The Iron Age 1903-05-21: Vol 71 Iss 21

“i SFil |THE IR@=8AGE A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery and Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St.. New York. Vol. 71: No. ai. New York, Thursday, May 21, 1903. Se en SS eee Reading Matter Contents.........page 58]; —— Alphabetical index to Advertisers ** 183 Classified List of Advertisers..... e 175 Advertising and Subscription Rates ‘* 182 Smokeless Powder Shot Shells are being continually improved to meet changing conditions. Dealers should carry a stock of the best loads of U. M. C. NITRO CLUBand ARROW shells to meet the increasing demand. U. M. C, products are half sold before they are offered by the retailer, This is due to their long standing reputation and the thorough advertising behind them, The Union Metallic Cartridge Co., Ameer, 313 Broadway, BRIDGEPORT, ew York City, N. Y. CONN. Bristol’s Patent Steel Belt Lacing, SAVES Time, Belts, Meney. GreatestStrength READY TOAPPiY «= FINISHED Jom With Least Metal Send for Circulars and Free Samples. THE BRISTOL CO., Waterbury, Conn SAMSON SPOT CORD Also Mosmenetse trae" SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. ~ SORNBUCKLES. REGULAR PATTERS. GAPEWELL HORSE NAILS THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY HARTFORD, CONN. z © wi - NEW YORK, Branches: PORTLAND, ORE., e PHILADELPHIA, BUFFALO, 2 CHICAGO, DETROIT, BALTIMORE, 8ST. LOUIS, CINCINNATI, NEW ORLEANS, , BOSTON, SAN FRANCISCO, DENVER. ¢ A a Mill Ginder. rard Building, Phils, aun Bank, ttsbur; PILLING & CRAN kmpire Bldg, New Yor 4 Board of Trade, Boston. REGULAR PATTERS. e, reliable and well made. Men using exhaust steam for neutinnl: or aime used jm a condensing plant, it has no equal. It is noise- ated attachments. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago. & STAMPING C0, HOT AND COLD ROLLED STRIP STEEL. The WILMOT & HOBBS MFG. CO, cama 24 MAGNOLIA METAL: Best Anti-Friction Metal for all eer eee. Pac-Simile ot Bar. ee The best and worst of galvanized irons are only 5 per cent. and a little ti apart. Take your choice. American Sheet Steel Company, New York “OS MAGNOLIA METAL CO.., neem Owners and Sole Manufacturers, 6ll-513 West [3th St., Pan Francisco, New Orleang, wontrew ure all Chicago, Fisher Bidg. NEW YORK, grades of Babbitt Mictats at competitive prices. THE ANSONIA BRaAss p” COPPER CO. MANUFACTURERS OF BRASS AND COPPER Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. SOLE MANUFACTURERS Tobin Bronze (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) Condenser Plates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Seamless Tubes for Boilers and Condensers. 99 John Street, . Randolph-Clowes Co., Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY, CONN. MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 253 Broadway, Postal Telegraph Bidg., Room 715. Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bldg, New York. THE IRON AGE. ( SHEET BRASS: i WIRE ( SHEET COPPER) ©. | WIRE ~ GERMAN (steer SILVER’ “y WIRE LOW BRASS. SHEET BRONZE. SEAMLESS BRASS AND COPPER | TUBING. BRAZED BRASS AND BRONZE TUBING. :::::::: WATERBURY BRASS €0., WATERBURY, CONN. 130 Centre St., New York. Providence, R. I. € GENUINE No. 1 BABBITT. ? Handiest Metal you can , use, as there is practically 2 no shrink in it. ver tried itt , Saves in every way—Time, and Metal Company, Bridgeport. Conn. Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co., LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Selected Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Blanks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Ewe PA ee Sss:74 West Monroe St., Chicago. NOME RIVA OEUTOTRME CEU TERS TICE UIITIIDDITIT TT iedpR date a CO ACTS oe Se, RAD wee NTR wrrrrvrery |: (RUCES = MODE L sen) INYOUR p 2 pan re moDE Ls BRASS, BRONZE and ALUMINUM CASTINGS, Founders, Finishers, W. G. ROWELL & CO., BRIDGEPORT, CONN. HENDRICKS BROTHERS PROPRIETORS OF THE Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, MANUFACTURERS OF Brazicers’ Bolt and Sheathing COPPER, Importers and Dealers in COPPER WIRE AND RIVETS. ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. Money and Patience. ; GREATEST DURABILITY. y Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze 3 6 DOVVBVBOCORCOCR 04448) fe THE PLUME & ATwooD MFG. G¢, MANUFACTURER: OF Sheet and Roll Bras; —AND— WIRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER RIVETS AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chain, Kero. sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Trimmings, &c. 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, ROLLING MILL : FACTORIES : THOMASTON, CONN. — WATERBURY, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of BRASS, CERMAN SILVER Sheets, Rolls, Wire, Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges, Buttons, Lamp Coods. SPECIAL BRASS GOUDS TO ORDER Factories, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: CHICAGO, NEW YORK, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co., DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY, 100 John Street, - New York. Arthur T. Rutter SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire. Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Copper and Brass Rod. OIL and G4s Bicyele Lafiterns Send fer Circulars and Electrotypec. THE BRIDGEPORT BRASS CO. Bridgeport, Conn. 19 Murray 8t.,N.Y. 17 No. 7th St., Philadel 8 to 87 Pearl St.. Boston. —. No better counte: made, “4 Wheel, $3.06 5 Wheel, $3.25 Guaranteed. R. A. HAR®, BATTLE CREEK, MICH | Ci, RMAN IVETS fiero. HE ILRON GE Tutrspay, May 21, 19038 B. F. Jones. Benjamin Franklin Jones, who has taken a very prominent part in the iron trade of this country for over 50 years, died at his residence in Allegheny, Pa., on Tuesday, May 19, in his seventy-ninth year. Mr. Jones was not only the oldest active iron manufacturer in the Pittsburgh district at the time of his death, but he was also the most highly respected man in the American iron trade. Throughout his career he main tained the loftiest standard of personal honor, and estab lished for his firm a reputation for fair dealing and un swerving business honesty which placed the name of Jones & Laughlins on a plane attained by very few. So strong was his character and so well grounded were his convictions of right and justice that his principles were in- delibly impressed upon those associated with him, and even though in the last few years he paid little attention to de tails, the standard of quality and reliabil- ity so long ago estab lished by him has never been lowered. Mr. Jones endeared himself to his em ployees by his unfail- ing courteous and considerate treat- ment, while his com- petitors accorded him the respect ever due to a man in whom there was never even a suspicion of trick- ery or double dealing. His death causes uni- versal sorrow among manufacturers and workingmen. The story of the life of B. F. Jones is a record of continu- ous activity and the able administration of great re- sponsibilities. He was born at Claysville, Washington County, Pa., August 8, 1824. His ancestors for several generations were also of Pennsylvania birth. On his father’s side he was of Welsh descent. His mother, Elizabeth Goshorn, who was of Pennsylvania Dutch and Scotch descent, was born in Franklin County, Pa. They were married in 1813. In 1837, when 13 years old, he removed with his father’s family to New Brighton, Pa., where he received a good academic education at a local institution. He was offered a liberal education, but preferred a life of greater activity. In 1843, when 19 years old, he left his home, and removed to Pittsburgh to begin a business career. Pittsburgh was then on one of the main routes of commerce between the East and the West. It was the era of canal transportation. The Pennsylvania in- B. F KF ternal improvement, partly canal and partly rail, had been opened from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh some years before. Mr. Jones’ first employment was as assistant shipping clerk, at no salary, in the Pittsburgh office of the Mechanics’ Line of canal boats. Samuel Kier, the chief owner of this line, took a great interest in the young clerk, and when he established the Independent Line of section boats, one of the first of this class to run between Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Baltimore, and so constructed as to be adapted to use on both rail and canal, Mr. Jones, not yet 21 years of age, became man- ager of both lines of boats, at a salary at that time almost unprecedented. In 1847 Mr. Jones became a partner with Mr. Kier and operated the line until 1854, when the Pennsylva- nia Railroad super- seded the old system of State canals and railroads. In 1846, while still acting as manager of the canal transporta- tion line, Mr. Jones became connected with the great indus- try to whose develop- ment he devoted so large a portion of his life. In that year he purchased, in connee- tion with Mr. Kier, in iron furnace and forges in the Alle vhanvy Mountains near Armagh, in Westmoreland Coun- ty It is indicative of Mr. Jones’ ability that the furnace operation while un- der his management was without loss. In 1851 he became con- nected with the works with which his name has since been identified, taking an interest in the Amer- ican Tron Works, which were being JONES. built by Bernard Lauth, the firm name being Jones, Lauth & Co. It was not until 1852, however, that Mr. Jones became actively engaged in the manage- ment of the works. In 1854 James Laughlin came into the firm. ‘The firm name was changed to Jones & Laugh- lin in 1857, Mr Lauth retiring. Subsequently the style of the firm became Jones & Laughlins, then Jones & Laughlins, Limited. This year their interests were in- corporated under the name of the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company In the half century that has passed since his first con- nection with Pittsburgh’s iron trade Mr. Jones witnessed a marvelous growth. At that date there was not a blast furnace in Allegheny County. The building of the Eliza furnaces in 1860, at that time