Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-08-03
Number Is.


quent to help them out and often
shipments of a few cars. so to 100 tons.
are made to these plants. In this mat
ter of keeping the small mills going
the furnaces have nobly co-operated,
and the managers say that they be-
lieve that they can keep them going,
provided the pressure for pig iron from
other sources does not become too
hard. These small mills have no
pig" on hand, and they are getting it
wherever they can and consuming 1t
at once.
The large concerns are in a much
better condition. For instance, the
Reading Iron company employs 1000
hands in it's various mills. which turn
out the finished product. The com
pany operates furnaces by lease and
ownership, and these turn out consid-
cradle of the iron they consume. The
same is true of half dozen large cor
porations in eastern Pennsylvania. The
furnaces which are working on orders
have demands for twenty times their
product every day, and they are doing
their best to distribute it to the best
advantage among the small mills, If
their regular orders will allow. The
acceptance by any of the furnaces OF
this district for an order of 1000 to
5000 tons is simply out of the ques-
tion. They will book it if desired, and
promise to deliver any time eight to ten
months from now. Better they cannot
do. Pig iron in and about Reading has
risen beyond the $40 mark now. but
an offer of $50 a ton would not bring
any more prompt delivery. as the mar
ket Is congested with orders for many
4 h.. I.tt1f
ness begins to hum about Sept. l the
gravity of the situation will increase.
and it is then that the small mills will
be placed in an embarrassing position.
THINGS ON THE BOOM.
One of the latest contributions to the
reports of prosperous conditions in diff
ferent parts of the country is furnished
in an interview with Assistant Secre
tary of the Treasury Nanderlip, who,
as the result of an extended trip to the
Pacific coast reports that with few eX-
ceptions general business in all sec
tions is in very good shape. The only
serious complaint he met with was
that made by bankers about large bal
ances and low rates of interest. The
crop situation, while not up to that of
last year, is an excellent one. he says.
The condition in the northwest Is par
ticularly good. Results from the klon-
dixie trade are particularly favorable
at Seattle, and the general estimate is
for gold receipts of $lS,OOO,OOO from
this source Mr.. Vanderlip reports the
entire Pacific coast is interested in the
possibilities of trade with the far east;
ships are loading with lumber at Puget
sound ports for Manila, and some lum-
bermen have been examining into the
question of developing the resources
of the forests of the Philippines them
selves. The waning of the silver sentl-
ment in the west particularly struck
Mr.. Vanderlip, who reports great in
terest being taken in the question of
possible trust legislation.
PROFESSIONAL REFORMERS BUSY
The little coterie of professional re-
formers in this city who figure extern
sively in the newspapers but make
small showing at the polls on cleo
tion day, are keeping up racket over
Governor Stones veto OF the reSOlu-
tions adopted by the last legislature to
secure amendments to the constitution
to provide for personal registration of
voters and to make way for the use
of the costly voting machines. The
objectors to the governors action were
given hearing at Harrisburg few
days ago. Secretary of the Common
wealth Griest had refused for what he
regarded as good reasons to ignore the
action of the governor and oblige the
professional reformers and insert ex-
pensive advertisements in many news
papers throughout the state. Former
Attorney General Hensel. of the Pat
tison administration, appeared as coun-
sci for the secretary of the common
wealth and completely shattered the
claims of the "reformers."
MIR. Hensel took strong grounds on
the question of the right OF the COVER
nor to pass on these amendments un-
der the provisions of section 26. arti-
Gle Ill, of the constitution, which re-
uuire every order, resolution or veto
requiring the concurrence OF both
houses to be presented to the governor
for his approval or disapproval. He
also raised another very interesting
question, and that is that the legisla-
ture had failed to make any appropria-
tion for the payment of the expenses
incurred by the secretary of the com
monwealth in making the publication.
He cited these provisions of the con-
SJlIutlOn WHICH IOTUlu tudt any AiOhSy
shall be paid out of the state treasury
without previous authority OF law and
without specific appropriation hav-
| ing been made therefor. No appropri-
alton was made to pay these expenses
and there is no fund, general or special.
| from which the secretary of the COM
monwealth can draw the funds with
which to pay the expenses of the pro-
posed publication. The legal questions
were gone into very fully, and the at
torney general reserved his decision.
promising to give an answer in very
| few days.
MIR. Hensel made several center shots
and argued ably against the suggestion
that the legislature would take care
! of the expenses hereafter 1t was
! shown that the secretary OF the COM
monwealth would have to expend at
! least fifty or sixty thousand dollars
! for the advertising without any author
| ity of law, and reference was made to