The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-29
First Methodist

mon on "The. Power and the Glory" Ep- worth league meets at 6:45 p. m. Tuesday evening, May g, Prof. H. B. Vincent of Chautaqua fame will give an organ reel tai in the auditorium of the First church. No admission fee and all music lovers in vlted.
 St. Johns Methodist
 Corner Avenue H and Twentieth street. At Il a. m., preaching by the pastor, J. M. McCleskey, subgject, "A Prayer for Searching, or Searching Prayer" " Psalms, 139. At 7:45 D. m. preaching by the pastor, subject, "The Compassion of Jesus" Special music at both services. Miss Abigail Crawford, organist; Miss Annie Lou Wood, director of the choir. At 9:45 a. m., Sunday school. J. B. Dryer, 
 Judge Gary stated that iron and steel could be made cheaper In this district than at any point in the country. So far from 1t, on page 5446 of his testimony, in answer to a question by the chairman of your committee, Judge Gary stated that 'the cost of pig iron at Birming- ham Is not far from the cost of pig iron at South Chicago. It is very little differ ent." And in further answer to a ques- ton by the chairman as to how close it was he stated: T am not certain which is lower. but the cost at Chicago-the manufacturers cost-is probably S14.75 to $15." On page 5457, in answer to a ques- ton by you, he states that there are fur naces at South Chicago, Lorraine, Cleve- land. Pittsburg and Youngstown whose cost is very near the same, having pre- viously stated that the cost at South Chi cagQ and Birmingham was about the same. You quote him as giving the freight rate from German and English ports to New York as B S5. On page 5461, in an swer to you, he stated that the export freight rate from Germany would be to New York city s1.60. You then ask him, But is not s1 50 rather a low freight rate from Germany for rails and pig iron?" To which he answered, NO; l think that is the rate. That is the reg ular rate. I think from the seaboard."
 While he does state that probably the average cost of all iron in Germany is s11 he further states that fair average in Lcrraine-Luxemburg district which is a large producer of iron, Is $50, and that in England, the cost of the production of pig Iron is about S10. Leaving out of the question the German Iron which can be produced at sS.5O (and In dull times will undoubtedly seek this country) and taking the English cost of $10, and add ing the S160 freight and s2 duty eff it is reduced to that puts their pig iron at New York or along the coast at S13 50 cost. With $4.50 freight rate, which we have, to put our iron at the same point, our cost could not exceed s9.10 which is much below the average at this time when pig iron is a good deal cheaper than it was prior to the panic, owing to the reduction in the rate of cutting coal and ores, and the general reduction of wages around furnaces. Prior to the panic SIP might be considered as a com paratively low average cost for this dis trict, at which price we could not lay pig iron down on the northern coast and cover cost at less than sl6.5o. which would give the English iron an advantage of about 8 ton over this district.
 We used to make pig iron considerably below $9 but the day for that has passed forever, for labor would never be con- tent to go back to the wages which sat- isfied them in those times. think, when Judge Gary puts the cost at Pittsburg and Chicago, of iron, at s1229 for his furnaces, he has not included any de- preciation or renewal fund for the repairs and rebuilding of furnaces when they burn out. for he testified in another place that the cost was s14.75 to $15. and think that is about right.
 While the iron ores which go into our furnaces are undoubtedly delivered at the furnaces at much less cost than the northern furnaces. we must remember that this ore is very lean, the red ore (which is the backbone of iron making in this district running from 32 to 3S per cent in metallic iron. against their 55 to 60 and e5 per cent, which, of course takes a great deal more coke to a ton Of iron. Moreover. owing to the partings in most our seams of coal in this district, and the absolute necessity of washing the coal in order to eliminate the sulphur or ash before it Is coked (which is not done in Connellsville or West Virginia) our coke costs very much higher than the coke from most of these places. Any material reduction in the tariff on pig iron will affect this district more seriously than any other part of the country. and I can well see how the of iron at Pittsburg, Chi cago, etc. might even be willing to see it done, because pig iron brought from abroad has got to pay the freight from the coast to those interior points where the great markets for the pig iron and finished material are. For instance, think the rate on pig iron from New York to Chicago is $4 50: therefore, iron brought from England and laid down at the At lantc coast at a cost price of SIS 60 would stand SIS and something at Chi cago; whereas, we having to seek mar ket in the northern states have to bear the burden of the freight rate to those points ourselves. A very large amount of the iron produced in this district finds it's way up along the Atlantic coast-Cam- den New York, Long Island Sound, and on up to New England, so far as Boston. We would. of course, be shut out of those markets entirely with any material reduction in the tariff.
 ITO put coal on the free list would be disastrous to this district. West Vir- giaia mined last year over 46000, 900 million tons of coal, very large pro- portion of which found its market all along the Atlantic coast from Balti- more, Philadelphia and New York up to Boston and into Maine; and recent ly eff not at presenD, the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad had five years contract with West Vir- ginia to furnish them with their entire fuel supply Now, if coal Is to be let in free, Nova Scotia can put her coal all along the coast at a very much less price than West Virginia would be able to do, and would drive West Virginia out of that market They, of course. would not consent to go out of business, and the consequence Is. they would seek a market throughout this region where this district Is now finding sale for its coal and all through South America and Cuba. Today the Atlantic Coast Line is supplying nearly