The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-07-18
TAUNToN's IRON INDUSTRIES.

1
The Boston Herald published an
article some DAYS ago in which an at
tempt was made to hold the Mckinley
tariff responsible for an alleged decline
in the iron industries of Taunton. Will
liam II. Bent, treasurer of the Mason
Machine Works, thereupon comes to the
front with few pointed truths which
place that Mugwump sheet in morti-
flying position.
In reply to the assertion that the
tariff on coal and raw material drove
the locomotive industry out of Taunton,
Mr.. Bent asks why then the business
was not killed in PROVIDENCE, where
the RHODE ISLAND Locomotive Works is
still running to its utmost capacity,
which is four or five times greater in
that line than ours ever was?"
The plain truth is, Mr.. Bent declares,
the Mason Machine Works gave up
building locomotives because, as
small establishment, they couldn't
stand competition against larger manu-
facturers. "To insure good machines"
he proceeds, land to keep up with the
times we had to employ as good de-
signers and superintendence and special
tools as if we built 1000 instead of only
fifty locomotives year. The drawings
and patterns for fifty locomotives of one
kind cost as much as for 500 of one kind,
and this principle extended all through
the business. We had not the means
to increase our locomotive producing
capacity to make it pay"
This is the tariff bogey the Herald
conjured up with such painful effort.
Finding it Improbable to scatter their
fire, the Mason Machine Works concen-
trated their energies on their original
line of business-cotton machinery and
printing presses-and their output is
greater than it has ever been. "Wages,"
says Mr.. Bent, "are high and have an
upward tendency"
The Herald said "the Old Colony
works are idle" but it neglected to say
that they were burned out, and having
an unfavorable location for transporta-
tion chose to wind up the concern-pay-
ing, by the way, 81 500 for every g., 900
in stock-rather than rebuild.
The Taunton locomotive works are
running at their full capacity and have
recently declared dividend. "The
present iron industries of Taunton"
Mr.. Bent concludes, " are far superior
to those of decade or more, in the
number of men employed, and the aver
age character of the workmen as
mechanics and citizens. In 1860 the
day wages of our entire establishment,
including apprentices and minors, aver
aged $i.05 per day Of II hours work; now
they average $l.7i per day of 10 hours
work."
There is another point, too, on which
the people should refuse TO be deceived.
The Herald argues that the removal of
the duty on coal would make an i'm
mense difference to the iron industry of
New England. There is no duty at all
on anthracite coal, which is very high in
price mt present; made so by powerful
combination, such as we are often told
is only fostered by the tariff, while the
price of bituminious, the only protected
coal, is extraordinarily low and free
from combinations.
Further, the only foreign coal availa-
BILE for New England, il the duty of rs
cents per ton were lifted, would come
from Nova Scotia, and could not be laid
down in Boston to-day. according 70
good authority. short Of -. 30 per ton. IL
the duty were removed and the whole of
IL deducted, the price of such coal in Bos-
ton today would be about S}.i5 per ton,
while the American bituminous Goals
are quoted in Boston at $3.15 for Clear
field, which Is better for many purposes
than Nova Scotia coal, and $3.50 for
Georges Creek, which is the best of all.
OF what possible benefit then could