The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-18

cents pound, and I'm 1888 they were sell
Ing at two cents pound. The first coal
shipped to the seaboard from the Mauch
Chunk region in 1903 sold for $40 n ton,
and tho cost OF transportation was 40 per
ton. The reduction in the cost Of food
and textile products has been phenome-
nal but the advantages accruing from
this Industry have not come simply from
tho extension Of the number and tho di
minution OF the cost Of products. Ii has
created values A bar Of iron OF the value
OF - has been wrought into needles sell
ing In the marke. for sos; into penknives
valued at $3.50; into buttons worth
go 900, and into watch springs OF tho
value Of S255, 600.
In lSi7 England's industrial income
was 5l5 0O0, 600 pounds, Of which 235. O00
600. or 45 per cent, was paid In labor. In
1896 the income OF the nation had In
creased to ], 800, 600, 600 pounds, gain OF
1877 per cent OF this sum eco, 000. 600
pounds or nearly 81 per cent was paid
To labor. showing that after making al
lowance for the increase Of population,
the amount paid to labor was AZ, 600 600
pounds more than the whole industrial
income OF the country in lS41.
The value of goods manufactured from
iron and steel in Europe and the United
States during the year 1889, was as fol-
lows: iron, 81. 06i, 600. 600; Steel 81, $685.
800 600; total, Il, 3i4, 500, O00
Inc percentage Vi tne Onlteu otates
manufacture was respectively 5l.3 5o.3
or 80 per cent of total value produced.
While the production Of coal may be
considered distinct industry, it Is i'm
possible To set forth the development and
influence of the iron industry without
reference to tho production OF that COM
panion mineral, which is the complement
OF iron in the economy OF nature.
The worlds production OF coal from 1900
TO 1889 was H. 0S6 00O. 900 tons, valued 1T
so, 0OO, 00O. 900, and supplied as follows:
Great Britain, ), 40d 00O 0O0 tons; Austria.
435, 900, 600 tons; United states, 1,9l2, 600,
600 tons; Belgium. 62l, 600, 600 tons; Cor
many, 1852. 000, 0O0 tons; Russia, SO, co., 600
tons; France, 646 OOQ 900 tons; India,
%, co., 900 tons.
The area of coal lands so far as known,
is 47S 600 square miles. or this amount
the UnitedStates has 1914. 600 square miles,
and Cheat Britain only 5000 square miles.
When the great resources OF South
America are fairly known, they will
doubtless revolutionize all the arithmetic
Of our statistical records.
Coke for blast furnaces was not en-
ployed In the United States till after 1850.
In 1855 we used l00 600 tons; in 1890 TO-
600, 0O0 tons In 1895 we had 256 blast fur
naces, using for the year IL, Is, 600 tons Of
bituminous coal and coke while all our
anthracite furnaces used only about
1900. 900 tons. In 1900 IL required six tons
Of coal TO produce one ton of pig iron IN
1890 ton OF pig iron was produced by 2
lilo tons of coal.
The cost of power from steam plant Of
today Is tbirty-four times less than in
1864 on the basis OF equal coal units, and
twelve times less than it was after Watts
first great achievement, and thirty times
less, reckoned on basis Of coal cost.
Sixty years ago the American blast fur
mace which produced four tons per day,
was deemed remarkable. In 1875 we had
furnaces producing 100 tons per day and
at the present time we are able to produce
over 500 tons from single furnace, per
day.
The average cost of steam plant is
today less than Il OF the cost in 1880. The
great improvements in engines and steam
generators and the comparatively low cost
OF coal, render water power OF little rela-
tive value.
The railroad equipment and traffic illus.
trate more peculiarly perhaps than any
other, the value OF the iron industry and
its wonderful contributions 10 our ad-
vance in civilization. In 1925 the first
railroad was opened for transportation
between Manchester and Liverpool. IN 81
years afterward it formed part OF a
system owned and operated by one COM
psny with capital of III, 600, 600 pounds
The total mileage OF the worli in 1895
States had 80 6-10 per cent.
The first steel rails We're used in 1862
During period of 20 years, ending In
$780, railways have absorbed AZ 800, 900
tons of steel; or nearly half of the
total production.
In 1890 there were in the United States
30, lob locomotives, %, 653 passenger cars
and 9S7. 100 freight cars. While the in
crease or population In the decade OF 1880
to 1890 was only % per cent I'll o increa
in traffic was nearly lC0 per cent The
number Of employes in our railroad SCR
vice In 1890 was 100 OF.
The conditions Of industry are con-
stantly changing. The struggle for i'm
proyement IL moving with "a steadily ac-
tolerated pace. Between 1887 and 1894
sos, 9i7 applications for patents Were filed
in tho United States and 523, 0S9 Letters
Patent were Issued. The protection nc
corded to inventors. the education of the
people, the liberal interchange of thought
and the inspiring influence exerted
through our state National and Inter
National ExpositionS, are the instruments
that have wrought the marvellous results
which we witness today.
The history of industrial achievement
in the United States, covers comparatively
short period The progress made is
Justly the wonder of the world. Still, we
have but just reached point when con.
ditions of approximate equality oh
tain. With the increase of population
and the further acquisition of wealth,
and with wise tariff legislation these con
ditions will steadily improve.
Tho burdens imposed upon our people
are less than npon any other In the
world. while the returns OF their labor
and industry are greater.
The per capita national debt of the
United States less the sinking fund In
1892 was Sll6A Great Britain less the
sinking fund in 1892 was sS7.79, France
less the sinking fund In 1872 was SIG. 30.
The percentage of population employed
In all occupations TO provide support for
the people OF England is .45; I'm Germany
it is az; in France. AL; in the United
States, BAG Yet the total product of
Europe and America, the United States,
with l6 PER cent of the population, and
with n smaller number of her people em-
ployed, consumes 25 per cent. Of all that
is produced. With these happy indus
trial conditions achieved by the labors Of
the past what shall we say Of the future?
That will be- for the iron industry and
for eyery industry in this land, and In