The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-07
THE IRON OUTLOOK.
Interview with Pittsburgh Mnnufac.
tureF.

turer.
Pittsburgh Leader.
A L<Gicr man had a talk this morning
with Mr.. David C. Oliver, OF the firm Of
Lewis, Oliver & Phillips, relative to the
condition Of our iron trade, and here's
what trunspirel:
What is the general condition of the
iron trade in Pittsburgh? Quericd the
LfdicI man.
Pittsburgh, sir in my opinion" said
Mr.. Lewis, 'has greater number Of posi-.
tive natural advantages for the manuiac.
turC and distribution OF merchant iron
than any other point in the country, but
oflatc years she has been handicapped to
such an extent rs to destroy thc1e advan.
tases in very great degree"
In what way?
"Well, take the matter OF freight; other
points not so favOrably located except in
that they have railway competition, have
been able to place their iron in both east.
ern and western makets at prices that we
could not touch because OF our high freight
rates. The opening Of the new lake Erie
Railroad will, however, in time, remove
that drawback"
What other disadvantage do you refer
to?
Our labor is higher than The selling
price OF Iron justiGcs; tCosts us nearly two
dollars ton more iOr labor than il does
our eastern competitors; for instance, the
prices OF boiling through the east ranges
IRON 81 y to 81 60 per ton, while We pav
$; other itemsin nearly the same proper.
ton
How about the west?
Until latterlv the price OF boiling in.
creased going west on the price paid in
Pittsburgh, until in st. Louis il was, |
think, one dollar over the Pittsburgh
price; Cincinnati fifty or sevcnty.tivc
cents, &C., &c. This was all old establish.
ell custom, and very favorable for Fits.
burgh, as il helped to offset freights, our
principal market being i'll the west. The
Boilers union, however, has given the
west reduction, and made boiling all
through the west Except ! think, Wheel.
ing) the same price as that pnid in Pitts.
burgh. Their action, therefore, practically
makes boiling cheaper in the west lin view
Of the requirements Of the old custom,
than in Pittsburgh
What is the practical result OF this"
"Thc result, sir, is Just this: The trade
has been slowly and surely leaving us.
Mills among us that formerly ran 10 their
full limit on tires and other forms OF mcr.
chant iron are now idle, or running on
shapes Or sizes that are consumed around
home here, or else running on spcciatics.
| The East and West are following us ON
these spccialtics, nnd with their cheaper
labor nre taking them from ny, and one bv
one our large Nnl formerly prosperous
bar mills that rolled into shnpe the pro.
duct OF our numerous boiling furnaces,
are being laid of or making broken time,
absolutely unable to meet their CumpcI
! tors.
What remedy dO you propose iOr this =
"The most practical remedy can SEE
iS for the men to COncrdc drop in prices
The trade here cannot stand these heavy
odds and prosper Already some Of oul
manufacturers are putting down Sirmcns
Martin plant, and others are preparing to
do 50. This process, likcthe Bcsscnicr
! ia largely machine work and does away
with the boiling process entirely, ami
while Of course We would prefer To utilize
our bnlllnH plant, yet II the men refuse Il
do uS justice, | see no Other way than To
adopt machine work OF lose our trade"
Haven't you sliding scale that rcgu
lA;Cs prices
"Oh, yes, We have sliding scale thai
doesn't slide. see, here it is ,rrfcrrin,
to n private drawer. You scc il rrvlI
lntcs The prize Ui boiling within certain
limits based on the earl prices Of iron
When the card price "f iron is four cent
per pound boiling iS s. - per ton, runv
ing downward by tcnthS to two an,
onc'hal II cents per pound mud bofl
ing 500 p"r ton. II there Stop
sliding. I'll" price OF iIon may slide
lower than two and Onc.hnll rcnta, bu,
the price for boiling remains at 81. Inns
much M the price Of iron for tho last tive
or three years has been two cents aud nm
der the injustice Of the arrangement, i
manifest. In former times, When the sell
ing prize ot iron rated At these low figures
the price ol hoilingin Pittsburgh was from
~ q to 81 IL per ton"
Tho entrance here u n grnll"mnu vi
business Cut the interview short