Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1904-11-04
AMERICAN
CONSUMERS B!LKED
Startling Difference Of Cost in FaYoi
of Foreign Steel Rail Buyers.

or tie points made 10y Hon. John
Sharp Williams. in his powerful anti
trust speeches. none Is 81 unnnSwer.
able as that which he emphasizes with
the undiSputcd fact that strul rails
manufactured in this country are old
cheaper to foreign than TO American
consumers.
Here Is the way Mr.. Williams treat,
ed the subject in his brooklyn speech
OF October !:
Let me read YOU Il letter from Mr..
Roaul. President Of the National Rail.
ruad Company of Mexico. a road which
operates both in Mexico ana in Texas:
lin 1902 | secured bids on steel rails
for Mexico from United States mills at
about S2i delivered ut TampicO. while
the price | paid at the same time for
rails for our rOad in Texas WAS SIS M
the mills"
Remember that these rails were lail
down at Tampic". Mexico. for $2I. and
that the freight to Tampico was 81. so
that til" price at the mills for the rails
shipped To Tampic" was $50 while. rs
the writer states. the price At the mills
for that part of the order 10 bo used
in Texas was SIS. The vXtoTtion In
this case was $.
Let mc rcad you part OF another LETT
ter. addressed to Senator Bacon. nt
Georgia. aud dated February ~. 1901.
ami written 10y Mr.. j. i. Wright. nm
Indiana Republican:
The extension of our road. some for
~ miles, was decided upon and cash
provided for it early in ia" spring OF
1901. Owing To the demand al that
tim" for steel in al forms and the
probability OF an advance Ia price, ii
seemed wise to lake up the matter Of
the purrliIs" Of tn" necessary rails ut
once. Inquiries. therefore. were adj
dressed and mailed 10 all the leading
steel rail manufacturers ia the c"uu-
try. asking FOR tenders Oh sixty miles
81 S"v"uly-puuud steel rails delivered
at Savannah al Macon, TIA" .oint OF de-
livery 10 be option with H..
"Aftcr "Hdcavorin IN vain TO obtain
better prices than lhOs" quoted We
finally accepted the bid Of th" - Steel
Company, and placed our order with
them for the IGlS tons OF rails ut SD
per ton, based upon delivery mt tide
water. This would enable MS To ar
rang" u own freight rate to Savau-
nah aud effect some" saving In the cost
OF tn" rails. The order WAS Gccliu"d
~ these terms. tn" - steel Company
refusing /" make any price T. o. II mill,
but insisting upon hcliy, rcd price.
IL made one more effort. Some
friends uf min" were Interested In a
railroad project In Central America,
and | hrOI"hrd tn" subject 10 the rep
rrSrUiaiiyc OF TIA" -- Steel iniupaUy
VIII" had come here To- clos" H." matter
with me. | told him tuHt my friends
had made SON" inquiry of Iuu 80 to the
cost ui construction in Jhat country.
and ! should lNS" (" now nt what pi.,r
~" could sell me steel rails dr.i;rird
ut lid"wat"r FOR shipment tu Honduras.
lie promptly quoted 'nc $50 per ton.
.
~"All0wiu- a liberal aiuoUut for cost
particular case would have lrru very
small. we American citizens paid .
this American Industry $4,000 in CN-
cess of what Foreigners would have
been compelled to pay. hud Ssh uMD
would have put up q very handsome II.
hrary Tiled with standard hooks Oh
protection.
And this was q very small irauSIC-
~tiOn-OHly ilfty miles uf railroad Pay
mcnts were cash. and w." neither need.
eel nor asked amy concessions in tho
Americans Interested in The hcvclop-
mcnt of Il small section NJ our country,
involving faith and sacrifices. we wcTO
compelled to pay out. rs u bonus. in
excess of 5000 per mile"