Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-11-29
GETS ANOTHER GRIP
STEEL TRUST HAS TIoHTENEo
ITS HOLD ON THE PEOPLE.
Through Recent Purchase II Controls
Ninety Per Cent. Of the Known Iron
in the United states-Low Tariff
Would Benefit.

The Steel trust has contracted fol
vast deposits of iron ore owned by the
Great Northern railroad, and now con-
trolls go per cent. of all the known
iron in the United States, or 1,500 ,000,-
900 tons. The pools and selling price
arrangements between the trust and
other steel producers make a virtual
monopoly. The price of steel has
been constantly advancing and is now
at the point where foreign producers
of steel can export to this country, If
they are willing to sell at a small
profit and ocean freight rates are
reasonable. These foreign competi-
tors of the Steel trust have not only
to pay the ocean freight but the
charges for shipping and loading the
steel abroad and unloading and deliv-
ering it on this side of the water.
But in addition to all these charges
there is the tariff duty to pay, and
this In 1905 amounted to an average
of 1920 per cent. of the value OF the
shipments in the country where pro-
duced. The government statistics re-
port the value of the iron and steel
Imported for the year ending June
80, 1905, as $22, O44, 937.34 and the tar
if duty paid as $S,422, 237.73. The tar
if duty on many steel products ex'
ceeded SO per cent. and on cutlery it
exceeded so per cent, and on wood
screws wei one inch and not more
than two inches in length the tariff
!, duty exceeded SO per cent.
The total iron and steel manufac
lures of the United States for 1904
were about 80, 1000, 900 tons and the to
tai iron ore in sight in the United
States is estimated at $500, 000, 900
tons, and as this ore will produce but
| little over half it's weight in iron OF
steel, it will be seen that at the pres
> ent rate of consumption all the ore
now in sight will be used up in less
> than so years.
! What folly it is therefore, to place
an enormous tariff tax upon the i'm
, port of a necessity that other coun
9 tries are willing to sell, which will b,
of inestimable value in a few years
| A tariff of five of ten per cent. on i'm
> ports of iron and steel would reduce
t the present price to our people of al
9 steel products and at the same tim
conserve the home supply for futur
generations that will otherwise hav
to do without it or use a now un
l known substitute. Free iron ore an,
I a low tariff on iron and steel woul,
not stop production in this country
. but would compel the monopolisti
Steel trust to sell cheaper, or the fol
eign product would be imported an
! undersell that corporation.
The result of a low tariff on crud
iron and steel would naturally reduc
the present production in this cour
try, but would not stop the manufat
; ture Of those finished products, lik
, machinery, tools and cutlery, upo
which the tariff could be reduced to
f. reasonable rate of say five per cen
of the present rates to begin with an
further reduction as the business wa
o prepared for it, and the American pet
e pie would be benefited.
When it Is remembered that ever,
one is made to pay his share of tn
+ increased price of iron and stee
which is used in the manufacture {
q so many articles of necessity, from
tin pan to transportation by land {
Il sea, it is of the greatest important
u that no artificial obstacle like the ia
. if should be imposed to increase tt
W price.