Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-02
THE VIEWS OF D. B. OLIVER
Many Purposes for Which Steel Can
not Be Readily Adapted.
OTHERS OF OPPOSITE OPINIONS.
The Suspension of southsids Puddlers
Practically Discharge.
o SOME OF THEM GOING TO NEW MEXICO

no denying tnat steel is iaSt taxing III
place Of iron in many instances. Manufac
turers, however, are not willing to state
whether there are not now too many iroT
mills for the country, but prefer to let the
future tell that story itself They do admit
the iron market Is stagnated and blame il
partly to over-production and partly to the
increased use of steel The other com
ing to leave to Providence to decipher.
The only thing they know is that they are
suffering.
Manufacturers claim that present con-
. ditions would justify . good market. II
was expected that with the large crops Of
last year would come an increase in bust.
ness, but all the signs have failed. Car.
negies think part of the depression 1,
caused by the railroads not using many
rails
Oliver Expects Better Business.
d. B. Oliver was seen last night and says
the iron business will recover but that steel
is crowding it very closely. When asked
whether the iron business will be crowded
out by steel, he answered.:
''No. While the iron business is very
depressed, am not of the opinion that it is
going to be knocked out completely because
Of the advantages that exist in the manu-
facture and in the uses of steel and its su-
preme adaptability to SO many purposes
formerly filled by iron. The use of steel
will be constantly on the increase, but there
are uses for iron that steel will not meet so
we'll, and there will still be demand for
It,"
''Do you. believe there are too many iron
mills now?'
Under the present depression Il may
appear so, but 1 believe there are not too
many"
"What isthe cause Of the depression in
the iron market?"
81 don't know what is the cause of the
depression which, by the way, exists in
steel as we'll as iron. Neither of them has
EVER sold as low in Pittsburg as they do
now. There are various theories as to the
cause of this, but 1 have heard of none that
satisfy me, and am content to say that do
not know. Possibly silver may have .
bearing on the question"
"Win the iron business pick up again?"
Economy the Order OF tho Day.
'rYes, think the iron business will re.
cover, but economies must be the order of
the day. We must do what has not hereto
fore been the practice in Pittsburg. We
must not only make the best quality of
goods, but we must make them cheaply.
We must organize our mills on the most ap-
proved methods; prevent all waste, econo-
mize labor. I don't mean by that to screw
labor to the lowest possible notch, but
mean we must arrange our mills and facto-
ries so that labor can be performed under
the best conditions for excellency and guam
tity of product"
Mr.. Oliver was asked as to what the i'm
mediate prospects were, but be did not wish
to venture an opinion.
One gentleman connected with one of the
largest Industries in the county when asked
whether steel was driving out iron said that
IL his name was not used he would say the
day of iron was almost over Continuing,
he said that iron was fast becoming a drug
and the day was almost at hand when iron
mills would have to be changed into steel
plants If their owners wished to make
money. he, however, said there would al
ways be demand for certain amount of
iron.
The Decentralization OF Prices.
A call was made at the office of Carnegie
Bros & Co. 1t was there learned that the
volume of business was large, but the prices
were greatly demoralized. This week the
company had larger sale of pig iron and
biliets than 1t has had for the past six
months, but the price realized was not much
more than cost. They are of the opinion
that IS soon as the season opens up the man
ufacturers will make an effort the raise the
price
A Holland, of Naylor & Co., iron and
trade is unusually bad and cannot see
when it will be bettered much 1t looks as
though we were arriving at an age of
cheaper steel The market is clogged, and
the reason for 10, think, is that the rail
roads have not been using many rails for
the past two years. and the pig iron has &C.
cumulated. The railroads will either have
to buy or the mills must shut down"
Not . Lack of orders
The Braddock Wire Company was also
visited and the manager said: "We have
lots of orders and our mills are all running,
but the price received for our product is SO
low it hardly pays to manufacture. This
week, however, wire nails took little
jump, but what it will amount to I cannot
say. The low prices are due to the cheap
ness of the raw materials and as long IS
this continues the price will be kept down"
The puddlers at Jones s. Laughlins'
Brownstown mill, Southside, did not hold Q
meeting yesterday AZ was intended. In
stead, committee was appointed consisting
of the men who are idle, and call was made
upon the firm. They were unable to see
Mr.. B. 3. Jones and they consulted W. L.
Jones' the manager That gentleman gave
his private opinion Of the closing of the 81
pudding furnaceA He stated that
he did not deem 1t advisable for
the men, who are still At work, to divide
the time with those who are idle, as he did
not think the furnaces would start again.
He also advised the men to procure other
positions, and stated that those who wished
to could draw on their wages at any time.
It Is Practically a Discharge.
This means clear discharge for the
men and will kill their tclaim
for divide of the time, as the divide only
Most Of the single men, both
puddIers and their helpers, have already
left for other places A great many are en-
ployed at the Braddock and Homestead
mills. The married men have, as yet, made
no move, but it was learned on good au-
tbority last evening that about 80 puddlers
and their helpers have an o6cr to 60 to New
Mexico and operate in a new mill being
built at a point on the Rio Grande river.
An agent, representing the Southwestern
Company, has been in the city for the past
few DAYS, and is stopping at the st Charles
Hotel. He says he wants only Pittsburg
puddlers. and has made fattering offer to
the idle married men who were laid off ct
l. L. IL