Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-03
A PRINCE OF PAuPERS
The Steel Trust Ever Asking
and Receiving Favors.
ANNUAL TARIFF BONUS s75,ooo,ooo

Republican Leaders Who Do the
Trust BarOns' Bidding-UsinG the
Railroads to Shift Burdens to
Shoulders of the PeOpIe-SavIng by
Cutting the Wages of Labor.
Andrew Carnegie once said that
steel is either prince or pauper. He
meant that the industry is either very
prosperous or very much depressed at
any particular time, that it goes quick
~ from one extreme to the other. But
this billion dollar trust is also the
prince Of paupers, for it asks for and
receives more and greater favOrs than
ever before fell TO the lot of any other
individual or corporation.
In the first place, it receives from
the United States a tariff bonus which
amounts to about $75,OO0,000 a year
that is, fully $T5,O00O00 of its $133,-
000,0 600 of net profits last year were due
to the tariff on steel products, abso-
lutely unnecessary TO preserve the in
dustry and serving only to enable the
trust to eXtOrt $15, 100000 year from
our citizens, who are compelled to pay
20 per cent more for steel than is paid
by foreigners who buy steel of the
same trust. If bills are introduced in
congress to reduce the duties on steel
or to in some way relieve the oppressed
consumers the steel trust writes to or
sees Congressman DalZell or some of
it's other representatives and the Re
publican leaders at once decide that it
is unwiSe to touch the tariff at present,
that it would disturb our prosperity to
stop the robbery by the trusts. that the
Republicans can be trusted to revise
the tariff when there is great need of it,
that it is best to leave the question until
after the presidential election-in short,
that it is best to "stand pat" And so
the steel trust continues its $7j,000,O00
a year graft.
In the next place, this steel trust is
always getting special favors from
those semipublic institutions, the rail
roads. 1t is not generally known that
Andrew Carnegie, like John ID. Rookie
Teller, got his start, or, rather, his lead,
through secret and Illegal rebates from
the railroads. yet such is the fact. At
no time for twenty years have the rail
roads not been giving illicit rates to
TIC StCCA
Schwab testified before the industrial
commission that the railroads always
give specially low rates on materials
to be exported. This is illegal and
against public policy. but the inter-
state commerce commission is power
less 10 compel the railroads to give the
same rates to all Corners. As i result,
we Americans not only pay 40 or 80 per
cent more for steel. but have to pay
additional freights on other goods to
make up for the lower rates charged
on steel transported for foreign mar
kets. 1t is beautiful system-for the
steel trust. 1t catches us going and
coming. And now the railroads are
said to have granted the request of the
steel trust for 20 per cent reduction
on all finished steel products transport
ed TO the seaboard. 1t is also expected
that the steamship companies will be
good to this great beggar and give it
specially low rates. This will enable
the trust to sell at even lower prices in
foreign markets, while it keeps up
those at home.
Again, the steel trust has for more
than year been getting special favOrs
of the iron and steel workers, who
have been working at reduced wages
to enable the trust to sell goods for
export Now the trust is asking all its
employees to work for wages from 10
to 40 per cent below what they are at
present receiving in order that the
trust may make more goods for for
eign markets and may continue to pay
dividends on it's highly watered stock.
1t would be cruel for the wage earners
TO refuse this favor, which will save
this pauper over 100000 a year and
wages will surely come dOwnzin fact,
they have already been reduced in
many mills. Many workers. however.
have been laid off entirely This saw
ing is said to amount to over $3,000.000.
By cutting he salaries 80 per cent an
other saving of S12000,000 is to be
mcde showing that $4000O,OOO year
is now paid in salaries
Altogether the steel trust, through
special rates from railroads, wage re-
auctions averaging 20 per cent, salary
reductions of 80 per cent men dropped
from the pay rolls and by other econo-
mics. hopes 10 save $56,000,000 a year.
With these savings this trust hopes to
weather hard times and to avoid bank
rCptcy. although continuing to pay tens
of millions of dollars year on stocks
that are all water.
If there are any other favors which
have been overlooked and which this
beggar really wants, the present friend
iy Republican congress will remedy the
oversight. Nearly 100000 investors are
interested in steel stocks and have lost
more than $4OO,0OO,OO0 of their hard
earned savings. 1t will not do to let
them lose ALL This generous country,
its obliging consumers, the kind wage
earners and the sympathetic railroads
viii rush to the rescue and will see
that the steel trust does not make less
than 80 per cent profit on all Steel