New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-16
PRODUCING STEEL AND STEEL kAii''
STATISTICS FURNISHED BY CARROLL d. "h1""
TO THE PRESIDENT.

waslinrton. Feb l5.-The President mas u"'''
m,,,ed 10 Congress the report OF 'afroH ~ "''e",'
IN. commissioner Of Labor, on the cost oi P'O'', -.
=, tcc, and steel rails This report Is the result Va
several years careful Investigation III u"s '''"'
and Furop, with view to asccrtaih'h- wv We "
nroduclng articles dutiabc IN the 'tl'e" ''','' -
lending countries where such articles are pro"u'eu
49, I, =, reduction in order to show the dinerchce'
Co. cost ~ nroducton between this country and EUROPE
d tho nossble bearing Of these differences upon
tariff rates. n, ,,.i, -.
The report covers three fcatures-thc nFsl Ic.i""7
IN the cost Of production OF the articles s'ecV" ''
second relating 10 the rates Of wages ume' ed'"H
and efficiency Of the labor employed ana inc u''r
Iinr 10 the cost Of living and total earnings ana cN
no,d,,rrcs n, the men employed. Colonel Wright wac
,ble 70 obtain tie facts from 81 establishments nc
tividod The United States into two di'tri't7-'"o
J. Northern and the southern n compdT''o" Vi ''
cost Of materials used in the Northern III" '''','
distrIcts shows that the ore used IN the No'hc'" us
,riet COSTS per ton an average OF siiOl the oiuc''
scr,p etc. S2G3i; the limestone, US 'ch'' Wv
coke. s3Ol4 and the coal, S2.ooo' Inc 'o'' VI ,''o
.,r,bern district for the orc Is Sljl3' the chue''
c~,n ctc 81 O3i tie limestone, IoI cents '"0
coke 30 O-l and the coal, ~ 5d6 TIE rp'r' S"'"
tho total cost Of one ton Of pig iron from the mining Oh
tho materials 10 the finished product III ''''o'" 70
tablishmcnts seven In tie Northern ul9"N" "'o ;"
IN. -outrc,n and one in Great Britain. In the n'N1
, range, from 10 20 to - "a for officials ana 'lT"'
rr, - II TO IL cents: supplies, repairs ana WNe'
f-on 81 90 % - 81 transportation 10 p'i"l N'''V
used from 81 80 10 - -; difference Vc'"
foregoing actual costs and costs a 'har-cu -
tto, ,-rnorc from ~ 10 to - o.. tn; to'l'
Therefore range from $l301 pr Ton !" gu
In NE southern district the costs per TON "i run Va
,, rang, as follows Direct labor. - - 20 - "a
official. and clerks - cents t. - cents, suPPH's j.
mir. AID faxes 90 cents to ~ 20; tIaA'p'l''o" !"
,olu: whore used, 36 cents to 81 o. dln'''n'' ''
tween foregoing and costs a. charged bN p''' ''
u cent, TO ~ o.. The totals therefore P'HS' J" u"
Al 10 per ton to $40 81. In one eNtaoh''m'" ia
'rc, britain the total cost Of these elements pr ton
IS 80 IL
,r,,1er t,llo show, the result, Of inquiries A. To
Tho ,o.t - producing steel rail, In thirteen establish
,n,ri, two ia the United stat eight ON TIE continent
- Europe and three I'm Great Britain In the 'hlleo
states the net cost OF materials was Ell 10 AT one
establishment and 800 IL at the Other; the toii co'i
Of Labor was ~ q and ~ IS total cost 1T one FL "
ard 81 Gs ~ the other. on the Continent the net
cost Of material, varied from $l7 go to Tlo - th'
cost nj labor from ~ OF to - 6i per ton. In the
,rce establishments in Great Britain the ret cost OF
materials varied from $lG 80 to %lo O1 the cost Of
| Labor from al SO to 30 81. Tie totals therefore
Va'ch n I' Wrchi state, that the labor cost in on'
can nf steel rails should be les, per ton relatively ~
| his country than in Great Britain or on thG AoIi''
"rnt because American producer, oi f;llo ulSlt" =
I'm a. least one expensive process SIN adhered
| w. may foreign producers, ana materials III Ig
Tytrd slate, are purei than those u'cu IN Hgst ot
nntrc, Hence the quantity 4 orc required or wy
| 80. ,dnctinr %; "A con- ~ rails Is less IN ms count
,ran I'm many places abroad. ana inc lanor l''!t' a.
| a., handle the materials In q way 70 pioIuVc Il oii j.,
| u This is shown by the quantities OF ore uNcu III
Iifercut establishments. In an establishments III w.
X"rthern district here il3' POUNDS OF iron ore WI ,
et.ory Tor the production Of one ton OF Sahulu
MI III While i'm Great Britain 3.l27 pounds OF iron
~. vprr necessary for the PLOou,uoh "a o'C C,,
| . nrnctically the Kind OF rdl!> on tAc ON
| Vi P'. -oi mounds Of were necessary for ','
hcitrctinn OF one ton Of rails These hgurc9' ,oio
rcI Wright say>, are far more lhui'Hu|S "t IN thc
lonr,i,inns surrounding the production OF ias III ln'
| "nctive countries than any OF the o'her1 ENcu
T,a entire direct labor cost 81 rroauotioa !" NJ,
- establishment, ~ >" i0r IA" hlt"u 1tit
- :, for Great britain, and - 10 Ior Ine 'IH''u,
| %hou,ing a difference ~ agnln,t me htu -,
- s3 - In favor Of Great bralh anu :" ~ III lawn
oi rc1Iing OF transportation Of steel rai'I C9lont
III, a,. that I'm some eases the heavy lgit thart'
SSrn,ting iron and steel rails benefit, American
lol I'm others II places them M Strl9u
"ndvantace al ports where there is wafer colpeut"'
| LIN European manufacturers. ,, ,,r a
rh nricr Of English rail, per ton. without tarlii
| ,,,crnool il s25 nj New York. 10 At ChGago 20
~ san Francisco, $23. The price OF hneil> rlllT pr
,or with tariff al Liverpool !, 70 AT NeW- ~,
| no nj Chicago. $sii At san Francisco, #"9. lH
| mice Of Chicago rails per ton at 'nPaSo !, ~ :,
| Son Francisco 81 o.. giving English raliS an ,al
vantage OF SO o. Chicago rails III Tie san fr'lS
| narNct. ,..,.,,,,, Il, tbo Norib
o~n strict verics from ~ q 10 - OBJ IN inc HourI
,ccton fiom 81 % 10 ~ "a on the comment irot
"a cents 10 20 cents. and IN Great nrl'AIh 'o' .I
| crrtS IN g. cents. In Great Britain ana on ui
| Continent however, the workmcn arc employer OIL!