Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-01-23

OTTUM
changed the last few years for in
stance, have very little doubt tha
of the 80, ,0O0 900 tons Of coal supposed
to be raised in 1845, at least half, OF
about 100000 tons were used fol
domestic purposes, whereas now tht
quantity used for domestic purposes
does not exceed 100000 tons pei
annum, and only constitutes little
over one-seventh of our output, which
may be roughly estimated as follows
Used for iron manufacture, $4,000, ,0U(
tons; for other manufacturing pur
poses, 100000 tons; domestic use
10000, 900 tons; colliery use, $500, ,0O(
tons; gas manufacture, 1000, 900 tons
exports, 1900, 900 tons; railway use
l3,750O00 tons; steam navigation, g..
65O,OOO tons; lime, cement and salt
works, 3,400,O 600 tons chemical works
100000 tons; melting metals other
than iron, 100000 tons; other pur.
poses, say, 5,500,O00 tons total, 1884,.
100000 tons. This would make the
consumption for different purposes
stand in about the following proper
tions: For iron manufacture, about
3O.2l per cent. other manufactures,
$3.50; used at collieries 6. .25 gas man
ufacture, 5.75; railways, 20; steam
navigation, 20; domestic use, 1920;
exports, 927; other purposes, 1892.
These facts, think, not only show
how greatly the coal trade now de-
pends on the manufacturing interest,
and especially on the manufacture of
iron, for its prosperity. but 1t also
gives us an opportunity of seeing the
reason why there has been such vio-
lent fluctuations in the coal trade of
late years. The iron trade, 90 we all
know, is subject to very violent fiuc-
tuations, and this, rejecting on the
coal trade, with which it is so init
mately connected, produces those
"ups and downs" in the price of coal
that are 80 enjoyable to the trade at
the flow, but not quite SO pleasant
during the ebb. It is said that in 1896
the iron trade of this country took
less than.4, ,0O0, 600 tons of fuel, while,
as we have just seen, it now takes
about 81, ,0OO,O 600 tons-that is 5000, 900
tons more than the total output in
lS45.
Let me here draw another moral
from the facts I have named that /
hope will receive the attention Of the
acorkers in our mining industry. 1
see some Of those who call themselves
the leaders of our colliery population
arc counselling restricted output, as
the solution of the present depression
in the coal trade, and the consequent
reduction in wages at the collieries.
Such counsels take to be utterly un-
patriotic, and can only end in disap.
pointment. For any man to restrict
his labour in any colliery in which he
is engaged in, contend, is unjust to
himself, his family, and the nation at
large. If he thinks he can use his la
bour in any other calling in life with
more advantage to himself and fami-
ly, we'll and good; he not only has a
right to do so, but it is a duty he owes
to himself and those dependent upon
him so to employ it. But, while en-
gagged in any industry, let him hon
estly work to the best Of his ability
and strength, SO as to attain the best
results for his employer and himself.
Any artificial restriction of labour
can only have the effect OF increasing
the cost of the article on which the
labour is being employed, and thus
preventing the development of the
trade on which our national prosper
ity so largely depends. Let me ask
those who give this unwise and, as l
think, criminal advice, to consider
what would be the effect Of the gener-
al adoption of their views. Suppose
those who work on our food supply
try to restrict their labour SO as to
make our food as dear as they can,
think you this would not be unjust to
the consumers of the country? And
as our toiling millions are the greatest
consumers they would, of course, be
the greatest sufferers by the adoption
of such a policy. take it that our
duty as coal owners and coal workers
is to raise our coal as cheaply and in
as good condition as we can, and with
the least possible eacrifice of life or
health, and, at the same time, TO real
lie the best price the market will af-
ford, and pay the best wages that the
price realised will allow; and l will
add, though quite incidentally, make
the best profits we can for ourselves.
The expansion of the iron trade,
the development of railways, the
growth of our manufacturing indus
try, and the prosperity of the country
these are the sources to which we
must look for the future prosperity of
the coal trade. Our prosperity is,
happily, interviewer, both as employ
ers and workers, in mines, with the
national prosperity, and we must
look for good returns and good wa
gcs not SO mcuh by seeking to pro-
mote the special interest of our class
and trade, as by seeking the general
soellfare and the national zeal. Hap
PLY for the world, and happily for us
all, there is mutual dependence rum
ming through all trades, and also
through the relations of all ma
tions, that should produce mutual
sympathy aud kindly feeling, For
instance, see that, since 1861, the inn
porte from France have increased
from under fl8,OOO,OOO in value to
nearly f47,OOO,OOO, and our exports
to France have increased from about
100000 to nearly fl5,5 100000, in
value per annum. On the other
hand, partly through the unwise re-
strictions and prohibitive duties i'm.
posed on our iron trade with Ameri-
ca, we reach the following results in
our iron trade with that country,
namely-that while in 1872, we ex-
ported l,224, 1A tons of iron to Amer
lea, in 1876 we only exported 2S7 tons
This difference alone would proba-
hly make IA difference of 1000 900 to
1900, 900 tons in the annual consump-
tion of coal in this country, and
proves how dependent each nation is
on the other.
On the other hand I see that while
the United States only made 1866, 600
tons of pig iron in 1870, they are re-
ported to have made 5,439, ,23O tons in
1872, so that they are fast picking up
to .us in the manufacture Of iron, as
well as the output of minerals; and
with their vast. mineral resources,
this is what we may naturally expect.
The old country, however, shows life
as yet in the iron trade, as the fol-
lowing facts will show I'm 1866 we
raised 1866, ,0l2 tons of iron ore. But
in 1876 we used 17,3l3,S1S tons of ore
nearly 1000, 900 tons ofwhich were inn
ported. This ore was smelted in 5S6
furnaces, and produced 6,555, 1897 tons
of iron, or nearly 2,OOO, 600 tons moro
than in 1866. One of the most re.
markable illustrations of the growth
Of great branch Of national industry
10 to be found in the development Of
thej iron trade in the Cleveland dis
trict. In 1860 not ton of iron was
made in that district, but now nearly
one-third of all the iron manufactur-
ed in this country 10 produced there.
In 1876 they made in the Cleveland
district 2,075, ,565 tons. My argument
founded on these facts is, that the
prosperity Of the coal trade largely