Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-22

petition and keep up the price. TO re-
duce production means the shutting
down of some OF the factories altogeth-
or or running them on one-third, one
half or any other fraction Of time as
suits the foreign management. 1t may
be that some portions of the fac
tories will be run and others
kept idle. In any event
it means a heavy blow to the prosperity
and happiness of the wage earners in
whatever locality it may happen. We
all hope that it may not occur here
abouts, but in the light OF the nail and
iron combines Of the past we look upon
the prospects with grave fear and
doubt.
In this connection the following very
vivid picture Of the results Of combines,
snperlnduced by pernicious tariff laws,
taken from the ST. Louis Republic, will
be read with interest:
The operation Of the tariff laws as
applied 70 many Western industries Is
illustrated in the two accompanying
cuts. They represent, in part, the
present condition OF the old Vulcan
Steel and Iron Works in Carondelet.
Combinations, as organized under exist
ing conditions, and the conditions which
have prevailed for almost quarter OF
century under high protection, inure
almost entirely 20 the benefit OF the
east. II is in that section that the
largest aggregate capital is invested in
manufacturing enterprises in nearly all
lines for which the tariff laws have
been enacted. The men who control
these industries live there and AL their
interests are centred there. When
trust Is formed for the purpose of re-
stricting production and II becomes
necessary 10 shut down one or more OF
the factories in the combination 1t Is
always those which are located in the
West, or other sections OF the coun-
try than the East, upon which the
KEY is turned. Tue consequent re-
suits OF men thrown out or en-
ployment, vacant houses, depleted
trade of merchants, and all the Ills
which fall upon . community when us
industrial life is stricken, are felt In the
West, not in the East. The balance or
trade is always In favor OF the section OF
country east OF the AlleghenieS. The
Vulcan Company was first organized
i'm 1871. The steel works had their
first blow September l, 1876. The
equipment was large and well selected.
The plant embraced the best machines
and enough Of them 20 convert millions
OF tons OF ore into rails. The works,
lying between the Iron Mountain rail
road on one side and the Mississippi
river on the other, were favorably sit
uated, both for the receipt Of raw mate
rial from the ore beds ~ Pilot Knob ana
for the shipment away OF the finished
product. There were two Seven-groSS
conyerters in the establishment, four
pig-irou cuD0i3S. four Spiegel melting
furnaces, forty gas producers, ten Sci
mems heating furnaces, one three-ton
hammer, one 33-iach blooming train,
and 24-iach rail train, and one 24-lnch
billet train. There were three blast
furnaces.
The output for the first year was 90
QO3 net IONS. This was increased the
secoad seSr 20 3l.2S9 tons, n gain of be-
tween SD and 60 per cent. in the prOduc-
tl0r. Tire years Of 1878 and 1879 were
years Of widespread depression in the
steel Industry, and the Vulcan works, as
the Youngest institution of the kind In
thu country, naturally felt their indu-
ence more than any other. They made
no output at all during 1879. In 1850,
however, when the trade began to re
vive. they made the largest record OF
their history no 10 that time, putting
out 1910 net tons. This was nearly
doubled the next year, when 64,226 tons
were put ont, and in the year following,
1852, So, 52S tons was the output.
THE COMBINE APPEARS.
II was about this time that the steel
combination began to get control of the
works.
1t was St. Louis capitalists who CAPT
tailed the concern, buying its stocks
and floating its bonds, but the larger
aud permanent increase in It's business
justified them to expect good interest
on their original investment, and they
proved their confidence by new invest
ments of money needed TO increase the
capacity OF the works and 20 introduce
new and improved machinery. They
had become competitors with the old
established companies already ia the
combination, and their industry was
still i'm its infancy. The trust, or COM
bine, took its usual course in such a
case, which is always 20 first make an
attempt 90 crush rivals, and, that fall
ing, TO get them into the combination.
When il had been demonstrated that
the Vulcan Company was backed by
capital and brains enough TO SuS-
tain itself and develop all the great pos
si6lities i'm its hands, OyertureS were
made for consolidation. As result
of them the production of the works
WAS restricted nearly One-thtrd in 1883,
falling from the s., 62S tons OF the pre-
ceding year TO 64.l42 The next year
the works were closed, and they are
closed yet. The combine finds IL more
profitable TO pay out its money for
wages and material farther East
An * ever consented to leave in ST.
LouiS WAS the dividends due the owners
OF the plant, and even they have been
withdrawn within year or two. All
the skilled worSmen employed here
have gone away. The only people
aooutthe works now are Waterman.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKK.
Viewed from a distance the skeletons
OF great machines can be seen standing
in Semi-darknrSS, but where the sun
strikes the yellow rust accumulated up
ON the iron surface, tells the story of
decay. Spiders grown fat under pro-
lection, swing idly in their webs and
wait fer lies, ike human spiders in the
protected syndicate which controls this