The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-08-01
A New stimuluu 70 Ruslness.

(ffom the N, Y, Com. AdVO
The present position Of the coal and
iron trade ofGreat Britain % very encour.
aging TO the iron interest here. There
has been within the year Q remarkable
increase In the price Of English iron,
which has stimulated production In this
country and added largely to the gains Of
the furnace men. On the other hand the
railway interest has been prejudiced by
the enhanced cost Of the material they
USE The question has become very
serious one In England where the advance
In the price Of coal between June, 1871,
and July, 1872, was, taking the average Of
four mining centres, 81 per cent The
figures given by the chairman OF o lead
ing railway in England, In q recent ad.
dress to hisstockholders, shew an advance
during the twelve months Of Az per cent
In the price oil iron rails, 62t in The price
OF chairs, and 1911 in the price Of steel
rails. How seriously these advances in
price may affect the importation and use
Of English railway iron may DO inferred
from the growth Of that business during
the last few years. In 1871 we imported
oil 900 tons Of railway iron against
600, 900 In 1869. The increase was de.
cided, and the business promised to grow
10 immense dimensions-a promise NOT to
be Immediately fulfilled II the present
condition of English production is 10 be
continued. 49,.
The causes Of this remarkable change
In The cost oil iron in England are worth
noting. Already England Is undermined
and dug out 70 such depth that the
cost Of raising ore Is becoming fatal to
that industry. Iron ore Is largely import.
ed from other countries, particularly from
the long disused mines ofNorthern Spain.
There Is also the usual panic about ex.
haustion Of the coal fields, where, too, the
depth Of the mines Is adding greatly to
tho cost Of fuel. Coal is not only In or.
binary use over all the United Kinndom,
but the demand for it has expanded pre-.
cisely as the manufacturing interests Of
the country have grown. A Royal Com
mission reported In 1866 that the coal
measures Of Great Britain contained at
depth, not exceeding 1000 feet q supply
ut present rate OF consumption for 1873
years, but at the rate Of increased con.
sumption the supply would last only 278
years, so that in the year q 40 Great Brit.
aims candle would be snuffed out. With
characteristic thrift and prudence the
English arc are already beginning to
economic in the use OF coal, and many q
person goes without fire in order that the
life of the nation may be prolonged be.
yond the fatal year above named. Such
are the sacrifices the present Is ready to
make for the futurel The labor problem,
too, has complicated the matter. There
have been miners strikes for less time
and more wages. AS q matter Of course
the production of coal decreased; the
price went up; prices of all manufactured
articles sympathized; the miners fonnd
the cost Of living advanced; they demand
ed higher wages, and so the wheel revoly.
ed, and the men found themselves no bet.
ter of at the end than they were in the
beginning. The law governing this case
is memorable, and countless examples
ought to convince the blindest and most
skeptical OF the rigid justice with which
the reYenges Of this law are brought
about. But men are wise in their own.
conceit, and they never tire of trying ex-
periments from which they hope TO de.
feat the wise and unfaltering rules which
Nature has set. Some Of our New York
strikers hove encountered this experience
already, and from others the future has in
store the exaction of the full penalty OF
violated law. There Is no reason why
the cost OF iron production or the price Of
iron in this country should be materially
Iron masters have done well
at recent rates. But if the higher cost Of
English iron causes a falling of in impor.
tation, or prevents the fulfllment of con.
tracts or the making Of new ones, there
may be rapid advance in price here
stimulated by an increased demand. In
any event the result can only be OF ad.
vantage to the United States, for our
people will make more iron, the industry
will gain frmer ioothold, and the enter
prise will have an abundant reward.