The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-15
INDUSTRIAL.

Consul Walmer, the United States
representative at Cologne, Germany.
writes to the state department relative
to the fears entertained here lest this
country becomes their most formidable
competitor in the worlds market. He
quotes from a newspaper article, which
says: "Of the two raw materials, coal
and iron ore, which form the basis of
the iron manufacture, the former eN-
lists in America. not only in large
quantities, the lowest estimates of the
coal bearing area of the United States
giving at least half a million square kill
ometers, but costs little to mine. This
Is proved by the fact that American
cokes had sunk last year to less than 81,
and still do not cost much more than
sl.20, while at the same time coke can
not be had in Westphalia under $3.50. "
The article goes on to speak of our ore
mines. setting forth that over 9,O00.0 900
tons of ore were mined i'm the Lake
Superior region last year and placed on
the railway cars at 21ia cents per ton.
In spite of the great distances between
the coal and the ore fields. distances
unknown in Europe, the output of raw
materials exceeds all past records. 1t
quotes from the Iron Age that last Sep
tember 2l5 blast furnaces were running,
with weekly output of 194.029 gross
tons. 1t then says: in consequence
of this rapid increase of the output,
prices must soon fall again and the
Americans will appear in the world 5
market i'm a very unpleasant manner
as competitors of the Europeans, and
especially in the German trade" The
article expresses the hope that the
German railways. mostly owned by the
government, will reduce freight rates
to the lowest possible figures on raw
materials. and the government lend
It's aid to opening up new railways and
canals. so as to help the producers of
German ores. The average wage of
Prussian miners is given as ranging
from $159 to $262 per year. the general
averages of highest and lowest. accord
ing to the variations in the several min
ing districts, being from $173 to $l95.
-.l:--
President J. e. OsgOod of the Colo
RADIO Fuel and Iron company, who has
just returned from the West, says:
Colorado is the brightest place in the
country today. Owing to its large pro-
duction of gold. an industry that cannot
be affected adversely by war scares,
financial legislation, or any of the un-
certainties that check other lines of
business, all industries in the state.
have been stimulated. The increased
activity is upon a sound and healthy
basis. AS to our own enterprise, the
Colorado Fuel and Iron company is
earning at least 25 per cent. net more
than last year. it has no floating debt,
and it's prospects were never more sat
isfactory than at present. At the meet
Ing of the directors at Denver Monday
q semi-annual dividend OF per cent
was declared upon the companys pre-
ferred stock"
-:ll:-
The English government, it Is report
ed has just entered into a contract with
the New York. Ontario and Western
Railroad company for the delivery of
100000 tons of coal to points along
Lake Ontario and the Canadian bor-
der
--:Ii:-
The price of structural steel has de-
clined 81 ton during the last six weeks
owing to lower prices of raw material
and restriction of building operations,
due to cold weather.
iii
The annual meeting of the stockhold-
ers of the Maryland Coal company for
the election of a president and ten di-
rectors will be held on February 4.
-: -
The Huntington and Broad Top
Mountain railroad coal tonnage for the
week ended January II shows a COM
paratiVa increase of 6,51S.11 tons.