El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-21
Andrew Carnegie'S
Plan to Bring the
Steel Men to Terms.

gle can and will turn out as fine a pro-
duct in steel and iron as anybody.
But Carnegie needn't stop at New
York with his wares unless he wants
to. 1t has been satisfactorily demon
strated that vessels can be built to
navigate the lakes which can also
cross the ocean, and he need never stop
his ships after they leave Conneaut
harbor until they get to the other side
of the Atlantic. Nor is this all. Con-
neaut is on the lines of the Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern and the New
York. Chicago and st. Louis railroads.
on will remember that there is much
being printed just now about a certain
railroad man from the northwest nam
ed Hill. I don't know what he is doing
and / don't know that anybody else
does but himself. but everybody knows
that j. P. Morgan has railroad interests
filled with those of the VanderbiltS.
The VanderbiltS control the railI dads
running through Conneaut. 1t is said
that Morgan and Hill are dickering for
a union of interests between the Great
Northern. the Northern Pacific and the
Chicago. Milwaukee and st. Paul. An
drew Carnegie isn't going into any
great business enterprise without turn
ing over the proposition and looking
at it from all sides. The very fact that
he has located or is about to locate a
great tube-making plant at Conneaut
would suggest, even to very dull
mind. that he did so having his mind
on the possibilities of trade with the
orient and outlet thereto over the Van
acknowledgements lines and the Hill
steamers from the Pacific coast to
China Japan and the Philippines.
Il don't know that this is Carnegie's
plan. but if it is you may depend upon
3 hot ,<af ho1 hot ~ hnr
great industries are started at Con-
neaut. The tube-making plant, look
ing at the proposition from this stand
point, is only what might be called a
flyer, and if it is such Andrew Carnegie
will not be long in entering the field
as a competitor in all lines of steel
making, and then we shall see tattle
royal for supremacy and a fight to
finish. Carnegie in one corner of the
ring. with Schwab and the rest OF his
young partners as bottle holders, and
all the other corner"
Whether or not Mr.. Carnegie has
any intention of arraying himself
against the combined steel interests
of the country is a question which he
has not seen fit to discuss, but it would
seem to be a fairly big contract even
or the venerable iron master to I'M
dertake. 1t was easier for John Ar
buckle to begin and maintain a fight
against the American Sugar Refining
company than it would be for Andrew
Carnegie to declare war upon compan-
les like the Federal Steel, the Amer
lean Steel and Wire, the American
Steel Hoop and all the other great or
CARNATIONS engaged in the manufac-
ture of the products of steel and iron.
From his own statements, however, 1t
is known that he has succeeded In
bringing the Pennsylvania railroad to
terms. In the interview in the Pitts
burg Dispatch above referred to Mr..
Carnegie saIu:
L had an interview yesterday with
President Cassatt. He is going to re-
duce Pittsburg rates Immediately and
he assures me that his policy is to pro-
tect the manufacturers on his line. He
says he will give them lower rates
later than he will fix now, if other
districts continue to do. so for the
same articles. Further, 1 am delight
ed to say that President Cassatt vol
unteered the statement that he had
told the members of his board, that,
when the immense new works of the
Scranton company at Buffalo began
operations, they must be prepared to
give very low rates to the seaboard.
He also said that low rates to the west
were necessary, as Pittsburg products
have to pay freight into other Compel
ing districts. Nothing could be more
satisfactory than Mr.. Cassatt's state
ments, in which I am sure he is sin
cere.
Further along Mr. Carnegie spoke Of
the export trade. From what he said
on this point it would seem that ne
has no idea of looking abroad for
markets. either to the Orient or the
Occident, at present. He said that he
was sorry to say that there was roth
ing in the export trade worth talking
about. Recent declines and the sweep
ing away of our export rate by the
railroads. he added, had killed the ex-
port trade for the present. 1t has been
known that Germany and Austria have
not been ordering steel products from
this country to any great extent for
some time. 1t is also known, however,
that there are still many foreign con-
tracts to fill, and some of the steel
men yesterday, while agreeing with
Mr.. Carnegie on the general PROPOSE
ton that the export trade is not what
it should be. expressed some surprise
that he should take SO bearish view
of the foreign situation.
1t was announced yesterday that the
trunk line traffic managers had practi-
cally agreed On "a reduction from $2.7O
to 1920 ton on pig iron freights from
Pittsburg to New York and from $3.50
to 40 a ton on the billet rate besides
making some changes in classification
in the direction Of lower rates.
II you are going to California this