the best of their class, gave an impetus to the building of coke blast furnaces in the West. These furnaces were among the first to use Lake Superior ores. His firm were also among the first, if not Se ee ote em } Seas ee a | sete 2 THE IRON AGE. the actual pioneers, in buying coal lands and making coke in the Connellsville region. When coal was the only fuel used in the Pittsburgh mills they had one of the most extensive mining operations in the neighborhood of Pitts- burgh, and when natural gas was discovered they drilled their own wells and laid their own pipe lines. In con- nection with their business they also, at an early date in 1857, established a large warehouse in Chicago. Mr. Jones always took an interest in public affairs, whether affecting the city, State or nation, and did much at critical periods to mold public opinion. The close of the National Republican Convention in 1884 found Mr. Jones the member of the National Committee from Pennsy]- vania, and upon its formal organization, much against his own wishes, he was elected chairman. It is doubtful if any other incumbent of that trying position ever had a tithe of the complications to contend with that con- fronted Mr. Jones, yet only for an accident, for which he was in nowise responsible and could not have averted, a triumphant majority would have been secured for the candidate he favored. In January, 1885, the American Iron and Steel Association elected Mr. Jones as its presi- dent to succeed Daniel J. Morrell. This selection was pre-eminently a fit one. Not only had Mr. Jones come to be recognized as a leading iron manufacturer of the country, but his efforts, sometimes known but more fre- quently not seen by the general public, in behalf of all measures that would inure to the benefit of the industry of which this association is the organized head, pointed him out as the one man to be its accepted leader. Mr. Jones was married on May 21, 1850, to Miss Mary MecMasters, daughter of John McMasters, Sr., one of the best known citizens of Allegheny County. In his domes- tic relations he was as fortunate and happy as in his business career he has been successful. a It is given out at Indianapolis, Ind., that a gas and oil combination second only to the Standard Oil Company will be incorporated in Pennsylvania, and will include the following 16 Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania com- panies: Manufacturers’ Gas Company, Indianapolis; Alexandria Gas Company, Alexandria, Ind.; Marion Gas & Oil Company, Marion, Ind.; Wabash Pipeline Com- pany, Wabash, Ind.; Hartford Gas Company, Hartford City, Ind.; Clinton Oil Company, Clinton, Pa.; Southern’ Oil Company, Pittsburgh; Delmar Oil Company, Pitts- burgh; Lancaster-Depew Gas Company, Lancaster, Ohio; Northwestern Ohio Natural Gas Company, Clarion, Ohio; Cameron Gas Company, Cameron, W. Va.;, River Gas Company, Marietta, Ohio; Buckeye State Gas Company, Columbus, Ohio; Corsicana Gas Company, Corsicana, Ohio. The capital stock will be $6,000,000, and Theodore N. Barnsdall is named as president, of the new company. The present leases of the combined companies are now used principally for gas, but are in oil territory. The combination have a pipeline from the Virginia oil fields into Ohio, and it is understood will put a pipeline into Indiana. On Wednesday evening, May 13, at Mechanics’ Insti- tute Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers gave a recep- tion to the civil and mechanical engineers for the purpose of inaugurating a scheme for bringing the engineers to- gether periodically to discuss problems of general interest. Bion J. Arnold, the consulting engineer of New York and Chicago, who has been retained by the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad to solve their electrical prob- lems of traction, and who has been nominated for the next presidency of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers gave a résumé of his report to the City of Chicago on its transportation problem, illustrated by stereopticon slides. Robert Lozier is president of the local chapter, and Charles Bogen is secretary. According to a report from Sweden a patent has beer recently granted in that country for a new method of recovering the tin which at present 1s being mdstly lost in tin plate waste. For this purpose the material May 21, 1903 to be treated is placed in a vessel of iron or of some other metal which possesses a greater electro-positive strength than tin. The receptacle is thereupon filled with caustic alkali, a depolarizer, such as copper oxide, having been aiso provided. An electric current is set up, the tin separating as alkaline stannate. When the alkali has been saturated with stannate a current of carbonic acid is injected into the solution causing the tin to sep- arate as stannic hydrate. This is treated with an acid, and metallic tin is finally obtained from the resulting solution by means of electrolysis. The Assignment of Employees’ Wages to Credit Companies. The ever increasing no money down, credit to every