Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-30
PRICES OF PRODUCTS.
Official Comparison of the Cost OF
Commercial Commodities.
COST OF IRON HERE AND ABROAD.
England Pays Less Than Half as Much for
Labor as is Paid Here.
E IRON HERE AND ABROAD.
TRADE AND TRAFFIC. TERsELY TREATED

The Department of Labor has issued
preliminary report relating to the cost OF
producing pig iron, steel ingots, steel rails,
coal, coke iron ore and limestone In this
country and Europe. The report is the
initial of series which the department is
preparing under the act of June, 1888, which
provided that the Commissioner of Labor
should ascertain the cost of producing
articles, dutiable at the time, in the United
States and in such countries as those articles
are produced.
The preliminary report consists Of volum-
inous tables, showing, under proper classi-
fcation, the different elements of cost, or
approximate cost, of such articles of pro-
duction, including the wages paid by the
day, week, month or year, and by the piece;
the hours employed; the profits of the man
uiacturers, and the comparative cost and
kind of living.
The work on this report has been going
on since December of 1888. The informa-
tion relating to the cost of production has
been taken directly from the books of the
manufacturers, from which source the cost
of the labor has also been obtained. The
cost of living was obtained from the men
themselves.
HARD TO GET FIGURES.
Manufactures were not found willing, at
first, to throw open their books Of account
for inspection, but a sufficient number of
them in the different countries have been
found willing to give the desired informa-
tion, on the understanding that the facts so
obtained should be presented in such wise
as would not identify their particular es-
tablishment In concurrence with this ex-
pressed desire, the Department employs
numbers in lieu of names when giving the
statistics in the various ia, les. The same
numbers are retained throughout, so that
all the facts relating to the production of
any one establishment can be ascertalned by
referring to the particular table.
To further prevent the identity of the
establishments being discovered, four great
divisions, as far as iron and steel are con-
cerned. have been used. The United States
is divided into two districts, the Northern
and the Southern. These districts include
ten Northern States Gin which Maryland is
ranked) and four Southern States, and
known respectively as the Pennsylvania
system and Alabama system districts.
Europe is known as the Continent" and
the other division is Great Britain proper
The report is based upon the facts derived
from 412 establishments. In this State 35
manufacturers afforded the information de-
sired of them. The first tables, dealing
with the cost of production of pig
now in the four districts, are perhaps the
most interesting. On this subject 115 estab-
hshments contributed information. For the
purpose of comparison between the cost of
Bessemer pig manufactured in this country
and abroad, the figures from two establish
ments, taken hap-hazard from the list, are
appended. No. % is in the Northern dis
trict, and would seem to be in this locality,
and No. Sc is in Great Britain.
HERE AND ABROAD.
No. %, with 1 furnace, 8 heating stoves.
blowing engines, and operated by coal,
ran 365 days with total output of 80, 392 1
tons (2;240 pounds) or SO tons per day per
furnace. No. Sc, with 2 furnaces, heating
stoves, blowing engines, and operated BY
furnace gas and coal, ran for 1872 DAYS, with
an output of 81, ia tons ,24O pounds) or
81 tons per day per furnace. The former
used As, 276 tons of ore, hauled S33 miles at
8 cost OF 81 eS; 9,35l tons of limestone,
hauled Is miles at IS cents per ton; 26, ,007
ton, and ,023 tons of coal, hauled IL miles
at 25 cents per ton. The British estab-
lishment consumed 58,752 tons OF ore
hauled distance not reported, at a cost of
81 50 per ton; ], ,164 tons of cinder scrap,
etc.; 10,31S tons of limestone hauled 6%
miles, cost not reported; 81, 773 tons of coke
and 20 coal-the coke ovens being located
at the plant The total cost Of the materials
charged into the furnace in No. % is 1854
446; in No. Sc, S292, 741. The proportion of
material to one ton of product in No. %
was: Ore, 1,621 tons; limestone, 3OS tons;
coke, $50 tons; coal, 132 tons. In No. Sc,
1853 tons; cinder scrap, 81 tons; limestone,
325 tons; coke, !, 191 tons. In the Ameri-
can factory labor cost S41 AS; in the Brit
ish, SIS, ,O47.
Other figures in No. % read: Officials
and clerks, s., $50; supplies and repairs,
Sc, 321; taxes, $500. In No. sc. officials and
clerks cost, S747 (sic); supplies and re-
pairs, S13, ,447, and taxes, $3.50. Per tons of
finished product, the American firm ex-
pended in the same period for ore. $S709.
Limestone, $243; coke, s.. 3S4; coal, S327;
labor, 81. 364; officials and clerks, s. 1872; sup
plies and repairs, S.20S; taxes, S.016, or per |
ton, Sl3. 433. The British expenditure in |
the period was: For ore, S613S; cinder, |
scrap, ETC., S.149; limestone, S171; coke, |
$2772; labor, S.601; officials and clerks. |
S.024; supplies and repairs, S.424, and taxes, |
SOL, or per ton, $40. .29O.
COST OF STEEL RAILS.
In the manufacture of steel rails No. 1.
American establishment, and No. 10, Brit |
ish, are taken out of total of IL which af- |
forded information on this subject, for the |
purposes of comparison. The elements of |
cost of one ton of standard rails are as fol- |
lows: In the former-Marerial, S21. 100: la
Dor, S1.54O; officials and clerks, not reported:
fuel, S1.10; supplies and repairs, S1.OO:
taxes. so cents; total cost. S2479. In the
British establishment the material cost
S1SO5; labor. S2.54S; officials and
clerks, $.O49; fuel, ssh; supplies
aud repairs, S675; taxes, S.0O6; total
cost per ton, $1S5S. In all
of the foregoing calculations no account is
taken of interest, insurance, or depreciation
Of plant. In the tables relating to mining.
statistics OF 147 mines are given. OF these
are British, 8 Continental, and Canadian.
The Continental miner receives from S149
TO S.7O2 per ton, while the British miner is
paid from 1924 to S491.
Ihe tables are compiled with great care,
by Commissioner Carroll d. Wright, and
afford most valuable information Tor COM
parlson OF the cost of manufacture of articles
here and in England and Europe.