The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-19
DEPENDENCE OF INDUSTRIES,
A Few Facts for tho Consideration Of
Intelligent Bushes Men.

Intelligent Bushes Men.
New York Tribune: The tariff has
now three sets Of assailants, together
constituting, it is confidently believed,
a small minority Of the American peo-
ple. One maintains that 1t never ac-
cumpllshed anything, and in the nature
OF things never could. Another Insists
that It has done its work so completely
that Industries have been lifted far be-
yond the infant stage. and now need
protection no longer. A third aftirms
that 1t has overdone its work, that
parts OF 1t must be broken down in
order to destroy monopolies that have
grown up behind Its defense. These
people should learn from the men who
were warned to hang together or else
they would hang separately. They all
ignore wholly the power OF Industries
to help or hurt each other. For those
who are willing to learn this mutual
dependence has been more wonderfully
illustrated within the last few days
thar ever before.
None will deny that the tin plate In
drqtry was created by the duty Imposed
in lsSO-not even those who insisted a
year or two ago that II did not exist.
The official directory Of the Iron and
Steel Association gives q list Of seven
ty works, with $50 mills or sets, nearly
all operating over year ago. The ca
paclty Of all, reduced to single turn IN
regular boxes OF los pounds each. was
1880 boxes weeklyIfor plate making
works, and 1900 for those buying ana
Timing black plates. II all were kept
at work n full year at that rate they
would produce 1921, 100 boxes, and as
about $50 pounds OF pig Iron Is used or
lost in making up each box, 1t would
take about $50, 62i tons OF pig iron TO
keep all these concerns fully employed.
Not one pound OF tin plate was made
In the country before the tnrln OF 1870.
The value OF such an addition to the
demand for iron cannot be calculated.
Apparently II gives good wages and
work to about 1850 more hands in
getting out the ore required, and the
coal and coke and the limestone Tor
that quantity OF pig and working 1t into
sheets, and about 2S,OOO In making
plates. More work Is provided for all
these uuarrymen and miners and coke
burners and also for vessels transport
ing about 100000 tons OF ore, coal, coke
nnd limestone, in all nearly 1000, 900 tons
OF freight, to be transported In part
long distances. For all these hands and
their many thousand families there
must be raised about four and u half
bushels of wheat for each family, and
cnttIe and hogs enough to supply them
with meat, and cows to provide milk,
besides, vegetables and fruit, sugar tea
and coffee. The consumption OF many
thousand well-pald families Is not n
smnll matter. nor Is their clothing a
| matter OF Indifference to cotton or WOOL
an mills. knit goods works or clothlers,
hat or boot and shoe factories. All
these have more work because the Iron
Industry has more work-because the
lin plate industry has been added
But there must be also more vessels
on the lakes, and to build these has re.
ouIrad many thousand tons OF steel
mates and much machinery, with more
work for all kinds OF hands, from the
mines and Quarries to the engine build.
ersil2 The railroads have also required
more rolling stock, and so have been or
derIng more cars and engines In great
or number, one concern alone having
contracted for plates to build one nun,
dred steel cars day for ten years, and
another having received In August Or
ders for 5000 cars, and all these re-
0uIre more plates and structural Iron
and axles and wheels. The wheels
alone. eight for n car. weighing $500
hounds. make up about $4,000 tons for
mere replacement OF 1,S5O,0OO freight
cnrs now In service having life aver
aging ten years, and there Is, besides,
| the Increase OF 10000 cars or more for
new work. All this expenditure also
requires new buildings, and for these
more structural steel and ponderOus
machinery are needed At every point
this expansion makes yet larger de-
mands upon miners and quarrymen
and transportGrs. sets more men by the
thousand to earn good wages and Rwells
| the demand for food and clothing and
Mi other requirements,
Thus there are literally millions OF
pconlc who have felt the benefit OF one
fnriT clause creating one new branch
~ Industry. II the managers OF any
compauy have slnncd. why should
tbgse millions be punished? Take away
duties by which one industry or an
| other IL created, and the effects tall
not upon that only, but upon all other
jndustrlcs. Demand for products
sbrInks the instant works In one branch
are Obliged to close. That shrlnkage
"a, turn cumpels other Industries to cur
tnil production. so that fewer hands
ARE able to buy, and oil nre,. with re-
| duced wages. compelled TO buy much
less. The country learned how rapid
Iy the curse of curtallment spread from
one Industry to all in 1893. II has since
learned how the blessings OF enlarge
meHt and expansion spread from one
10 all branches OF industry.