The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-05
Buying English Rails.

Aofh, tHdt SU,VVV tOuS OI EngllSn steer
rails had been sold by Cammell &
Co.. the Sheffield iron merchants,
through their New York agent, to an
American purchaser. has attracted
widespread attention. The Chicago
Times Herald was so forcibly i'm
pressed with the circumstance that
it asked for an interview on the SUBJ
ject with President ]. w. Gates, of the
Illinois Steel company, one Of the fore
most American authorities in the iron
trade. That interview is well worth re-
printing. Mr.. Gates said:
whenever railroads wish to buy
rails the freight cuts an important fig-
ure in the cost, and under the low tar
iff Of $7.S4 per gross ton the American
manufacturer is seriously handicapped.
As an illustration take the recent pur-
chase of 10000 tons Of rails, which
think was made for the San Joaquin
railroad. The freight on these rails, all
rail, from Chicago, would have been
$1S.44 gross ton, and, added to our
price Of $29 in Chicago, would have
made the price $42.44. The English
manufacturers are able, on the ground
of the lower cost, which is solely in
labor, to produce and sell their rails
at the present time for $2314 a ton.
They would have no trouble. in my
Judgment, in obtaining a freight rate
Of 81 a ton from any English port to
San Francisco, as were English ves-
sells not to take this freight at a low
rate they would have to go in ballast,
and as there is a large quantity of
wheat shipped from San Francisco the
boats are glad to get any freight and
consider 1t clear profit over and above
the cost of loading and unloading for
anything they may obtain.
Taking the present English price Of
95 15s, figuring pound sterling at
$4.SS. and the cost Of the rails at an
English port Is $23.14. Add 81 freight
to San Francisco, $7.S4 duty, and 25
cents for commission and insurance
and the cost of rails laid down at San
Francisco would be $33.23 per ton, as
against our price of $42.44. As long as
the American manufa cturer is paying
the present scale of wages we cannot
hope to compete with the English man.
ufacturer at any port on the Gulf Of
Mexico or Pacific coast, unless our
freight rate is under S. gross ton.
To make this rate Of IS a gross ton
would be hardship to the railroads, as
no railroad could carry freight to the
Pacific coast at anywhere approximat-
ing this figure without losing money.
AS a consequence, as long as the pres
ent tariff exists. the American manu-
facturers will have to content them
selves with selling such rails as they
can sell to roads In the near proximity
of their works, where the freight
charge is not an important item.
II have prepared figures to show
what the loss to the laboring man and
the railroads and the lake carriers is
in the United States or account Of
this particular order having been
placed in Europe. These figures have
made w in the following tables:
TO THE RAILROADS.
On account of "a, 900 tons Of ore at co
cents from the mine to lake port. s II, 400
On 1900 tons of coke at $2.75 from
the ovens to ChicagO................ Al, go
On limestone, 5000 tons at Sc cents
from the quarries to Chicago. 2,7o0
On 5000 tons Of coal at 70 cents from
mines to Chicago. 5000
On freight 10000 tons at $13.A from
Chicago to the Pacific coast....... 13i, 400
TO THE LAKE CARRIER.
24.00O tons Of ore at $1.06 from port to
Chicago ......................... 25,0
TO LABOR.
On "a, 900 tons Of ore at mine at 81. s "a, 900
On coke and In mining the coal,
1900 tons at so cents at the ovens. 12,OO0
On limestone, 5000 tons at 35 cents
at the quarry. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1,75O
On 5000 tons Of coal at 55 cents at
the mine.....H ........................ 400
TO LABOR AND MANUFACTURING.
10000 tons at IS per ton............... 10000
Or grand total .S315, $50
''As transportation represents prac-
tically all labor" Mr.. Gates concluded.
ut means that this amount .,as gone
into English Golfers instead Of being
distributed in this country"
We are Of the opinion tnat Mr.. Gates
statement Of the case requires no elab-
grafton.
The Wilkes Barre News Dealer nom.
mates Hon. Charles A. Miner for the
honorary position Of national delegate
from Luzerne county, and calls sitten-
tion to his generosity and unswefving
party loyalty. The compliments fhlch
n r,avs IN Mr. Miner a "a v,al1 danSfvod I