Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-05-29
NATURAL VS.. ARTIFICIAL POWER.

NATURAL VS.. ARTIFICIAL POWER.
The manufacturers of California, es-
pecially of San Francisco, use artificial
power. twill be the chief obstacle to
their ultimate success in close compe-
tition, as their journals already intimate.
The San Francisco Bulletin of April
29th says: We freely confess that there
are drawbacks impeding tho progress of
the manufacturing industries of San
Francisco" These drawbacks are spec
ifically stated to be ga scarcity of skilled
labor and cheap fuel" "The immigra-
ton, adds the Bulletin, may supply
the former in part. The question,
where shall we get cheap, hard coal
from? is probably the most difficult to
answer" This is the question of motive
power. 1t is the question also of smelt-
ing power. In the former case it is the
question of first cost of constant supply.
A gentleman engaged in manufacturing
monkey-wrenches only, in Worcester,
Mass, said he had spent $4,000 in
dams to save the waste water of spring
floods for use in the dry season. Chas.
Deese, Esq, vice president of the J.
Deese Plow Co., in Moline, ILL.,, says
although they have Goals very abun-
dant and cheap, it is one-third cheaper
to buy water power with which to run
their manufactory. The testimony and
experience of other manufacturers prove
the same statements. The cost and
waste and wear of steam machinery, with
the additional cost of insurance, and
the cost of the cheapest fuel that can be
got, render it impossible for San Fran
cisco manufacturers to compete with
those who have large, convenient and
permanent water powers. AS quoted
in the first article, San Francisco gen.
tleman said, "You at Oregon City can
make money when we cannot run
spindle" There is no room to doubt
the truth of this remark. 1t costs $40
per day of twelve hours to run the Mis-
sion mills-$30 for coal and $40 for
fireman and engineer. 1t costs no more
than 80 per day and night for the same
mower OF Oregon city, That place has
the largest and most avaiiaoie power on
the coast, estimated at !, ,000, 900 horse
power, of which only about 800 horse
power is now used by the two -four
mills, the woolen mill, the tub and pail
factory, the furniture factory and the
machine shops. The vast proportion
of that power has been running to waste
from time immemorial. Il is now so
much dead loss to the people and to
the State. Its use would be so much
met gain. The water powers of Salem,
Albany, Jefferson and Olympia, and
many other places are available, large,
and only partly used.
This question of power for factories
has been the chief one that has located
and built up the manufacturing cities of
New England. It has attracted skilled
labor and raw material to those centers
of motive power. Lawrence, in 1843,
was only farming section. A rifle OF
rock diagonally across the Merrimac,
hardly seen except at low water, led
capitalists to build granite dam, laid
in hydraulic cement, so rs to utilize that
power, and that moves those vast fac
tories which send their fabrics all over
the world. The waters OF the same
river, end of the Connecticut and null
titude of smaller streams, are held by
dams every few miles for similar pur-
poses. If $50 per day is saved by every
factory that uses water power-and this
is an average calculation by every busi-
ness man-eyery one saves $4,000 per
annum.
"In San Francisco $31 1888 ,781 are
permanently invested in manufactures.
The number of establishments is 1,066.
The value of materials used per year is
$27 ,012,S ,S81. The number of white men
employed is 9,713; white women, 1857;
white children, ,485; Chinese laborers,
10, ,813; making total of "a, ,40S labor
ers employed, whose wages aggregate
the sum of $11, ,251 ,943. Value of pro-
ducts, s63, 500, $50.
"The aggregate capital actually en-
ployed in San Francisco last year, as
represented in the paid-up capital and
deposits of the commercial and savings
banks, amounted to trife over $780,
600 ,0O0.. According to the statements
already referred to, says the Bulleiia,
over one-half of this sum was used ope-
rating its manufactures, in payment OF
labor employed, of material consumed,