one, concerns in the cities and larger towns of New Eng- land have become an almost intolerable nuisance to man- ufacturers, and in not a few instances notices have been posted in shops announcing in terms which show that the employers mean what they say that an assignment of wages to such a credit house will be considered sufficient cause for dismissal. The workman or clerk, whether man or woman, finds it only too easy to procure almost any kind of goods, especially clothing, and oftentimes luxu- ries of wearing apparel, jewelry and the like. All that is necessary is to show that they have positions and to sign an assignment of wages. This latter document is an iron clad agreement, drawn by skillful lawyers, and is wel) within the law, but wholly in favor of the no money down concern. Many workmen and working women find that it is not so easy to keep up the payments, and then comes the assignment of wages, presented at the office. So numerous are these calls in some shops that clerks have had much extra duty to perform keeping track of assignments. It has become an actual expense to employ- ers, and they are shutting down on the whole business. Credit houses know the concerns who refuse to retain employees making assignments of their wages, and as fast as it becomes known the employees of such concerns are no longer granted credit. The posting of a notice that an assignment of wages to no money down houses will mean dismissal becomes a kindness to employees be- cause it removes a temptation. In Massachusetts, and doubtless in other States, it is possible for a wife to tie up her husband’s wages through credit houses, which is another complication which employers have to face. The Massachusetts Legislature has considered various rem- edies for the no money down evil, but without avail, the trouble being that to amend the statutes so as to remove the legal status of the credit houses would mean to abol- ish those workings of the laws relating to the assignment of wages, which are strictly beneficial in their effects and for which the statute was intended. rs e>--=-rs=sé=i<i‘“_é‘ioltt W. O. Duntley, vice-president and general manager of the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company, has returned from a business trip abroad, where he visited several promi- nent shipyards, manufacturing establishments, &c. He secured a number of large orders for the various pneu- matic appliances manufactured by the company. Mr. Duntley reports that pneumatic tools are rapidly being adopted in the shops throughout Europe, this fact being particularly noticeable in the large shipyards. Mr. Dunt- ley also advises that the foreign plants of the company are taxed to the utmost capacity, with the outlook so bright for future business that in all probability extensive improvements will be necessitated to properly care for the orders offering. At a special meeting of the Cramp Shipbuilding & En- gine Company May 18 the following new directors were elected: F. L. Hine, vice-president First National Bank of New York; J. W. Dunn, New York, president of the International Steam Pump Company; E. C. Converse of New York, and Harry A. Berwind, H. S. Grove and Wil- liam M. Potts of Philadelphia. These directors resigned: C. A. Griscom, Samuel Dickson, Morton McMichael and Thomas Dolan May 21, 1903 Coal Trade Conditions. Anthracite Active—Bituminous Tonnage _ In- creasing—The General Outlook Good. BY FREDERICK E. SAWARD. There is no doubt that coal is in demand. The efforts of the owners in the past to get a profit from it have here- tofore been more or less unsuccessful because the demand has not equaled the ability to supply. Happily in recent years, by reason of the material progress of the country, this condition of affairs has changed, and the resulting benefits will acrue to the ownership of this valuable prop- erty. During the unprofitable years there have been many changes, and the greatest among them is that of control; from the days of a multitude of small operators, each one vying with the other to do as large a tonnage as possible without much regard to financial outcome, we have latterly come to a businesslike condition. There is no question but that the coal trade is attract- ing attention from many quarters, for it is chief of the fundamental sources of our prosperity, and one has but to note the very rapid increase in the tonnage of this country as compared with that of any other to see that there is foundation for all the cheerful reports which come to hand regarding it. Wherever one may go there is the same story of an improving and an increasing de- mand for coal lands; there is more being opened up this year than ever before, and it is highly necessary that it should be because this country used up 250,000,000 tons of the bituminous coal last year. No one will for a mo- ment believe that there is any let-up to its progress thus far this year, nor does there look to be any for years to come. When one considers that, in addition to the an- thracite coal which was turned out