New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-04
take YOU TO the cemetery some day in the faii
and pcnt out t. you your graudfathers grave
- -H-------- .-
THE IRON INDUSTRY.

| The last wear of Republican rule was Sig
naliz, d by the greatest prosperity ever KNOW" !,
in many douarmcnts. In the greatest OF AL
branches of manufacture the country no' oNiS
surpassed all records Of any other natioh'
as it had done in the very year
the new tariff was enactrd' puC ""S
surpassed the record Of that year or any
ether in this country. The mere output Oh
pig-ilon was slightly greater in 1890, but I'M
sold stocks wee increased 377,941 tons, while
in 1892 unsoId stocks were reduced VI,
tons, so that the actual consumption CT plS-roh
i'm manufacture was nearly 100000 tons III e'r
than in any previous year. This lncr' as WAS
q little mole than the officially estimated IN
crease in population, so that the consumption
of American zig iron rose from 3lo.6I pounds
for every inbabant in 1890 t. 1853 polndS
in 1892. ard meanwhile the consumption OF
impolted iron of all kinds was much r duced'
In comparisons for this and last year the i'm
rorts less an, increase Of stock in warehouses
are used. the figures for 1892 having been
furnished by the courtesy CT Mr. Brock' Ohlei
of the Burcnu Of Statistics. in place of thc
staten, mt Of imports for consumption not !e'
made up. which is used for earlier years. Inc
imports of pig and scrap irrn IN lS92 were
about 5000. 900 pounds against 3O',0oo,-
600 pounds in 1890 and 2.5l3,0O0 900 pounds
in 1879. Of rails the imports and withdilWals
from warehouse wcrc less than 1000 OoO
pounds against more than 600 100000 pounds
in each Of the years 1881 and 1882. ana more
than | 900. 100000 pounds in each OF tho
years 1871 and 1872. Of tinplatos the imports
less increase of stocks in warehouse wcro
$50, 900, 900 pounds, against l.O3I, o0o.0 900
pounds in 1890 and 44OO00,00O pounds IN
1852 OF all other manufaC tucd iron the I'M
ports less increase of warehouse stocks werc
o75, 600. OO9 pound', against 31S,oOO,oOo
pounds in 1890 1.136.o 100000 pounds III 1881
and 9sS. 900. 900 pounds in 1883.
These few figures give an idea OF the trc-
mcndous gain made by American industry IN
supplying wants formerly supplied by foreign
works Not longer ago than 1871 the inn oltcd
iron and steel Of all kinds was over 60 pounds
per capita. the American product being 80
pounds In 1851 tho imports were GS.39
pounds. the American product being 1919
pounds. and only five years later the imports
Of iron and steel in 1886 amounted 10 5'.'9
pounds per capita but by that time The con
sumption Of American iron in manufacture had
risen to 22590 pounds. During the last three
years the consumption of American iron has
for the fist time risen above 300 pounds per
capita as above stated. while the aggregate 81
all imports Cf iron and trcl Wa. go pounds
in 1890, only 1917 pound, in 1891. and only
I6I7 pouni, for each inhabitant in 1892. In
short over twenty times as much iron was
manufactured in this country last year a was
r all l., cf,,,li, 11fs In,
1856 the American manufacture was MT quite
four times the imports in 1881 MT quit three
times. and in 1871 1t was only - pounds Der
capita greater than the imports.
Thus the whole f tho wonderful expansion
in American consumption of iron has been mot
by the growth Of the home industry, and in
addition more than thic,-quartcrs of the d.
mand formerly supplied by r reign works.
The aggregate consumption Of mcSic and
foreign iron has grown in this country far more
than in any other About fry years ago il
was 100 pounds per capita, and when PIoicc-
ticn began Thirty years ago il was rather less
Between 1862 and 1872 it more than doubled
increased Gt pounds per capita from 1872 10
1851. and has increased - pounds for every
inhabitant from 1881 10 1892.
II is ten years since British production Of
pig iron reached It's maximum, and for the last
four years it has declined every year. Tho
exact figures for a>t year have not yet been
published. but probably the producti, N was not
greater than $500. 600 { Ms against 9.lJ7.-
900 tons III this country. Great Britain sends
a vast quantity Of pig iron To other lands but
lis entire production has never been within
half a million tons Is great ~ the American in
1892. The quantity Of pig-irJn used in Brit
ISL manufacture has never been m re- than
7,TG9.1ls tons in 1889 when the American
consumption in manufacture wa, about the
same. Now the American consumption in
manufacture la, increased about 1000. 600
tons in three Years. while the British has fallen
apparently more than 100000 tons in tho
same time.