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


that the decline In consumption has not
warranted. For there are no proofs Of
Regularity in the ebb OF flow. The shrink,
age In consumption is sometimes slow and
sometimes rapid the increase, In one case
seven years and smother Eve years, is not
regular; and there Is nothing to prove
that the recent decline in consumption,
being little more than the decrease in the
quantity OF various kinds Of railroad iron
used, may not be followed by an expan-
sion whenever securities can be sold TO
provide for more railroad building. In.
deed, while the consumption Of railroad
iron has varied. very widely, 1t is one OF
the most striking facts tlicited by the ex-
animation that the consumption OF iron in
other forms has been 10 well maintained
after q wonderful increase. Since 1881 the
conBumption OF railroad iron has d'min-
iShed oil percent, while the consumption
Of all other iron has diminished only lOt
percent.
CONSUMPTION IN RAILROADS.
The consideration Of the subject would
not be complete without statement Of
the proposition Of the aggregate supply
Of iron which has been employed in build
ing and maintaining rail- oada. During
the IS years under consideration, there
havo been made In this country and im.
ported from abroad over 20 ,000, 900 tons OF
iron and Iteel rails, over ~, 000, 900 tons
being OF steel. In 1850 the consumption
OF Esilrosd iron was 70 % lbs per capita.
and it rose to 81 o. in 1852; then dec'in-
ed to 1879 in 1854 rose to 20 IS In 1856,
and declined TO IA So in 1851. During the
war the consumption OF iron in building
and repairing railroads averaged nearly 80
lbs PEI capita for the population within
the United States military lines. But
since The war 1t has never been less than
3l.9I lbs per capita. tina Quantity supplied
in 1866, and from that point II rose every
year without single interruption untilit
reached 6s % in 1872, and then declined to
so Pin 1877. Again itroso without any in
terruption TO SO ~ lbs. per capita in 1881.
and has since declined TO 40 81 in 1854 AT
glance 1t 10 evident that this irregnlarity
in consumption for rail;oad purposes hpS
been to large extent the cause OF the
irrcgularity in the aggregate consumption
OF iron and steel. Nevertheless, the con-
sumption for repairs OF railways has be-
come so large that it constitutes q steady
and certain demand for greater quantity
OF rails than were ever produced in this
country prior to 1871. During the past
fifteen years. allowing 100 tons per mile |
for all new railroads built, the supply Of
iron and steel rails hiss exceeded the guam |
tity required for new railroads by 10,720,- |
zoo tons, or about 7l5, 900 tons yearly. In |
each OF the last three periods oil five yeas, |
the excess Of the supply ofTailS over the |
quantity required in new railway build
ing has been more than 100000 tons
Yet there is no considerable supply ofrails
remaining unused.
OTHER USES; GREAT INCREASE.
But the most striking conclusion, to |
which the inquiry leads, is also q most en-
couraginH one to producers. DeductinR /
yearly the quantity Of iron supplied in the
form ofrails, heremainiug coEsumptiouap
pears to have increased in most extraor-
binary manner, especially within the past |
ten years. In 1850, the consumption Of
iron and steel in all ether forms excepting |
rails was 6s.05 lbs. per capita, and until
the war It did not usually exceed about
that quantity, falling below It, indeed,
every year from 1855 to 1862 inclusive. |
Putting aside the war period, as the con- |
sumption at that time was largely for tenn !
porary purposes, it may be observed that
the consumption Of iron and steel In other |
forms than for rails rose from about |
rs lbs. per capita in 1866 to
1858 in 1872, aud then declined 10
6432 in 1876, the only year since the war
in which the consumption hes fallen
below that oflS5U. But from that point
the increase has been astonishing. In
1877 the consumption Of other iron than
rails was 70 u lbs, per capita; in 1873, it
was SO 81 in 1879, it was 15l, 80; in 1880,
it was 167 SO; in 1881, 1t was l6l %; In
1882. it was l7l.76; in 1883, it was 1884
and even in 1884, with all the depression
Of industry, the consumption in other
forms than rails amounted 10 1892 lbs.
per capita. Nor Is there reason to sup
pose that this enormous increase is Of a
temporary character. The use Of iron has
been been vastly expanded by re-
cent inventions and devices; enor-
nous quantities are consumed in
fencing, and other enormous quaint
ties in building, and in other ways too
numerous TO mention. In 1881, about one
third OF all the iron consumed In this
country ives In tho form Of rails, but in
1884 only 20 percent OF the entire con-
sumption. This country now consumes
greater quantity Of iron and its products
for every inhabitant than any other coun-
try in the world, notwithstanding the
large consumption in the building OF ahips
in Great Britain. The British production
is greater than the production in this
country, but, deducting exports, the guam
tity consumed within tho limits Of Great
Britain during the past five years has been
certainly less than $500 million lbs. year-
", while the quantity consumed in the
United States has been certainly more
than 1900 million lbs. yearly.