The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-08-26
A TALE OF TWO
CIT|ES--AND A MORAL

Recent consular reports reveal a
startling contrast in the present con-
ditions and the future prospects of two
of the chief manufacturing cities of
England. They lie but seventy miles
apart, but the industries of the one
are steadily expanding while those of
the other are falling into decay. III
the story of these strikingly different
conditions, and the cause which has
brought them about there lies a NOR
al which merits the careful consider
alton of many American cities, includ-
ing the city of Bridgeport
Birmingham has behind it a history
of more than a thousand years, for it
was known as a community as long
ago as the year 872. There were great
deposits of iron ore near by and the
smelling and working of this meta,
became the chief industry of the place
and the principle cause of it's growth.
At first the work was carried on with
charcoal from the surrounding forests
and later with the abundant coal of
Staffordshire, but no one knows just
when it was begun. It may have
been an armorer of Birmingham who
forged the sword of King Alfred The
her many smythes was made by
English authors, and years before our
Declaration of independence was
signed the metal work of Birmingham
was known around the world. Today
Birmingham has a population of more
than 100000, and it would be natural
to conclude that her Industrial posi-
ton, backed as it is by the prestige
of centuries of success, had been es-
tablished beyond the. possibility of
overthrow.
But the reports of Consul Halstead
tell a different tale. for the show that
a serious crisis exists in the heavy
-. H. ID
ingham and throughout the MidlanGs.
Many long established firms are NOV
ing out of the district and others have
failed Not long ago the property Of
a bankrupt concern, which had manu-
featured black land galvanized iron
and steel sheets, hoops, strips, ETC.,
was put up at auction. The plant
was one of the most complete in the
whole region but a sale was not made
because the highest bid received was
less than one-third the estimated
value of the property.
Engineering. one Of the leading
technical papers of England, in COM
menting on this incident, says:
THE event has had an important
influence upon the views of Stafford
shire ironmasters in forming their
opinions of the trade outlook. and 1t
is regarded as another insignificant
proof that iron and steel makers re-
gard the SeabOard as the spot to which
all eyes must be turned and where
manufacturing capital must be In
vested if at all adequate profits are to
be realized in the future
And Consul Halstead adds, This
pessimistic view of the future of iron
trades in Staffordshire suggests con-
sideration of the possible effect upon
the industries of Birmingham district
of az further migration of the great
iron plants to coast and of the failure
to construct near Birmingham
The very foundations of Birming-
hams prosperity are crumbling away,
and her people are facing the posi-
bility that the mighty superstructure
of her industrial life, built through
centuries of toll will fall in hopeless
ruin.
It is a relief to turn from this
gloomy picture to the far brighter one
presented by Manchester II was not
all sunshine, even in Manchester. for
most of the cotton mills had to run
on short time during a large part of
the year but this was purely tenn
porary condition due to the shortage in
the cotton crop of the world The sig
nificant feature of the situation is the
constant addition of great manufa ctur
ing establishments representing many
different lines of industry. There is
one tract of land known as the Traf
ford Park estate, on which in recent