12.0O00Ou tube
plant at Conneaut Is TO be ready for oper-
atoms cannot &c obtained now. In all
probability the works will be about ms
large as the National plant at McKces-
port and will empoy 5000 or 5000 men.
One important development yesterday
was the news that all mills to be erected
in the future by the Carnegie company
will be built at Gonneaut. This will be a
severe blow to Pittsburg
Going Into sheet Steel.
II is stated the Carnegie company win
soon announce its intention Of engaging
In the sheet steel trade also. Along with
the original plan to erect the mammoth
tube works at Duquesne on the Monon-
gahela river il was proposed to build
there the largest sheet mills ii the world,
plant Of about 30 miles, to cost about
81 100000
Wire, rim plate and coal are other lines
in which Mr.. Carnegie will also engage.
When he announces such intentions. he
will have the trusts now controlling these
trades after him. and the fight for trade
will be bitter.
Carnegles announcement about the
tube mills was surprise to the officials
| of the National Tube company. Recent
| ~ they gave up a well defined plan to
erect an open hearth steel plant in con
nection with their Riverside works at
Wheeling which was to cost about 81.
100000 and make the company independ-
ent of the market for its supply of steel
1t is said that this project was abandon
ed through an understanding with the
| Carnegie and other concerns on which
| the tube trust draws for a large part Of
| its supply OF steel.
| The Carnegie company Is now turning
out such immense quantities of raw steel
| that il will have to engage in other lines
| to work up this material. II being impos-
| sible to sell ii all This and the refusal
of the railroads to reduce rates caused
| the decision TO build at Conneaut. The
railroad combination is now charging is
| cents per 100 pounds for iron and steel
| articles from pittshurg to New York and
10 Chicago 1t has haggled over pro
posal Co reduce this to Is cents or even
| Is cents per 100 pounds
The Carnegie company can ship steel
| from Conneaut harbor to New York for
cents per 100 pounds, and steel has ac-
tualiy been sent TO Duluth for so cents
ton, a trip Of 900 miles.
1t Is also asserted that coal can be sent
and has been sent on grain vessels from
Buffalo to Chicago for cent per 100
pounds and that steel can be sent from
Buffalo to New York by way of the Erie
canal for so cents per ton. These figures
are considered so startling by iron and
steel men that they feel that in many
ways the proposed Carnegie lake plant
will be able to sweep away every oppos-
ing nhstace