West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-06-14
TARIFF TO THE FRONT
The Trusts Selling Cheaper Abroad
Than Here.

Those Republican Congressman
who are so anxious for proof of the
Steel Trust selling abroad than here
should read their own party papers
more thoroughly. The government
statistics show that $4,000 tons of
billets were exported last month
and the market expert of the New
York Press says: The major portion
of these billets, however, are shipped
back here in manufactured form.
They are sold here for export at a
price around sI8 at the mills, while
the existing quotation for bille,s for
domestic consumption is SAL"
But this writer, who certainly
should be good enough authority
for the most standpat Republican,
futher says: "Fully 20, 900 tons of
lasts months billet shipments were
consigned TO Welsh mills, were they
are to be rolled into plates, then
dipped In tin and reshipped here
for the purpose OF making cans.
The largest importer Of these tin
plates is the Standard Oil Company
which uses about 100, 900 tons annu.
ally. The Beef Trust is also a
very heavy buyer of tin plates
made from the steel billets shipped
from this country to Wales. Although
practically all the raw material used
in the making of these tin plates is
of American origin, the tariff holds
them to- be subject to a duty Of
~ cents per pound, as the process
of making them into tin plate en-
hanoes the value. The Standard
OIL Company uses these lin plates
for the export of case oil, with the
result that a drawback is given to it
by the Government of the full import
duty less per cent" The Welsh
men buy this American steel because
it is sold for less than British made
steel and according to the above
Republican authority for about one
third less than the Trust charges
our own people.
We have the evidence of w. G..
Raloul, who at the time he gave it,
Feb. IS, 1904, was President of the
National Railroad Company Of
Mexico, quoted by Senator Bacon
OF Georgia in his speech on tariff
abuses, which can be found in the
Congressional Record for April az,
1904, in which Mr.. Raoul said :"1n
1902 ] secured bids on steel rails
for Mexico from United STATES
mills at about S24 delivered at
Tsmpico, while the price paid at
the same time for our road in Texas
was S28 at the mills"
So the Steel Trust was Offering
to pay the land and water freight
from the mills at Piitsburg to
Tampico, Mexico, which could not
have been less than Sc ton and
deduc:ing that amount from the
price quoted Of s74 delivered at
Tampico would bring the price at
the mills to SG8 ton or $40 a ton
less than the price Of the steel rails
for use in this country.
During last April there we're no
less than z3,G4I tons Of steel rails
sold by the Steel Trust for export,
so there is no doubt that the same
undertaking 10 foreigners still con.
tinues. Many other Trusts are
doing the same thing, for we hear
OF farmers in Canada and in other
countries buying American agricult
ursl machinery, fence wire and
other American products for much
less than our own farmers are buy
ing similar articles made by the
same Harvester Trust, the Ste Ell
Trust and other protected corpora.
tons. 10 is very difficult TO get
the price al which these product Of
the Trusts are sold for export, for
their is great secrecy maintained Of
these transactions, for obvious rea
sons. Still those doubling Republi
can Congresmen who cannot explain
away the above given transactions
will have to admit that the Demo
Gratis have furnished enough proof
70 convict the trusts Of selling
cheaper abroad than here, which
the protective tariff allows them TO
do with impunity.