Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-09
The Iron Troubles.

'o o.oTs of IhEIh ABATEMENT-CoNTIN
oEp DEPREssIoN OF THE IRON TRADE.
In the city Of Reading. Pa, great iron
manufacturing centre, the leading estsblish. .
ments In which this important business ia
conducted are closed. The railroad Gonna :
ny's shops are being run on shors time. and
Out naii the usual iorce Is employed at the
car shops: In great measure, a similar
state OF affairs exists or has existed recently
In this city.
In Reading and Berks county. saws the
Reading Eagle. q number OF iron furnscss
are out or blast, while others are running IN
q limited capacity, and stacking uusold big
IRON on their yards, which facts 90 still fnr.
tner 10 Impress the community that some.
tning Is radically wrong in the matter of
generally in Pennsylvania.
Ihis question Is highly important, and
one that concerns great many peonIe in
TINS city and the entiro iron countrv of
fennsylvanis. The trade is said 10 be- an
uster wreck, there being hundreds of cold
anu Diown out stacks In the commonw ealth
standing as SO many skeleton monuments
TO the dead iron trade. There must he a
reason Tor this and good one at that
Where thousands of workingmen are de,
pendent upon an Industry that must ha
nourlshing 10 keep them employed. anv
such stnpendous drawback as Is the case al
present must receive satisfactory explana.
ton.
During the past months, METROPOLITAN
newspapers have been sending out repre
sentatives In all directions OF the State To
ascertain why the iron trade was dead
Ihey have been interviewing the iron men
everywhere, anu the various opinions ex-
pressed have been as different and variable
as the winds. Some iron operators sts,ed
that tue Continued dullness of trade was
owing 10 the veto OF the finance bill; others
are raaicsl contractionists; others attach the
blame generally TO the unsettled condition
OF hnauce and tiade oil over the country.
otners say that the railroad comprehensive
the great iron consumerS-are making no
improvements whatever, hence the uulIness
OF trade, others say that during the war and
the subsequent years the trade was very
brisk, the price high. and furnaces were SO
many gold mines. This brought additional
capital ana many new furnaces were built
They continued 10 produce to their full ca
pscities, until finally the market became
giutted and compelled them to stop. The
business OF The country during that time
was fictitious, and the supply and demand
were in no way reliably associated; and
that the present sad state of affairs is the
direct result OF all this.
Last evening, q gentleman, W no, it is rea-
sonabls TO suppose, understands the ques-
tion, expressed his opinion that the iron
and railroad business OF this aud other
communities were being conduct on prin
ciples directly opposed 10 each other. He
laid down the following Fundamental rules
for tho guidance of tho commuuity and
gave 1t as his opinion that the observance
OF them would he the best means to bring
about satisfactory state of affairs: "Ecouo-
my In living; reduction of wages; reduction
In prices OF produces; reduction of freights,
aud general coming down to such a tirm
and reliable basis as will enable every one
TO start out on the first principles and con.
duct affairs the same as was done before
tho late rebellion"
The Eagie also publishes letter from au
Intelligent workman, who expresses the
belief that the "entire stagnation of trade
10 war on labor He thinks the MANI u
iacturers are keeping the mills closed 70,
the sole purpose OF crushing out labor
unions, and bring workman to submission
thus securing a reduction in wages.