The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-19
Ghe1tteltiaetrrer.
=, pitf,burgh Declining nv n
,,nsiness Centre, Especially In
ir0n manufacturing:

railroad, referring 10 tne interest VI iot
sivnpr, in the different railroads in close
proyimi,y.to Pittsburg, especially in the
Maboning valley, stated that these for
rirners had expressed the opinion that
Pittsburgh was declining in the variety
and extent Of its business. Mr.. James |.
Bennett, the wcll.known iron manufact-
mrry a, the time took occasion to deny
,h,i such was the case, and gave u more
honpiul view Of the situation In our city.
IN order to ascertain, from those who
arr in a position to know, what the facts
in the case are, SO far as the business
nrosnfrily or decline Of Pittsburgh Ia
concerned, a representative Of this paper
To-day called on several Of our largest
and most prominent manufacturers.
A coprER.M manufacturers VIEWS.
The first one that the Leader man hap
vened in on was well.known copper
manufacturer, one OF the oldest and
largest in this section. He was inclined
10 aide with the views taken by the for
eigners spoken Of by Mr.. Street, and for
this very reason, while perfectly willing
TO give his views, he did not desire his
name published, for he might be put
down a discouraging Pittsburgh inter
eats. lie said that there was no use dis
putting the fact that the iron business Ii
90 the decline in Pittsburgh. The glass
trade is not affected, nor is the steel, but
the latter, he said, would be yet. The
iron trade is going west, aud the reason o
this is that the geographical position o
the manufacturers in the west enables
them to procure the ore much cheaper
than PitBburghers can land it here. Thu
west. though, must pay more for its Goa
Than We do, bnt this il Offset by Tho
discrimination in railway lrcights il
favor Of the west. Altogether, the
west haa the advantage in the man
niacturc OF iron. Another thing that
operated against Pittsburgh was the
uncertainty oil the regular running flour
manufactures, owing to strikes and lock-
outs. Wheeling was about the only place
outside Of Pittsburgh where the iron
trades union were strong, most OF the
mill.hands OF other cities having little
homes oil their own and working regular
" without thought Of striking. When
profits were large here he never noticed
freight determinations, but now they
have got down 20 low that freights are q
very important item and are very serious
ly felt.
As evidence Of his assertion that Pitts
burg was on the decline our venerable in
iormant stated to the Leader man thai
while eight ont OF Pittsburgh's thirty-two
IRON frms-2gj per cent OF all-have fail
ed, there have been but two failures out.
,ide-one in Cleveland and one in Wheel.
imp. The two latter were very small
affairs, too, rs compared with Pittsburgh
ones that have gone under.
THE RAILROADS ARGUMENT.
Our informant also said he had had a
talk a.leW days ago with railroad officials
in reference 10 the discrimination against
Pittsburgh. The officials acknowledged
that the present freight system was ra,
Their hard on Pittsburgh, but claimet
that they could not devise plan TO re
lieve the city and do justice to them
selves. The officials argued that there
wasnO money for the railroads in through
ireiGhts, and that the profits must there
lore be on what is called the local trade
Pittsburgh is "local" city on the rail
way map. They went on the argumen
that liza man owned a coal tract twent!
miles out Of the city he should be cnable'
to ship his coal into the city for the sam
money that the man who lived but tel
miles out Of the city, in order to be en-
abled to compete with the latter. GU
niOrmant-the copper manufacturer
rHlCayored to show the railway official
the iallacy OF this policy by aSsertin
TINT the man whose tract was twent.
miles out Of town did not have I
pay over 500 an acre for his land, Will
the man ten miles nearer the city had Il
pay $500 or $500 an acre for his; conse
quently il was not right for the far-ou
man to be enabled to ship as cheap Goa
that cost him much less than the one VIII
mines his nearer the city.
Such are the views taken by amanutac
tArer Of this city, venerable in the bust
mesa as we'll a. in Sge. The portion OF hi
argument relative 10 railroad freight
will be considered sound by every Pitts
6nrgher, but his opinions on the presen
condition Of our city will meet with nue.
opposition. A more hopeful look at tn
situation was derived from a couple NOR
well known manufacturers by the Leddt
representative.
A MORE HoPEFuL VIEW. ,.
The warehouse Of Graft, Bennett
Go. was visited by the searcher after in
formation, for the purpose Of obtainin
the views Of Mr., Bennett,;,who 1t was ths
denied the statement made at tic chambe
o. commerce meeting on Monday tina
Pittsburgh was on tho decline. Mr.. Der
nett, however, was absent and could nc
be found, so that his partner, Mr.. Graf
wa talked to on the subject. lie sal
mat MT. Bennett had collected statistic
on III" matter to show that Pittsburg
WAS not on the decline. These Stats
ue' proved that the tonnage OF product
shipped from this city within the las
year oi two is equal 10 whu
y was before the war. Price
during the war were unduly stiu
aERied and were not criterion G
trade in peaceablc times. When asked
ne iron trade Of the west did not detrac
ION Pittsburgh Mr.. Graf said that
G'a not, "a the uses to which iron ha
peen .pnt-among other things, bridge
building, created an Increased deman
aete. Pittsburgh has built many ne'
mIII' and enlarged Old ones within a fe'
!sats, and this large increase in the CT
oselty mus! be taken into consideration
SGe9 figuring on the manufactures {
ials variety. II Pittsburgh grumbIe
Feaqse business was not brisk, II wa
not the only place. Cincinnati and oil
q places are fully as bad Off az IL
EptelHht charged have much 10 do wit
!"soarghs interests and the fact thu
IRON IRON could BE- shipped west from Harri
TpG ;,S and Philadelphia cheaper than frol
rraMs,e9urgh was something that deserve
ipSi"',siSaetation. ButconSidering the tim,
''"0u'Gh is not on the decline.
THE REMEDY.