Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-03

An Industry That Would Produce
Some Splendid Results.

An Industry That Would Produce
Some Splendid Results.
A late number of the New York Even
Ing Sun, In an article ON the proposed
additions to the navies OF England and
France, quotes detailed statement
showing that the program adopted for
new British war ships would absorb
one-fourth of Britain's current output
Of iron. adding: lin short, In naval
construction, along with its ordnance.
England and France combined are
spending over $65,OOO,0OO yearly, most
of 1t In wages In advanced forms OF
industry. This sum Is the wages OF be-
tween 10000 and 100000 mechanics
Of different grades, and represents the
living of some 100000 souls"
AS very nearly 100000 tons of iron
were probably made in Great Britain
last year. the adoption Of an equally
comprehensive program for war ship
building by the United States would
call for mining, transporting and smeit-
Ing some three and half million tons
Of iron ore or an addition of about one
third to the ore that came out OF Lake
Superior last year. At the same time
the employment of between 10000 ana
100000 mechanics, which would repre-
sent the support of some 100000, or any
large portion of the above estimate,
could not fail to advance the prosperity
of all productive industries in this coun-
try.
But because late number of the Lon
don Economist, writing of our lately ac-
quired influence over the iron and steel
trade Of the world, says: much Is no
doubt due to the free use of the wealth
accumulated during the period of high
prices, and which has been spent in the
extension and erection of new works,
securing every possible Improvement
in labor saving machinery" every pa
per in this country controlled or innu-
enced by any British interest would eX-
claim in horror, as they. have hereto
fore, against any addition to our navy;
for old works are always extended
and new works erected when there Is
promise of increased demand. And 1t
is the new works, brought into use by
the demand for the few war ships we
have built, that have made the reduc-
tons in the cost of steel and iron which
have given so much trouble to our Brit
ish rivals.
So the British led papers of this coun-
try will continue to urge our mechanics
that they will receive injury from any
increase in our shipbuilding. And our
farmers will be assured that the entire
cost of our navy is filched from their
pockets by editors and others who
know that while the average Briton
takes a little over so per annum and
the Frenchman about 50 worth of agri-
cultural products from us, Americans
consume on an average over 500 worth
of farm produce.
Many farmers will believe the editors
and others. Many farmers, we are sor-
ry to know, believe that If they trans
port both their wheat and cotton some
1000 miles to Manchester they will get
more cotton cloth than If the cotton
was worked up alongside the Gotten
field, and the wheat fed to American
operatives, who would eat no wheat
not grown in America. They actually
think that the cost of transporting the
cotton and wheat from the fields where
they are grown to Lancashire mills and
bringing the cotton cloth back to the
farm or plantation is not taken out of
them. These same farmers seem TO
think that high cost of iron and steel
does not injure them if the price goes
to British ironmasters.
See How We Prosper.