The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
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HOW TO GET FUEL.
The Price of Coal Is Cheap,
Which Means Much for
the Manufacturing In
dustries of This State.
Written for The CALL
By I. STEUART.

Fuel for the people of this State is a sub
ject of paramount Importance involving
as it does the development of industries
and, consequently, the attraction 10 the
State of population, as well as occupation
for the children of those now settled
here.
Many industries that are absolutely
necessary for the development of the
natural resources of the State have been
heavily handicapped by high cost of the
necessary fuel. Among the most notable
may be mentioned that of smelling and
its kindred branches. The gold and silver
ores of the State, as well as those of
neigh boring States. could be treated here
to much larger extent than they are
now, and fruitful source of revenue
saved to the State, as we'll as in the field
of labor. This is caused, in a great meas
ure, by the high cost of smelling here,
consequent on the price of suitable
fuel.
While laudable efforts are being made to
develop the coal fields of the State-espe-
cially those III the immediate neighbor-
hood of San Francisco Bay, yet the factre-
mains that all the coal as yet discovered
in California, or rather, may say, on the
Pacific Coast from Washington to San
Diego, is pretty much of the same char
acter (being generally light lignites) and
utterly unit for smelling purposes. A
striking evidence OF this is to be found in
Oregon, where several attempts have been
made to make pigiron from the ores that
are abundant and of excellent quality in
that country, but unfortunately the only
suitable fuel obtainable to smelt with at
any price approaching the reasonable is
charcoal, which has finally become so
scarce and high in price that the manufac-
turers were unable to make the pigiron at
price that would ENABLE them to compete
with Eastern makers, who obtain the
proper fuel at extremely low rates and
ship their products to this coast. The in
evitable result of course has been the clos
ing down of the Oregon furnaces. Pre-
cisely the same result occurred in an at
tempt to make plgiron in California at
Clipper Gap, where iron ore is abundant,
but, as in Oregon, the only suitable fuel
obtainable is charcoal, so under these con-
ditions a successful prosecution of the bust
ness was found impracticable, and after
considerable loss to the promoters was
finally abandoned.
The same remarks apply to the fuel
used by the heavier industries of the State
For instance, the rolling mills in our own
neighborhood have always been compelled
to import their fuel and, as an exam pie of
the magnitude of the burden imposed
upon them by the Government in exacting
a duty on their fuel. have paid in the last
decade upward of a quarter of million in
duty, and have had to put their product
in competition with Eastern mills, who
have their fuel almost at their doors and
at the very lowest rates.
1t will thus be seen that the great desid-
eratum for the State is good and cheap
fuel, and it is gratifying to know that The
prospects in this direction were never
more fattering than they are at present
writing, as the prices of foreign coal
Australian and English-were never so
low as they now rule, and with every pros
pect OF continuance OF low prices This
is very comforting prospect for the State
because it means, in the first place,
farmers wheat to market at reasonable
rates, and a plentiful supply of good and
cheap fuel for the manufacturer.
The gran er must always bear in mind
that without the coalships coming from
abroad to this port he would have to pay
double rates for the transportation of his
wheat to market. He must, therefore,
keep his own interests in view and encour-
age and attract in every possible way ship
ping to this port.
There is also another encouraging feature
to note about the coal trade of this port,
and that is the steady increase in con-
sumption, Notwithstanding all the bur-
dens and difficulties above referred to,
which is a pretty good indication of the
healthful struggle going on within the
State, and the natural deduction, under
these circumstances, is that under more
favorable auspices the prosperity of the
State would be assured and the prospects
for the future be of the brightest.
Z.HG.@