The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-12-15
STATISTICS ARE JUCcLep.
How Republican Leaders Manipu.
late Reports 10 Fool the
People.

IL Ii extraordinary now some other.
wise intelligent men allow their minds
10 be warped by what they consider tho
needs of their partisanship. For In.
stance, Mr.. McCleary, OF Minnesota
was called by the protectionists 10
Massachusetts, before the election 10
defend the tariff that fosters trusts
which the people OF that state are get.
ting heartily sick OF. He undertook 10
refute, what even some republican con.
gressmen have been obliged to admit
that the steel trust HIS been selling
steel rails in England and elsewhere
cheaper than here. Mr.. Babcock. when
be was preparing the ground for a raid
on the surplus OF the steel trust. TO be
used to convince the voters that only
republican congress would preserve
their liberties. declared that he hai
seen an invoice of American steel rails
sold In Scotland at s2l ton. Mr.. Nc.
Creary says that cannot be true, be.
cause the past six years. according 70
Statistics the price OF British steel
rails has averaged s29.Oi a ton, against
the American average price for the
same period of s2S.62.
II these McCleary statistics were cor.
rect how can he possibly urge the ne.
cessity OF continuing TO protect the
steel trust by tariff OF s7.s4 a ton Cd
steel rails, which are sold mere for
s2s.64 and in England at s29o4? How
could English steel rails be imported
and pay the freight and charges and
compete with rails produced here when
they cost more in England than rails
are being sold for here. What possible
reason can there be to charge an i'm.
port tax OF $7.s4 a ton on foreign steel
rails. when, according to McClearys
Statistics" none could be imported
and sold here except at a great loss
Under Mr. McClearys own showing
why should steel rails continue to be
taxed!
But the trouble with these McCleary
statistics" are they do not tally with
the official figures given in the United
States Statistical Abstract" for on
page 2l5 for 1904 is found the exports
and value of steel rails for the past
six years. namely, for the years 1885,
/ To 1904 inclusive, the average value per
/ ton for the six years Is given al S24.39
Then on page 1870 Of the Statistical Al
stract is also given the imports of steel
rails for the same years, and the aver
age value is stated at s23.49 per ton
and for 1904 the value is only s223l
per ton. These prices are taken from
the invoices and bills OF lading and Is
therefore the price charged for export
In each country. To this price FOR
American rails, would have to be added
the duty OF 1854 per ton, besides
! freight, 10 show the cost here to those
who imported rails, which would bring
the total cost TO not less than $50 a
ton. The lesson OF these figures is
that statistics used by republican
speakers are untrustworthy II not in
tentionally intended to deceive, for as
Mr.. McCleary was schoolteacher be
fore he was a congressman he should
have been competent TO do the neces
say addition. satisfaction and division
10 discover the real facts. The figures
given by the government also show
that the steel trust sold steel rails
during the past six years to its for
eign customers for the average price
of s2439. when at the same time II wa
charging at home SIS or more. That
during the same period the average
price OF rails in Europe was s2349 and
in 1904 the price was s22.31 for export
which we may well believe produced
a good profit to the manufacturers.
The actual cost of producing steel
rails is estimated by experts to be
about SIS ton, so the absurdity OF
any duty on steel rails, except to en-
able the trust to extort from US. is ap.
parent Some people may think that
as the railroads are the only purchas.
ers OF steel rails the taxpayers OF the
country are not interested, but II must
be remembered that every one pays his
share OF the freight to the railroads
on nearly everything he, or his fam.
lily, consume. and the high price OF
steel rails adds TO the cost Of freight
So in the end the people pay the tarin
and even much more in enormous prof
its on every ton of steel rails that the
railroads buy and also on the Other
products of steel that the steel trust
produces, amounting in all to nearly
/ 300 600 900 "A wear