Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-06

| nature that very few of the general public
| would understand appreciate, and the in
! formation would be of no practical benefit TO
the manufacturer.
answer are those who represent that they have
s. 0000O0 plant. but are really doing business
on 5000 900 basis, and that is borrowed money
generally. Those people will take an adver-
answers will not be truthful ones. The shysters
in business will make representations which
will not tally altogether with the facts in the
case, but a conscientious and genuine business
man will pay no attention to the special per-
sonal questions, and most likely deposit them
in the waste basket. L don't think business
these inquiries indicate. There is no practical
purpose to be served by these questions.
A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION.
am in favor of and have always advocated
the establishment of State Institution.
whose chief object would be to inquire into
the practicability and usefulness of every me-
chanical appliance which invention may make.
This board should consist of at least one man
learned in the science of mechanics and one
practical mechanic. Such men could tell in a
very short time whether or not an invention
possessed any merit. Such an institution would
save thousands of dollars to manufacturers,
who are always seeking improved methods in
their business, and be of far more benefit to
all industries than the statistical information
that the superintendent of the Census is seek
ing to secure
At Brown & Co.'s steel works, on Tenth
street. the reporter was Informed that the
firm had already answered some interroga-
tories from DR.. Sweet, and that it expected
another installment in respect to its plant
in a short time. The manager said:
The question sent to us about crucible fur
naces bessemer steel ingots the capacity of
our mills and similar ones we have been
answering for years for the Iron and Steel As
sociation. The book published by that associa-
tion is very complete and embraces almost
every detail of the business. Its information
is for every one, but every one has
no use for it. Perhaps not one IN
10000 persons would ever have an occasion
to use it. If the purpose of the inquiry is to
ascertain the capabilities of the plants of the
United States for manufacturing iron and steel
and their worth in money, it can be gathered
possible since Mr. Swank, its author, is the
best informed man in the United States on
matters concerning iron and steel. can't see
now any great benefit to be derived from those
special questions.
THEY WILL NOT ANSWER.
Mr.. William Fisher, the proprietor of
Fishers Machine Shop on Smallman street,
said:
Business men will not answer such questions.
Why, many of them would be impossible to
answer. / couldn't answer some OF them
about my own business. The fourth question.
concerning capital invested, both owned and
borrowed. will not be answered but by very
few, if by any at all. Whose businessN vs. it
whether business is done on borrowed capital
or not, except the man doing the business. In
regard to the twelfth inquiry, l can say that no
colored men nave any capital invested in this
firm l can't see what the beneht will
be to the manufacturer or anyone
else. 1t might be interesting to few men in
Europe to know how much steel or iron we
make here, but where it might be interesting
to very few IL would not be seen by a million.
AT Zug s. Co. s Mr.. Zug said that he had
not seen the recent lot of interrogatories
sent out by Mr.. Porter, and therefore was
not prepared to talk upon the subject. He
was very busy at that moment and could
not discuss the matter.
Jarvis, Adams & Co., who manufacture
castings, were of the opinion that they had
already enough of questions to answer and
were not very favorably impressed with the
impending inquisItion. A great many
other manufactures were visited, and while
some said nothing and others but little, all
were of the opinion that Mr.. Porter, the
Census Superintendent, was trying to impose
upon them with his vast number of interro-
cations which seem to be of an exceedingly
personal nature.
PREPosTERoUs QUESTIONS.
William Charles. head of prominent
nut works establishment in Allegheny,
on the matter as follows:
81 think those questions asked by Mr.. Porter
are spreposterous. There are certain matters
with our mandatory which we do
not think he has any right whatever to inquire
after. Business is too pressing to waste any
time with more such prying ceusls questions"
Frank b. Smith, of Smith Bros, the
steel manufacturers, spoke as follows:
The fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth queries
are decidedly Objectionable. They seek in
formation which / do not regard as public
Of course, assurance is given that
nothing will be disclosed regarding individual
firms, but that does not preclude the possibil-
ity of some outsider obtaining access to the
records. For that reason it is risky for manu-
facturers to disclose all the details asked for
by Mr.. Porter"
Said A. NJ. Byers, iron manufacturer:
do not think there is any law that will COM
pei one to answer some of the new questions.
For my part do nos propose 10 give any in
which belongs to us.