The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-18
THE IRON CITY.
Among the Blasting Furnaces and Iron
Mills of Pittsburg.
AMERICAS GREAT SUPERIORITY.
Skill and Machinery Drowning the
Old Cry for Protection.
FIERCE STRUGGLE IN THE MARKETS.
interviews with Leading Manufacturers
on the Industrial Questions.
PIrrspuRe. Pa Mayl2. 1878.


any one DESTROYS oil ascertanng the actual status Of
the American iron interest," Proud OF her industrial
achievements in tho past. conscious of her undmin-
ishcd strength, the city OF Pittsburg looks with
misgvings into tho Immediate future. Nowhere
throughout my journey In the aiacturing districts
have met such confident business men the iron
masters Of Pennsylvania, and nowhere have found
men 30 thoroughly schooled IN all that belongs
10 their trade, Its home and foreign aspect, than in
this very iron CITY, beamearcu begrimcd as 1t Ia
with tho smoke OF unnumberea ohimueys. beiching
forth night and day flames by which can read tho
progress which this section OF our country
has stamped upon the iron trade oil tho
world. There exists no necessity hero Of
noting down exceptional where Amer ca has
crowded herself forward In tho great battle OF trade
composition Thanks TO the SKIN which has Known
how 10 use to the bost advantage the product o;
mines, Pittsburg stands to-day foremost IA bold
competitor in almost everything that is made OF IRON
Not that the battle is entirely yot is an in
cessant struggle, however, with varying success CO.
Ing on over and ever, then losing ground here then
gaming twice that amount Of ground elsewhere; but
kept up with ndomiable perseverance on our side
That almost disheartened Old England This is as
viii presently show, particularly true OF the manufnc-
tured iron lntond to quote that subject British
testimony Of tho very latest dates but even IN pig
iron and merchant iron $50 cacd) the iron masters Of
Pttsburg navo made wonderful progress last few
yours
KING IRON VS.. KING COTTON.
They smile AZ the efforts made by Now England cot
ton manufacturers their audabis endeavors to at
tain superiority over Great Brtan's $500 900 600 ex-
ports Of textile abrics and calmly point tho hills
beyond the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers aud
say, "This Is our assurance that America VIII not
only hold, but retain the superiority In iron" They
yell hat ho MAJ
little fuel is required. with diversity Of cheap labor,
both women aud children being employed, making
labor, Of which England has plenty very, very COM
mon and only ,lo fuel Is wanted to drive the SPIN
dies In making iron great deal OF fuel Is required
and England has already consumed two strata OF
COAL She now has to mne down GOO feet bowels
OF the earth, whilc we in this country in the language
OF prominent ironmaster, shave hardly scratched
our coa Add 10 this, that the natural gas now dis
covered 10 almost inexnaustble quantities within a
comparatively short distance OF Putsburg 80 that
IT Is used as iuel in several iron works
In place Of coal, has still further decreased tho
cost Of fuel, and you can readily understand that
Pittsburgers have some for tho solid conf
dence they place in the advantages enjoyed by them.
The superior heat enecpdcred by tn us gas
ndds 10 the better quality Of tho iron product, ana
while oil tho world 10 wondering how sieaaily Amerl
can iron is driving out tho English tho Pittsburg
manufacturer either sinks a well right alongside OF
his works or constructs pipe to lead that natural gas
exactly whore no requires IT, enabling him only 10
mako better but cheaper article
THE CRY FOR PROTECTION.
And yet this difference the price fuel BIO 1t coal
or gas considered sufficient by these Pittsburg
manufacturers to counterbaancc the low price Of labor
IN England compared with the prices paid in this
country. Hence comes the great cry Tor protection,
ana is heard all tho land. asked MI. Harry W.