last year, the State of Pennsylvania alone yielded 98,000,000 net tons of bituminous it may be taken for granted that there was “something doing ” in the Keystone State, and this calls for more mines to be opened each and every year, if such an output is to be continued. It is an interesting fact in connection with the bituminous coal trade of this country that it is fast getting into fewer hands; that 25 concerns last year did nearly one-half of the tonnage, headed by such concerns as the Pittsburgh Coal Company and the United States Steel Corporation, and both these concerns have millions of tons of coal yet untouched that will come into play when the necessity occurs for the exploita- tion of their property; this property, too, was acquired at far less price than similar property could be had for to-day. The anthracite people are going ahead with output as expeditiously as they can in spite of all the drawbacks of indifferent help. Help that was considered so poorly paid has taken a hand in the management, as it were, of this industry, and if it so desires can put up the price of coal to the consumer by restricting the output. It must be remembered that the wages are now based on a sliding scale of prices, and if the market price is ad- vanced from any reason whatever the laborer in the mines gets a corresponding benefit therefrom. Knowing this, one need not be surprised at the constant petty troubles at the mines—fully as many as heretofore— which keep the market from going “ off” in the way of values. No one need look for the accumulation of any great surplus of anthracite for this very potent reason. Perhaps some day there will be a greater use of mechan- ical contrivances that may tend to give us more tonnage, but while we are dependent so much on labor to do as it pleases there is not any likelihood of there being cheap coal despite the ravings of the yellow press. There has been the instance within the past few days where the men in one of the districts, by order of the executive committee of the U. M. W., are forbidden to work more than a certain length of time, even if paid well for the extra time. They are not going to do anything to give the producing companies a chance to get a stock of coal ahead if they can prevent it. Were the corporations to do anything to forestall the market to any such degree THE IRON AGE. 3 as is here outlined what would not be the outery of monopolists, &e.! Touching upon the subject of the concentration of in- terests in the soft coal districts of our country, it may be of interest io note that this will go on in even greater degree in the near future—the dozens of small concerns will amalgamate and thus present a better opportunity for profit under any and all conditions of trade. Move- ments along this line are on foot in Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia and Alabama. Surely a concern under one management, having a tonnage of a million tons annually, is in better shape for trade than are a score whose aggre- gate is that amount. The of the Pittsburgh Coal Company proves this, as does that of the latest ag- gregation known as the Weaver Coal & Coke Company, in which John W. Gates is now so largely interested. This is a particular instance of the fact that the coal trade is attracting attention from outside quarters. The result is not to make coal dearer to the consumer but to give a steadiness to prices such as cannot exist where there are a number of smali operations. With the latter there are necessarily violent fluctuations from one cause and another within the shipping season. During the late eager demand for fuel it was the man who had a daily output of 200 tons who made the high price, for the concern with a capacity of 5000 tons a day had con- tracts which were adhered to rigidly, and the consumer is not apt to forget that fact. Bituminous prices at tide points fell off during the past few days, and line prices also sustained a drop. The indications point to a gradual decline in the market until the summer level has been reached. While a consider- able amount of contract business has been closed there are still a number of large consumers who are unwilling to tie up for the year at present figures. This would not be the case, perhaps, if the great industries were not beginning to feel the effects of the exacting and, fre- quently, unreasonable demands of organized labor. Many Eastern Pennsylvania manufacturers who generally con- tract by the year are now buying by the carload, as much to economize in their purchases as to benefit by possible reductions in the price of coal. In New England the cheaper grades of coal are very plentiful and are forcing the market in every direction, but consumers have bad so much trouble over cheap coals that the buyers are very particular what they buy, and this kind of coal does not have a ready sale. The better coals are in good de- mand for this time of year, and the wiser ones, fearing the possibility of trouble on the railroads later, are gradually laying in a stock of