Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-25
TERMS OF THE DISPATCH.
PITTsBURG. THURSDAY. SEPT. q. 1890.
tn REGAIN LOST INDUSTRY.

Inc vital importance, 10 lne petroleum
producers, of the project they are agitatinl
of reviving independent pipelines and re
fneries, has already been given prominenct
in The DISPATCH. Much more can ant
will be said on that branch of the question
but.there is another aspect which should alsC
receive full consideration. That is the in
fuenee which such a project would have
upon the growth and wealth OF Pittsburg.
To fully comprehend the Importance o
this matter it is well to call attention to the
contrast between the Importance of Pitts
burg in the petroleum trade before the rise
present position. Sixteen years ago, before
the Standard had made It's first inroad upon
the Pittsburg refining interests, Pittsburg
was the third refining point in the world,
and it was only due 10 railroad discrimina.
tions that she was not the first or second.
The nearest oil producing region was on the
Millerstown and Parker line, some 30 mile;
to the north, but the natural advantages Of
the city for refining and distribution were
such that we refined one-sixth of the total
production. Every resident of Pittsburg
can remember the line of reineries which
stretched up both sides of the Allegheny
river, which employed thousands of men
and gave an annual output Of from
SIS, ,0OO, 900 to S25, ,OOO, 900. 1t was clearly
recognized when the Columbia Conduit
Company laid its pipe line, that the con-
nection OF the Pittsburg refneries with the
wells, would make Pittsburg the leading
refining point of the world, and would
easily double the magnitude OF that indus
try. That this expectation was not mis-
placed is proved by the fact that the COM
bined efforts OF the Standard and the rail-
wavs were not able to crush out the inde-
pendent refining interest here, until the
Columbia pipe line was absorbed and taken
up.
The contrast afforded BY the present state
OF affairs could not be more extreme. In
stead of being fifty miles away from the
nearest producing district, Pittsburg is now
the center of the greatest production. The
development of the Washington county,
Shannopin, Beaver, CHARTERS, and other
adjacent fields has gone on until derricks are
within sight from the city limits. 1t is an
actual fact that two-thirds of the present
production, and more than the total product
of 1874, is produced nearer Pittsburg than
the utmost southern limit of production
when Pittsburg was a great refining center.
Yet the refining industry of Pittsburg has
to-day shrunk to such degree that it does
not bear any appreciahle figure In the petro-
leum statistics.
The steps by which the Standard monop-
oily has wiped out the PittsDurg refining in
dustry are part of the history of that monop-
oily, and need not be recounted here. 1t is
worth while to remember that in such con-
tests as that over the free pipe bill of 1873,
promises were made on behalf of the Stand
ard that it would increase the volume of
refining here; but such promises were made
only to be broken. The Standards policy
has been shaped as if in favor of the facili-
ties of this point for Independent refining,
it would not permit any refining at all to
be done here. Tho consequence is that the
disbursement of millions of dollars in wages,
and the employment OF a still greater
amount of capital in legitimate industry
has been utterly lost TO Pittsburg during the
greater part of the past fifteen years.
The deduction from this contrast witch
should come home with peculiar force to
Pittsburg capital, and to all who are inter-
ested in the growth and prosperity of the
city, is that Pittsburg to-day has all the
facilities for refining petroleum that it had
in 1874, with the addition of the almost i'm
measurable advantage of having on
two-thirds of her circumference the
most prolific fields of production. Every
consultation Of the producers from Butler
to Washington has recognized that the
natural terminus Cor pipe lines and the
natural location for refneries is in the vicin-
ity of this city. All previous efforts at in
dependent refining here which have OBJ
tanned any approximation to equality in
transportation have proved remunerative
until bought up or choked off by the Stand
ard. All these things point to the conclu-
sion that the union of Pittsburg capital
with the producers, for building up the re-
ining industry on al independent basis, will
be richly remunerative, and will give the
city an increase of wealth, activity and pop
ulation that can be obtained in no other
way.
Indeed, with the magnitude of the oppor-
tunity fully recognized and promptly acted
upon, there is no reason why the industry of
refining should not be revived here on scale
which would make the old industry seem
petty. Saxtv per cent of the production is
ready to join in an effort to secure its hand
ling ami refining on an independent basis
here. II Pittsburg capital will make COM
mon cause with the producers, ii should gain
for our city a business which, with intelIi-
gent and determined management, ought to
exceed that done by the Standard at either
Cleveland or New York.
CLARKSON'S BIG CONTRACT.