The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-18
a NEW WORLD CREATED.

It's difficult TO over estimate the i'm.
portanCe Of the information embraced in
these tables. At the frat glance they
show what q wonderful change has taken
place in the condition and habits oil tn
people within the past thirty.ive years
Instead OF consumption OF 95 lbs. per
capita about 1880 we bave now con.
sumption exceeding $50 lbs. yearly, for
each Of the fiscal years 1874 inclusive.
Adding for 1879 and the subsequent years
the quantities estimated but not precisely
known, as above stated, we have q con.
sumption during the fiscal year lS79-S0 Of
POI 81 lbs. per capita, Of which Is IS lbs.
sere imported; during the fiscal year
lSS0-Sl Of 239 40 lbs. per capita, Of which
IS. IL lbs were imported; during the fiscal
year 1872 OF 2448S lbs. per capita, OF
shich 85 81 lbs. were imported; and dur.
ing the year 1889 3 Of 1913 20 lbs. per capits,
OF which 1880 lbs. were imported.
In 1888 and 1884, the change
| in Treasury reports embraced practically
all qualities OF iron imported, excepting
those classes which have been omitted for
the entire period OF thirty-ive years, ne
substantially balancing the qualities ex-
ported. Tho statement thus prepared, in
Guiding the estimated quantities for four
years, appears to be undoubtedly more
nearly correct than any other. But as to
the quantities embraced In the above
tableF, there is no room for doubt; they
are established by the official reports. Be-
yond question, the consumption Of iron
has risen within thirty:hVs years from
lees than 100 to NOR; than 200 lbs per
capita, in year Of ordinary prosperity.
This means simply the creation OF q new
industrial and commercial world. Nor.
over, the tables prove that in the later
years the consumption, exclusive Of rail.
road iron imported, has risen above 200
lbs. per capita, while in lS50.53 1t was not
more than 70 lbs per capita.
Indeed, one Of the most remarkable
features q the review is the enormous in
crease which II discloses In the manu-
iacture OF iron In this country. The pon-
sumption OF raw iron, domestic and i'm
ported, has risen from about 60 lbs. per
capita TO over 200 lbs. Tor four years; and
even during the past year Of great Gepres.
sion 1t has been over 1858 lbs. per capita.
1t is not consistent with the object Of this
paper, which aims to present only un-
controverted facts, to consider the in
auence Of different forms Of tariff upon
this DEVELOPMENT. The facts presented,
precisely Is they appear in the off.
ciSl record, will doubtless be much Dis.
cussed by advocates Of opposing opinions.
Here Il Is enough to call attention
to the fact that the proportion OF foreign
iron consumed In this country has dimtn-
ished, particularly Of late years, For,
though the proportion for FIVE years end
ing with 1871 or 1872, being 81 percent
for each period, was larger than the aver
age for the last Ave years under revenue
tariff, namely Sl.S percent for Ave years
ending with 1860, the proportion has been
only 81 8 percent for the past five years.
II has declined from about 70 percent, in
1850, and an average of 4S,05 percent oil
the entire consumption for the four years
ending July J, 1854, TO about 1873 percent
in lSsi-5, and an average Of 20.6s percent
for the four Year, ending July /, 1885. To
whatever influences this change may be
due, the result 10 one which all Ameri-
cans may regard with pride.
lSpvBrR Al TIDES.
The feature Of the tables which has the
brosdeSt interest, however, Is the remark.
able change which they exhibit in the In.
dustrial activity Of the country at different
periods, After reaching los per capita In
ISIS, The consumption fell to II In 1859
and after 4 brief recovery, TO 6l.44 In
1852. Again, after iaing 70 let pei
CAPITA in 1872 8, the consumption fell q
| I0S "a IN 1861. Putting aside the period
lol the war, which must have dis
turbed the natural ebb and flow Of in
dustriGl tides, precisely how OF 70 what eE
tent can only be conjectured, II appear
that there was q decline otaiT years and
50 percent from 1859 to 1853, and another
decline OF four years and 40 parent from
1877 to 1875. Tho decline which began II
iigs2 hna now lasted about three years
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