The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-23
THE SOUTH DOES NOT WANT ffo
LECTION.

THE SOUTH DOES MOI w SN' '''
LECTION.
We have several times referred 10 the
ffct that the Southern iron producers 10
not want an increase tariff on pig IRON
rho most recent expression Of this char
scter is from Mr. Sol. Haas. President OF
the Sloss Iron Steel Company, OF birrn-
iogham. which we quoted yesterday. IL
was rs follows:
we DO not need a duty on iron. Ihe
SlCss COMPANY il liable to ask for re
Guction OF abolition Of the presen, tatnn
on iron rather than an .ncrras'. we
mderscn Scotch and English IRON III ltd
own country. ana we can pat our IRON
freight paid IL New York at the price
of Scotch and English iron. with the duty
added at their furnace.
Congrcssn an r. II. Aldrch. Republican
and proieC florist. says he did not attend
the tarin hearing because the present
duty on iron is high enough ana Alaba-
ma iron needs no further protection. Mr..
Haas bold Statement: has created much
interest. although no unfaVorabe com
ment. The immense sales of Alabama
iron for export during the past i've
months. and tie constant reception CT
orders for more. have almost killei ont a
once strong tariff sentiment among A'a-
bama iron men.
In this connection. we note a most
significant article written by Hon. Robot
y Porter. for the New York sun, ca
American railroadlng. Mr.. Porter sivc-
some very interesting statistics showing
that the value of railroad property n
this country is twelve thousand million
dollars. with a total mileage Of over $50 JO)
miles. lie says that the railroad ntcrca-
is next in value to the farming Interest
whose value aggregates thirteen thou
sand million dollars.
Mr. Porter draws a comparison betwcta
the railroad interest and the ma1ufaa-
turing interest. showing that the orc in
terest is greater and more important
than the other. lie says that She rail-
roads of the country are in worse plifh.
than the manufactures of the country.
and that If Congress would only aXtcnI
its hearing to railroads the stories Of The
recent tariff hearings before the W1ys
and Means Committee could be repeated
with interest on a larger and eva1 mere
impressive scale. That there would be
accounts of loss Of earnings. reduction
OF rates below the paying point. actual
loss OH passenger traffic, deterioration of
roadbed, reduction in the number Of EN-
ployes. others working half time. re-
ceiverships, foreclosure sales, practically
half of this enormous investment bring
ing no returns, and the blight Of msol-
vency steadily settling down upon our
entire system. And 50 on ana so on.
The evident purpose of the writer being
to use This as an argument I'm favor of
higher tariff.
Now if Mr.. Porter had confined him
self to the Northern and Western roads.
we might have had no comment save
this: That the wreck OF many of the
roads in this country was due. not to lack
of profitable business. but 10 excessive
capitalization. 1t is well-known fact
that the capitalization of many raiiroa Is
has been far in excess OF their actual
value, making it impossible to earn a
dividend, and it is also a fact tina. many
Of these roads have been purposcly
wrecked TO put money into the pockets
Of the spectators
But We will let the Northern and West
ern road pass. our purpose IS TO show
a better state OF things in the South
Mr.. Decatur Axtell. vice-president Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company
prints a communication in the Richmond
State from which we take the following
extracts:
The reports show that the total tons
carried in 1885 70 were 6.JifS0 against
5.Gl1. 200 in the preceding year. and 4.79i.-
900 tons in 1898 o. an Increase of 81 per
cent. in two years. The revenue from
purely local freights was 10 per cent
greater in the year ending December 81.
1896. than in the year before, and FOR
the month Of December, just passed It
was u per cent greater than in Deem
Der. 1897
Coal. not rounting that shipped by
ocean vessels at Newport News. incrtas-
ed 10 per cent. The number OF tons OF
coal and coke received on cars in West
Virginia in the year 1886 70 was 3. ST. OO1
an increase of 306.OOO tons over the year
before. Al very low estimate this re
presented the employment In the States
OF Virginia and West Virginia OF l.OOO
men more during the whole year ending
June %. iS9-. than were employed in
the preceding year. The quantity Of
coal and coke brought into and used in
the State of Virginia was ~ per cent. in
excess Of he quantity brought i'm the
year before. and the increase over the
year 1896 ~ was still greater.
There were more furnaces i'm blast on
the Chesapeake and Ohio in 1853 than
In any preceding year. Pig and bloom
iron. mostly. 10 and from local stations
increased from l6S 500 tons in 1854 TO
20i 800 tons in lSSi-'95 and TO 292 800 tons
in 1885, sc. Manufactured iron. nearly all
from mills on the Chesapeake and Ohio.
increased from s. 100 tons i'm 1899, 10
81. 800 tons IN lS9i-'Sj and TO lii. 500 tons in
1896 The production of iron-orc and
ryrites was 2Ss.3oO tons an increase in one
year of 10000 tons.
Miscellaneous products OF mines