The Tariff Struggle Against Steel Monopolies

Some facts of interest to the managers of the iron and steel trusts may be found in the report of the bureau of statistics of the treasury. These statistics show that our imports of iron and steel manufactures for the eight months ending with February were 90 per cent in excess of those for the like period ending February, 1899. That our imports in these lines should increase almost 100 per cent in one year, in spite of our vaunted advantages in the way of skilled labor and improved methods and machinery, demands a cause. It is evident that the conditions were caused by the action of the iron and steel trusts in increasing prices beyond the point of reason. The trust managers seem to think they were in a position to dictate to American consumers and to force up prices to extortionate rates. Another fact is established—that the protective tariff is not a confederate nor protector of the trusts; that the tariff is not high enough to prevent American consumers from importing commodities in order to avoid the extortion of monopolies.