Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-10-27
AMERICAN
CONSUMERS BIlkED
Startling Difference of Cost in Favor
of Foreign Steel Rail Buyers.


Sharp Williams, in his powerful anti
trust speeches. none is so unau>Wr.-
able IS that which he emphasizes with
the undisputed fact that steel rails
manufactured in this country are SOFA
cheaper to foreign than to American
! consumers.
Eerc i the way Mr.. Williams treat
/ Cd the Subjcc, in his Brooklyn speech
( of October ]
Let me read YOU Il letter from Mr.
Roaul. President of the National sail
! road Company of.MeXicO. 4 road which
| operates both III Mexico and ia Texas:
/ In i9N2 | secured bids on steel rtiis
! for Mexico from United states U',is 1T
| about $24 delivered ri TampicO. while
/ the price | paid at the same ti-:" Tor
! rails for our road in Texas was So 1t
/ the mills"
, Remember that these rails weTr i;tid
down ut Tampico. Mexico. for 81. and
. that the freight TO TampicO was 81 -
! that the price at the mills for tie rails
shipped to Tampico was $50, whit rs
( the writer states, the price Il til" -..iliS
for that part of the order to b. E-cd
III Texas WAS SIS. The CXtCrticI IN
this case was s.
Let me read you part of another .et-
ter. addressed TO Senator Hacyt. Of
Georgia. and dated February 81. 1914.
and written by Mr.. j. 7. Wright, an
Indiana Republicans:
The extension Of our road, son" for
ty miles, was decided upon and cash
provided for it early III the spring Of
1901. Owing to the demand II that
time for steel in all forms ana the
probability Of an advance in pr.cr. it
seemed wise to take Up the matter Of
the purchase of the necessary rails ut
once Inquiries. therefore, We're al
dressed and mailed to ali tie Ir4'..i',
steel rail manufacturers in The coun-
try. asking for tenders Oh Sky mites
Of pound steel rails delivered
at Savannah or Macon. the l,0iut OF de-
livery 10 be optional with lis.
"After endeavoring in vain to OBTAIN
better prices than those quoted. We
finally accepted the bid of the --- Steel
Company. and placed our order With
them for the 5C1S tons OF rails ~ 81
per ton. based upon delivery at Tide
water This would enable us 20 ar
range our own freight rate to SaTan-
nah ami effect some saving in the cost
of the rails. The order was declined
on these terms. the - Steel Company
refusing to make any price f. o. b. mill,
but insisting upon delivered prize.
II made one more effort. Some
friends Of mine were interested in Il
railroad project in Central America,
and l brOached the subject to the rep
reSentatiye of the -- Steel Company
who had come here TO close tie matter
with me. / told him that my friends
had made some inquiry of me as ia the
cost of construction in that country.
and | should like to know at what price
he could sell me steel rails delivered
ut tidewater for shipment 10 Honduras.
lie promptly quoted me $50 per son.
"AIl0wing q liberal amount for cost
of delivery at tideWater, which, il thiS-
particular case would have been very
small. we American citizens paid III
this American industry $4,000 in OK
cess OF what foreigners would nave
been compelled to pay. And .;"::.uOo
WoUld have put up Il very handsome Ii
brary filled with standard books Oh
protection.
And this was a very small tr5Esar-
tion-only fifty miles of railroad: Pay
meIts were cash, and we neither rctd-
ed nor asked any concessions IL tie
matter of time. Because we we're
Americans Interested in the dayelOp-
mcnt Of Il small section of our country,
involving faith and sacrifices We We're
to in
excess of 5000 per mile"