Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-14

and about 20 cents higher alongside. About
five-eighths OF the bituminous coal comes
from Chesapeake Bay and its watershed,
and costs 80 cents to 81 at the mine-about
the same as Western Pennsylvania Goals.
The Pittsburg and Lake Erie and improved
Erie ship canals will enable us to come into
New York with freight charges not much
over half as high as freights from the Cum.
berlaud and Pocahontas coal mines.
Must Drive Anthracite Out of Use.
What will this mean to us? What will
this mean to New York and New England?
To us it will mean freight rates less than 81
to New York. 1t will mean to run our
mines to the limit; that Pittsburg coal will
drive anthracite out of use as steam coal.
1t will mean that we can carry Pittsburg
coal by water to 20 manufacturing cities
and towns and to nearly 100 railroads and
their terminals in New England; that we
can place coal on all sides of New England,
and in each city and town within her bor-
ders. To New England it will mean saliva
tion. To many of her languishIng indus
tries it will insure profits; and enterprises
now profitable will extend business and in
crease profits. In fact, New York and New
England will be the principal gamers.
They will save $40 where we make 81.
Tie Eastern anthracite coal combination
nature fleece Eastern people of a fabulous
amount every year, certainly $50, ,000. 900,
probably more. If New York and New
England betrayed the entire expenses of
making 20 feet of water to the Great Lakes
and the Ohio, their savings on coal bills,
freights and incideutals dependent on fuel
would pay interest and maintenance and
leave enough to pay the expenses of the
Government of those States.
A Great Effect on Foreign Trade.
The construction of these waterways will
have o great effect on foreign trade. When
they are completed Pittsburg coal can be
delivered in New York cheaper than English
coal can be delivered in English ports. This
will cause the use of our coal in coastwise
West Indian and South American steam
ships; in all transatlantic steamers for
the eastward voyage, and In many as the
sole fuel. 1t will cause our coal to be a
standard fuel in Southern Europe and
Mediterranean ports; in South Africa and
South America; and in the West Indian
ports, except where Warrior coal from Ala
bama shuts US out
Warrior coal Is to be our chief com
petitor in foreign trade, with the exception
Of anthracite.
We will be about 75O miles by water from
New York, and nearly 1000 miles from
New Orleans. The Warrior coal is scarcely
half SO far from Mobile as Pittsburg coal is
from New York. Warrior coal can shut us
out of the gulf; but when we get to New
York we can confne Warrior coal to the
gull. Take q globe and with a pair
of dlviders strike q circle through New
YORK from Para, as a center, and
at the same time consider the advantage
which the trade winds, ocean currents and
free navigation give shipping from the
Northern port. 1t will be seen at glance
that New York is our objectlve-is natural
ly and inevitably the port of Pittsburg. All
our energies should be devoted to obtaining
cheap firstclass water routes to that point
len times greater is the advantage to the
East OF cheap route to us.
Coal for Our Commerce.
In this connection few reflections on
foreign trade will not be cut of place. Our
Government is solicited to grant subsidies
and bounties to steamships engaged in
foreign trade. A first class steamship, car
rying net 5000 tons or freight, running 500
miles day, uses 500 tons of coal daily. For
our Government to so develop internal trans
portatlon routes that this coal can be laid
alongside the vessel at a reduction OF 81 per
ton is g very practical way to give boEnty
OF $500 day every day the steamship is
under way.
Bounties, subsidies and reciprocal trade
arrangements will not alter the facts.
Nearly all the commodities of trade must
originate in the Mississippi Valley; if not
in manufactured shape, then as raw mate
rials. 1t certainly seems reasonable to ask
the people who beg for subsidies and boun-
ties Chat foreign trade may be .stimulated)
to help US get cheap transportation, that we
may deliver goods so cheaply that natural
trade will develop, bounties or no bounties.