The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-12
"The Corporation Simply
Suffers Us to Do Busi-
ness" Says Witness
CORPORATION FEELS
ABSOLUTELY SECURE
"Has Steel Producing Capacity Great
er Than England and Germany
Combined-Could Defend Its
Position Without Tariff

washington, January ia picture OF
the menace of the United States steel
corporation crushing the independent TN
plate manufacturers in the event the tariff
bars were let down for foreign products,
and a revelation of the complete indif-
ference toward tariff revision shown by
the Singer Sewing Machine company.
characterized by the independents as
trust, featured today's hearing on the
metal schedule before the House commit
tee on ways and means. There were many
witnesses testifying to great variety
of articles borne on the iron and steel
portion of the tariff, and the committee
continued in session tonight.
The independent tin plate interests were
represented by E. r.. Crawford of Pitts
burg, president of the McKeesport Tin
Plate company. The Steel corporation was
not represented. Mr.. Crawford offered
compromise suggestion of a tin plate
tariff of So cents ton and was sharply
cross-examined. He said if the tariff was
cut so that foreign competitors of the
Steel corporation were let in. he feared
that the corporation would retaliate by
adjusting things so as to crush foreign
competition and that the independents
here would go down with the foreigners.
Do Business on Sufferance
'The United States Steel corporation,
he added, ssmply suffers us to do bus
mess. 1t is strong enough to put us out
of business in less than a week If it
cared to-"
..Do you Think asked Representative
Palmer, democrat of Pennsylvania, that
1--WE ought to legislate on what you fear
OF on the basis of the contrary history
Oh the last w>or u years?"
tYou n!RR.,. put a weapon in their
hands to enaole them to make price
to keep out foreign producers. with whom
we might go down"
Mr.. Palmer responded by asking if the
witness thought there was any danger,
considering the present state of the pub
lie mind on the corporation driving the
independents out of business.
The witness said that a tariff reduction
in favor of foreign competitors might
give tho corporation IAN excuse, to drive
out competition, and that he wanted the
tariff to keep that excuse away from
the corporation.
He testieid to his belief that the Steel
corporation has steel producing capacity
today greater than Great Britain and
Germany combined and that with all
that it represented only So per cent of
the steel producing capacity of this eoun-
try" that 'it could defend its position
absolutely even if the tariff was wiped
out, that ''it felt absolutely secure. .
and "can take care of itself from legis-
lation, no matter what may arise
He said there was a shortage Of steel
today and that the corporation was 'at
the helm What he was afraid Of he
said, was that the Steel corporation would
go out after the California market.
"There goes the ghost of the cor
poration again. said Representative
Palmer scornfully.
do you think? 2, asked Representa-
tive James, democrat, that the Steel
corporation ought to be subsidized to
the extent you advocate in order to en-
able the independents to do business?
Il don't regard it as a subsidy"
Sewing Machine Trust
w. w. Chase, secretary of the White
Sewing Machine company. said he un
derstood the Singer Sewing Machine
company. with great plants abroad,
also was interested in subsidiary lines,
forestry, mining and 50 on, and the in
dependents, he said would like to know
the inside business plans of what he
called the "so-called trust
Joseph Auerbach of New York. a
democrat. representing the metal ball
bearing interests and protesting against
any disturbance of the present tariff
on bali bearings, referred to the COW
enant of the democratic party in re-
vising the tariff on a revenue basis to
consider the difference In the cost of
production here and abroad.
Representative Longworlh of Ohio
republican. asked where he found any
mention of such covenant in the DEM
ocratic platform Or otherwise. II find IL
everywhere" said Mr.. Auerbach. who.
however, replied that he would cite
some utterances OF the leaders. Mr..
Longworth read into the record a
speech of Representative Harrison OF
New York democratic member of
the ways and means committee, which
led Mr.. Harrison TO say that he AL |
ways believed that "the question of cost
prices was more important than the
cost of production"
Steel pens, grit, shot or iron sand. |
pig iron, silverware. textile machinery. |
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