The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-23
Which WayP

The industries now in Scranton are
perhaps sufficient in period of bet
ter than average prosperity to sustain
the citys present population with
measurable comfort. They are insult
ficient to attract desirable immigra-
ton on a large scale and the city
which docs not go forward will sooner
or later find itself in the rear.
The present year is expected to be
a good one for the coal trade This
means the mining within the territory
tributary to the city of Scranton and
the sale at a profit Of several million
tons. Better time in the mines, Of
course, means better times outside.
But coal is not a renewable commod-
ity. Every ton taken out and burned
now is a ton suhtracted from Scran-
toms business future. The deficiency
must in some way be replaced else the
local commerce dependent on the coal
industry must begin to decline as the
coal production will at no remote day
decline and collapse when the coal is
gone. This proposition is self-evident.
ufacture Of steel rails, is likely to be
more active in the immediate future
than it has been in the recent past:
but as matter of self-interest let us
scan closely its remoter prospects. The
center of the steel rail industry un-
doubtedly is Pittsburg. There Carne-
gle has modern mills of large capacity
embodyng every important new inven-
tion or idea; has thousands of acres
of coke shipped from his own ovens
over his own railroads to his own fur
mace doors; has rich ore mines reach
ed by his owns boats and freight cars;
has the benefit of unsurpassed facil-
tiles for cheap and quick distribution
and has active capital and trade co.
operation enough to hold his own and
get sooner or later the lions share Of
new business. Every order for steel
rails captured by small mill in COM
petition against Carnegie in the east
ern market is filled at loss or,
what is almost equivalent, at margin
of profit insufficient to pay fair re-
turn on invested capital. Therefore
in counting upon Scranton's present
steel rail industry as factor in Scran-
TONS commercial future allowance
must be made for fluctuations which
may possibly trend toward the unwel-
come. New measures may alter this
prospect for the better: some are un-
derstood to be now under consdera-
tiOn; but to be safe we must look at
the conditions from a practical and
conservative standpoint. We must
build on bed rock.
This leaves us with the two main fac
tors in SCranton's evolution no longer
able to carry forward the development
which they have inspired. Other fac
tors must be substituted. 1t is pos
sible that with the proper encourage
ment some large new industries might
be attracted to this city-industries
We mean employing thousands Of men
each. 1t is certain that a number OF
diversified small industries are avail
able and these are far preferable. In
dustrial eggs put into a few large bas-
kets go to pieces if the baskets fall;
but diversified among many smaller
baskets, the liability to breakage is
correspondingly reduced. But large or
small new industries are the salvation
Of Scranton's future. Our moneyed
men may prefer to invest in banks or
bonds or real estate, but a day will
come when to protect what they al
ready have AT stake in Scranton they
will have to go down into their pockets
dustrial growth
This city is at a new turning point
Which way shall i. turn?