fuel. The probability of trouble on the railroads from short supply of rolling stock and motive power is real. Every day shows more clearly the difficulties that are sure to overtake us in the early summer and continue nobody knows how long, because the railroads are not in shape to handle the heavy traffic that will be offered them during the summer and fall. success The extensive power works in the vicinity of Niagara Falls make the locality particularly interested in the correspondence that is now taking place between Secre- tary Hay and the British Foreign Office in regard to maintaining an adequate depth of water in the great upper lakes. These lakes are the natural reservoir from which flows all the water that creates the eye feast as well as the power developed at Niagara, and any obstruc- tion of the flow must naturally have much of interest to the millions cf capital invested at Niagara, as well as to New York State and the Province of Canada, for its effect on the surroundings of the great free parks must be con- sidered. An act of Congress authorizes the appointment of a joint international commision to consist of three American and three British members. This commission will study the conditions and endeavor to solve the prob- lem of how best to maintain the lake levels. A deep waterway commision has already considered the matter and decided that the cost of the so-called improvement would be $796,923. Among the results sought are the raising of the water in lakes Huron and Michigan, about 1 foot, and in the St. Clair channels about 2 feet. The general idea is that a dam erected at the foot of Lake Erie, near Buffalo, will give the desired results. ates Pe ae ee +h, rs 4 THE IRON AGE. Pacific Coast News. Saw Francisco, May 6, 1905. May 1, 1901, was sig- nalized in this city by the preparations for the inaugur- ation of the great strike at the Union Iron Works and other establishments. May 1, 1903, is notable for the what we may term final conclusion of a treaty of peace between the iron workers and the masters of the iron trade in this city. The nine hour day and an increase of pay for all employees have gone into effect. There are about 4000 men and boys affected by it. All will have ten hours’ pay. Thus ends one of the most destructive labor wars that San Francisco has ever had. This is, of course, the beginning of the end of the state of things where San Francisco and the West paid much higher wages than in the East, and matters will gradually set- tle down so that the labor that is paid at the rate of $3.50 per day in this city will be paid at the same rate in New York. This of course will work to the benefit of the West. as the discrepancy in wages was something that it was very hard to contend against. This and the death of one of the founders and a leader for most of its latter day existence, President Irving M. Scott, constitute events of importance in the May 21, 1903 requisite speed and a little to spare. San Francisco is famous for that. Her armament will consist of ten 5-inch rapid fire rifles, eight six pounders, two one pounders and four Colt’s automatic guns. Her bull will be copper sheathed. All of our foundries and machine shops are actively engaged at present in turning out work for the new build- ings in the city or in the manufacture of mining ma- chinery, &¢e. Indeed, there never was such a condition of prosperity in the iron industry of this city before. The new home of the American Steel & Wire Company on Ffteenth and Folsom streets is a perfect industrial hive, and in the amount and value of its products will leave 1902 far behind. And yet 1902 was the best previous year in its history. The Risdon lron Works, too, are do- ing a fine business, as indeed are all the other foundries vreat and small in the city In iron, steel, hardware and metals both import and export trade fas fallen off somewhat of late. There are a great many bicycles being shipped to Japan on the steamers and some to other places, but the shipments of machinery have declined. In the matter of imports there are 19 vessels on the way or loading from Antwerp and ten from Newcastle-on-Tyne with pig iron and THE REED ELECTRICALLY story of the iron industry in San Francisco. The condi- tions of the foundry and hardware business are gradual- ly undergoing a complete change. Irving M. Scott was Do favored child of fortune. He started in life in San Fran- cisco as a draftsman in the office of the patent agency carried on first of all by Ewer & Smith and then by Dewey & Co. From here he went to do the same work in the Donahue Foundry, the Union Iron Works and here he and his brother rose step by step until they be- came managers and principal owners of the stock. They had no easy time, for the old foundry had fallen on evil days. But by their energy and industry it was built up and a new lease of life given to it by the introduction into it of iron and steel shipbuilding. Mr. Scott leaves worthy successors in his brother, Henry T. Scott, long united with him in the management, and