Oliver Jr, OF tho firm OF Lewis Oliver, Philips own
ers OF several leading mills in Ptlsburg and Ale
gheny, whether after all that cry OF protection
did not emanate most from political demagoguosg
He rcplcd:-"No, IL Is matter Of principle The
difference between the price Of labor in England and
In the United states makes protection necessary
The pocy OF The English government is to steadily
cheaper labor; that OF the government n the United
States Is 10 raise It's price, ana manufacturers here
only want protection TO the extent OF the difference
between the price OF labor In England and in ms
country. When once that is thoroughly Understood
wo can 20 ahead. We want indeed peace and quic-
more than anything else. We do not object
TO the present reduction but do object the ire
quent changes In tho tariff II may also be, ana
should not DO surprised II II should happen in due
Of time, that the price OF European labor will
"
fluctuations. IL has been gradually doing for the
las, twenty years. Here with us 1t Is different;
the prices Of labor have come down iron the
amounts paid during the war OF the bcliiop.
Whom prices OF i.bor between Europe and
ncs IS reay vol na
matter OF necessity simply owing to the difference In
the price OF Inoor But you do not hear 80 much Of
protection now as In tho past. The nigh price Of la
Dor has fnduced the Invention of labor saving ma
chimes IN this country and tho result II that,
matter OF TACT, We are to-day selling some OF our
eoods, but only some at hpwer prices tnan English
manufacturers. In England the low price OF LABOR
has induced them 20 Keep on making by hand IN
stead OF cxpcndng capital on macninery. tho invcn-
ton OF tits machinery IS one good thing that has
come out u the hieh rrico OF abor but, an sid be-
ivro, the difference between us aud England Us great
yet Tho iron manufactures arc nuitnrous, aud,
taking entire survey OF tho trado, somo protection
80 the exteDt OF that very difference Is got abso
lutoly necessary"
Mr. hoorusad. one OF the owners OF the great works
that cover several ground At Tho corner Of
Second avenue and the Nonongahela River, ana
whose nihcr represented this district Tor several
years In Congress, ssid 10 mo on this subject :"lhc
tarin proposed by Mr.. Wood might he a great deal
worso Tor us. We as manufacturers can stand the
ducton contemplated by TINS DiL IL IS tar better tor
US tnan TO have continued agitation TINS subject
every year think tho best policy Tor our manulac-
turcrs Is TO accept this reduction. Tor IS strikes
tration any way. The democrats have tao House
they will soon have the Senate and whom they have
iul control OF tho government NO Will got low tar
without fail Though consider Mr.. WOODS tarii
ruinous to many other industries u Is not going
hurt US go much In iae' most oil US have consented
10 tho proposed reduction VI duty GA IRON"
10 order 10 well understand the Immense strides
forward which tins country has made since tho
In iron ana IRON manufactures the reader must
know that there arc various stages through which
tins great INDUSTRY passes anu my obscrvations thus
lar ead me TO the conclusion that wherever skil-and
Az immense amount oil skin has to be combined with
the physical labor required IN this tradc-tns Dcen
able to overcome either tho cheap labor Of England
or IT'S clumsy manufactures there the talk 0i protec-
hon is GROWING Gradually less and less We have also
dnvrn Enga out OF the n,utral markets where The
great Iactof SKILL has had Jar play In the iron prod
net. and wherever skill IS yet power
less the csinor Tor protection remains That
skin does not OF necessity show itself only
In the manu- acturc OF better shaped
iron bolt, lingo or even horseshoe and nails. where
we to-day control the markets OF the world, but II
also shows ilseli IN thar ingenuity, so peculiarly
American, which knows how to take advantage OF
tho product Of soil aud make ~ subservcnt 10 the
great INDUSTRY sucn as the burning OF natural gas
AUD leading II through pipes from tho adjoining soil
10 tne iron works, thus icsseung the cost OF tho
uroiuct, owing W the. cbeaIBess oi the iucL These
var grades Of the iron adc eau best be CLASSIFIED
IN psn nsr mat tho ordinary reader exactly
vnero g.ogfaphicat position, skii physical labor anu