Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1892 — McKinley Prices. [ARTICLE]

McKinley Prices.

The Association of American Manufacturers of Cutlery asked permission of the Ways and Means Committee to propose a schedule on cutlery for the McKinley bilL Their request was granted, and the duties which they wanted were ■enacted into law. These duties, compared witlf those of the tariff of 1883, are as fallows; Pocket Tariff et cutlery. 1883. "Value 32 doz— j) 0. McKinley bill. 50cor less... 50 .^per'<£ “ 74 F ln «- 60c to 91 50.. 5J = 88 plus. $1.50 to S 3 ... 50 - 83 P lue " $3 50 f.^ e per o ct. = minus. How this trust or association, as they ipolitely call themselve#, has taken advantage of the new duties is shown by the following letter of a cutlery dealer: To the Editor of the Evenini Post: Sir—l notice in your issue of the Bth Inst, a letter from X and Y, relative to a state■ment which appeared in the Press that “no one has heard of any advance in prices of outlery in consequence of the McKinley bill” It is a woll-known fact that about the time this bill went Into effect the Association of American Manufacturers of Cutlery was holding frequent sessions in New York with the view of “regulating” prices, and as a result of their conferences I submit some figures giving the details of a few patterns of American knives as follows, the prices I paid for them prior to Oct. 8, 1890, and that which was fixed by the association at various times afterward: Price prior to Oct. 8. 90. Oct. 10, '9O. Oct. 18,90. Jan. 25,91. 81:6 i per d0z........ $1.75 $ !.00 $ 2.25 2 91 per doz 3.10 8.47 3.60 8.76 per doz 3.95 4.05 4.60 4.25 per doz 4.50 5.13 6.70 7.65 per doz. 8.43 9.00 10.0 J These are no special cases, but a similar advance took place over the whole line of several hundred patterns, and as the McKinley bill became operative Oct 6, 1890, it Is significant that within four days a marked increase in American goods was announced. When they reached the January prices I had but little interest in them, as I was convinced tbat the burden-bearing consumer would rebel and either make the old knife whittle a little longer, or go without, if asked to purchase at the retail prices which would pay the dealer a profit on the above costa - As an indication of the “we-are-cra-top” position which the Association of American Cutlery Makers assumed, I will add that I was solicited to purchase goods at the advanced prices, with the guarantee that, if within a reasonable time I could buy from any member of the association at loss price, I should be reimbursed any excess I ■had paid. Cutler. New York, Jan. 9.