The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-01-22

i The functions of the commissions
embrace the examination of nearl
| all the varied industries of the State
and are defined in the act as follows
"The duties Of such an officer sbal
be to collect. compile and systematize
with reference to the subject of labol
! in its relations to the social. education
| al. Industrial and condition. wage.
and treatment of all classes of work
/ ing people. and how the same affect
our permanent prosperity and produc
tive Industry II shall also be tn,
duty of such Bureau to collect. ant
classify statistics relating to the min
eral. manufacturino. agricultural aIlc
commercial productions Of this Com
monwealtb. . The fourth section
makes II the dntv of the chief of sucI
| Bureau to report annually TO the Leg
lislature. in Convenient form the re,
suit of his inyestioations e
The act does not appropriate any
money to defray the necessary con.
tineent EXPENSES of uniting the Dc.
partment in working order nor does
| it prescribe the manner Of obtaining
| the information reoIired or that +
shall be furnished and + leave, the
Commissioner w;thout anv means Inv
which he can obtain 4 excent bv the
voluntary act of those engaged in
business There were evidently
oyersiehts which viii doubtless be
corrected by AN annronriation and bv
the passage Of sucb enactments as
win enable the .Comm;ss;ops or 10 pro.
cure. from the proner sources the in
| formation reonired 70 carry ont the
intent and meaning of the law - z
When It is remembered that Penn
sylvania ranks second in population
second in manufactures and sixth as
wheat-growino STATE and first in
point of mineral wealtb and recources
among the States ~ the Un;on II
should not be question ofs dollars
and cents whether her vast and var.
led resources shall be Ieft N be devcl.
Ioped bv the Glow nrocess of casual
discovery or be nronerIv introduced
TO the notice ,ofcani,al;sts ~ homo
and abroad bv anibor;zed and official
statements of facts -
The Information that will he f,,r.
nisbed viii NOT only bc of oroat nrac.
tical vaIuc to the c;t;zens of tbe State
but will afford the renresentat;vcs of
the neonle who arc eboroed fron,
year 10 wear with tho resnoos;b;l;,;es
ofIepislat;on tho hos, and most cor, .
d;ous source ~ ;nformot;on Tho
;mnortanca ofwb;cb con nnIy .s,;m. a.
cd nv exner;ence - - ~
Pennsvlvanio stands nr-eom;ne,t
for her mineral raSonrcos Ynossess;n q
as sbe doos tha onIr L,o.ir .n,hra
cite coal feids ~ any consao,ence
whilst her iron ores and oil are a
source of inexbanst;hle wealtb that
de6es comnntation few items
ooly are necessary 10 nrore the cor.
rectness ~ ,ba~o romarts Tbo mo.
dnct;ons Of coal from the ar,h-ac;,e
regions in 1900 was lac TONS !. in
1870 it reached the enormous a mopnt
of 10 e5I 5s5' TONS and Il ia Iest;mat.
that the nrodnct will he swelIed in
1879 to uuwards of % moo 000 TONS
II the increaes in tho nrodnet;on of
anthracite coal has been en- ran;d and
wonderful in a period of 6ftv-two
wears. who can estimate its growth
within the next half centnrv5 The
productions of our bituminous coal
fields, in 1870. foots up 1865 465
tons. The two make an aggregate
of "a. 800 O5O tons for that wear
Meanwhile. the DEVELOPMENT and
growth of the oil productions of the
northwestern counties almost ehaI-
lenges the credulity of our people
From August 1859 when Drake
sunk the first well to the close of
1864. the production was 22l 600 900
gallons. Welding the sum of s39 500
600. In 1864 about 62 600 900 gal
Ions were refined. the average price
of which. in bond at New York
(sixty-two cents per gallon gave a
value of $3S. .44O 900 The entire
production nm to 1853 was 327 ee2
224 gallons. equal TO 8 493 339 barrels
of crude oil.
There is no doubt the fnture re-
ports of the Commissioner will dis
close an equally rapid increase i. the
production of oil. and other facts con-
cerninr il not less gratifying
The remuneratiye prices Maid at
present for pig metal is inducing the
erection of a largo number of first
class furnaces which will materially
increase the wealth of the State and
give a new impetus to other branches
of business depending upon their pro-
duets for active and profitable results
in the near future.
There are other questions of much
interest to the public welfare. which
can only be evolved with any degree
of certainty by careful Investigations:
such as those affecting the health,
comfort and general well-being ofthe
people, but more especially the indus
trial classes, who are the main de-
pendence ofthe State for its continu-
Gu Prosperi1y Inc question Oh iaoor'
~ an ''s reia''ohs' Is one tna' con
stan.iy engages q large snare OF at
!ent'oh' anu lhe suolfct can only oe
ihteiiigehtiy anu properly ieglsiateu