The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-11

WESTERN STEEL RAIL SALE
The Colorado Coal and Iron company
has just sold u 500 tons Of steel rails to
the Union Pacific to be delivered as
fast as made.
Il Il II
DEMOCRATIC DEBT-MAKING.-
Treasury officials estimate that. ow-
ing to heavy disbursements on account
Of interest on public debt. there will be
an increase in the public debt for April
Of between $5,0O0,00O and $6,0OO,0OO.
EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH.-The
New Orleans Picayune reports that
while the south has gained "a per cent.
In population during the last twenty
years the enrolment Of its school at
tendance has increased l3O per cent.
The value Of southern school property
In the same time has increased from
SIG, ,OOO,O to 5l,00O,OOO. The claim Is
made that Of the S320, 900 expended
for education in the south In the last
eighteen years one fourth has been for
colored pupils.
PRODUCTION OF PIG IRON.-The
production Of pig iron i'm March was
slightly above that Of February, ac-
cording to the figures Of the Iron Age.
The weekly capacity of furnaces In
blast on March ! was 1S9,5S3 tons. and
on April the weekly capacity was 1885,
Isl tons. The highest point ever
reached was last November. when the
weekly capacity was 217.3O6 tons. The
present output Is large. and 1t Is great
er than the demand, as nigh, be ex-
pected. During March the stocks of
pig iron unsold rose to rs, ,244 tons, an
Increase Of $1,000. Stocks have In
creased $4,000 tons since last Novem-
Der. during which period there has been
decrease In the output Of iron. eX-
cepting only last month. Bids have
fallen materially during that period,
but they are now being advanced be-
cause OF an arbitrary increase In the
price Of Ore and coke. An encouraging
feature il that. notwithstanding the
depression in business and the fact that
railroads are not In position to buy
material freely. there Is a tremendous
consumption Of pig iron.
HOW ENGLAND IS FED.-Says the
Nineteenth Century: In 1894 with
only q trifie Of 100000 acres under
wheat. England produced 100000
quarters at home, importing 900
quarters Of wheat grain. besides 49,
100, 600 hundred weight of fiour-that Is
to say. a total of q .000, 600 quarters. al
lowing for flour. In 1894. then. three
out Of every four Englishment lived
wholly upon foreign bread. In 1895.
owing to the tremendous reduction of
the area under wheat. not one in every
five drew his bread from the country.
Our daily bread comes to us from
abroad. But this Is not the only .neces-
sary which we import. Cf food stuffs.
which might conceivably be produced
in the country, we purchase from the
foreigner nearly half Of our meat.
nearly fl6.50O worth Of butter and mar
garine. f6.O70.0OO worth of fruits and
hops. f5.400,000 worth of cheese. 1885,
0OO worth Of eggs. $1,000. 900 worth Of po-
tatoes. f77S.00O worth Of poultry and
fl.090.000 worth Of vegetables. In addi-
tion to these there are the various
kinds Of colonial produce, Of which
sugar alone could be grown in England.
A small rise In each Of these items
would inflict innumerable hardships
upon our working population. "A great
rise would mean starvation"
II
WORK AND DRINK.--The United
States department Of labor, under
the direction Of Cnm'nisisoner Car.