Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-03
Z a STUDY IN PROTECTION.

Since Senator Sherman has an
nounced that the Mckinley system of
tariff revision may be the Republican
programme for this and the year follow
ing, any facts bearing upon that sub
ject are interesting. 1t 30 happens that
Pennsylvania, which has SO long ia
vored extreme protection theories, must
in consequence soon face commercial
situation where a continuance OF such
a policy will bring TO that State the
loss of one of its greatest industries
the making of iron.
The decline in the output Of pig iron
and in the manufacture of articles from
it along the Atlantic seaboard has been
matter Of common observation. 1t
has been melancholy of late years, for
illustration, to ride through the valley
of the Lehigh river and note the fur
naces and buildings allowed to fall into
decay because competition with West
ern plants was impossible. Even the
Bethlehem Iron Co., which has been
able TO find work for part of its large
plant, II is stated, has had the subject
of removal under discussion. The
change of the johnson works from
Johnstown, Pa, to Lorain, o., on the
shore of Lake Erie. is yet fresh in the
public mind. The Pennsylvanian, when
spoken to about these removals. or
abandonments of iron furnaces in the
eastern part of his State, has hitherto
replied that the western part at and
around Pittsburg has prospered and
has gained for the State more than the
eastern portion has lost.
But change in the commercial su-
premacy of Pittsburg in the iron in
dustry has been slowly coming into
view. To make this statement plain, a
few explanatory facts should be
given. There is no one place where
coal and Bessemer ore are found to-
gether; hence the spot for the best To-
cation OF such furnace is change
able one, depending upon the relative
quantities and cheapness of coal and
ore required under improving pro-
cesses. Under these conditions the
shiftipgs of location have been toward
the ore and away from the coal fields,
These changes in the use Of ore and
coal have been accelerated by the con-
ditions of transportation the cost of
carrying ore has been. most economical
when lake transportation was alone
necessary. In a word, the shores of
Lake Erie have been found under
|
est place for the assembling of the ma
terials required in the making of iron
and steel, other things being equal.
Conservative judges estimate this diff
ference at so cents or more a ton in
favor Of the lake shores az against
Pittsburg.
1t ia not TO he assumed that Pitts
burg will yield easily,, for the contrary
is the case. the changes in the cost
Of pig iron making, Just spoken of,
form ono reason why the large iron
masters at Pittsburg, notably the Car.
negie Co., have been spending millions
las the sums are said to bel in order
to introduce labor saving machinery
and thus reduce the cost of production
preparatory to meeting the new com
potion, which will grow stronger with
time. Moreover the agitation for d
ship canal to connect Pittsburg with
Lake Eric is in the same line of cheap
ening cost, for with such II waterway
ore could be carried in lake boats with
out transfer to Pittsburg, and the
manufactured product back, thus MAX
ing Pittsburg practically lake port
With every aid that capital can com
mand, and with fully established in
dustry, it will DO years before Pitts
burg can be seriously affected; ye
with a difference in the cost OF pro
duction equal to return on the CAPT
tai invested in the plant, it will bt
only a question of time when the
supremacy Of Western Pennsylvania il
the iron industry will pass away.
Whep that time comes Pennsylvani;
win find that by it's policy it has los
its advantage in making iron in boil
its western and eastern PORTIONS Som
, of the furnaces near the Atlantic coas
, are Anticipated, but there are other
which need practically hut little en-
couragement to become again centre
of iron production. The main thin
at the moment is the removal of tn
} duty of 40 cents per ton on Cuban iro
} orc which now handicaps the Easter
: furnaces There is no reason for tn
! imposition of this duty beyond blin
adherence TO mere theory Our bed
t Of iron ore are l,500 miles from tn
I sea, and, as we have said, the tendenc
is to move the furnace towards the ore
! Iron ore so far away cannot be relic
upon to supply Atlantic furnaces, +
9 that il is IA question of using Cuba
e ore or abandoning manufacture Thes
{ 1880 miles must always protect tn
Western plant 80 that in any case in
Z ported ore could not interfere with th
u USE OF Western iron among the create
= part Of our population; while the or
: established but now declining bushes
OF producing iron in the Atlanti
! States would seem to have the con
d mercial right to live, since that RICH
Z does not involve loss or destruction I
j Western furnaces or to our ore fields
s These facts and reasonings ought [
+ have effect upon the Republicans {
. Pennsylvania who are yet advocatin
y an unyielding system of tariff dutie.
t If, as Gen. Hancock said, the tariff
local issue, the citizens of the Key
/ stone State ought to consider, before
is too late, whether they arc not i
danger Of losing their greatest industr,
0 and whether the principle of admittin
Q raw materials free of duty is not on
which they should at once make a
a important part of their political creet
q Theory" Dear" said the sick ma
to his wife, II wish you would g,
. another blanket and put it on the bee
r think that when the doctor took n
. temperature minute ago he took tC
: much of it. -. indianapolis Jou