President Dodd, long the manager’of the foundry. Everything is going on well there at present, and soon another big vessel will slide from the ways into the waters of the bay. The cruiser “Tacoma” will, everything favoring, be launched on June 2. She is a protected cruiser, and on account of her name, a delegation from the northern city will be present, while L. D. Campbell, the Mayor, will receive a special invitation. The vessel has been under construc- tion for the past three years. She is 292 feet long, 44 feet wide and has a draft of 15 feet. She has a displace- ment of 3200 tons and must have a speed of 164% knots. It is, perhaps, too much to say in advance of the trial, but there is no doubt that the “ Tacoma” will have the DRIVEN ENGINE LATHE. structural steel, but none of them are due for three weeks yet and some for a considerably longer time. J. O. L. ee The Reed Electrically Driven Engine Lathe. The F. E. Reed Company of Worcester, Mass., are completing an order for six electrically driven engine lathes for the new Standard Plunger Elevator Com- pany’s shops in the same city. They are massive ma- chines, each having a 30-foot bed, and two of them 3U inches swing and the other four 24 inches swing. They will be used for turning elevator plungers. These machines have features in their electric drive which are worthy of note. This particular problem of motor driving involved the use for each machine of a ©40-volt Bullock motor of 8 horse-power, at 1200 revo- lutions a minute, with the system of multiple voltage contro! for variable speeds. The motor is mounted on an extension of the leg of the lathe at the rear of the head. By direct gearing the speed of the motor is re- duced about one-third. From the driven shaft connec- tion is made with a sleeve upon the head spindle (an equivalent of the usual cone) by means of a Hands- Renold silent chain. Variations of ten speeds are ob- tained for the spindle by the use of the controller without back gearing. ‘Two gears on the eccentric back shaft, con- trolled by a lever at the front of the head, brought into range of either of the two pinions upon the spindle May 21, 198 sleeve and thrown into gear, provide two more sets of speeds, giving a total of 30 speeds to the spindle, from 2% to 180 revolutions a minute. The controller is me- chanically operated from the apron of the lathe through gears and shaft. dietician The New England Foundrymen’s Association. The monthly meeting and dinner of the New England Foundrymen’s Association was at Hotel Essex, Boston, Wednesday evening, May 13. Vice-President B. M. Shaw of Boston presided in the absence of President Henry A. Carpenter of Providence, R. I. ance. Interesting papers were read by S. D. Leland, of the building committee of the United Machinery Company of Boston, on “Interesting Points in Connec- tion with Modern Manufacturing,” and by S. B. Patterson of Oxford, N. J., assistant to the president of the Empire Steel & Iron Company, on “ The Quality of Pig Iron in Foundry Use as Indicated by Fracture and Analysis.” Mr. Leland’s paper was based on the observations of the building committee of the United Shoe Machinery Company in their travels through modern machine shops, foundries and other manufacturing establishments, for the purpose of getting information to govern them in There was a large attend- Shoe Rear View of Head Stock. THE REED ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN ENGINE LATHE. making the plans for their company’s new shops. to be erected at Beverly, Mass. One new member was admitted, the Manufacturers’ Foundry Company of Waterbury, Conn. Those present were: Vice-President B. M. Shaw, Walker & Pratt Mfg. Company, Bos ton. Secretary Fred F. Stockwell, Cambridge. S. D. Leland and Sherman W. Company, Boston. S. B. Patterson, Empire Steel & Iron Company, Oxford, N. Y. I. H. Winchester, Magee Foundry Company, Chelsea. Robert Blytt, Walker & Pratt Mfg. Company, Boston. E. B. Pierce, Wheeler Foundry Company, Worcester. E. P. Robinson, Atlantic Works, East Boston. W. F. Savage, Taunton Iron Works, Taunton. Robert P. Cunningham, Deane Steam Pump Company, Holyoke. J. E. Plimpton, J. E. Plimpton Company, Norwood. Cc. Hitch, Jr., American Tool & Machine Company, Boston. Harwood Wilson, Rogers, Brown & Co., Boston. W. H. Coffin, Springfield Foundry Company, Springfield Walter M. Saunders, Providence. E. J. Lyons, Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Company, Providence. Henry Souther, Hartford. William J. Baush, Baush Machine Tool Company, Springfield. Harry E. Gibbs, William H. Stafford and George A. Gibby, Con dor Iron Foundry Company, East Boston. Joseph L. Anthony, Weir Stove Company, Taunton. D. F. Eagan, H. E. Pridmore Company, Chicago. P. Shields, Shields Foundry Company, Mansfield. E. V. Hazard, Old Colony Foundry, East Bridgewater. Fred. W. Dixon, Taunton Locomotive Mfg. Company, Tauntob. Walter B. Brown, B. F. Sturtevant Company, Hyde Park. Sarbour & Stockwell Company, Ladd, United Shoe Machinery THE IRON AGE. 5 A. L. Lovejoy, Becker-Brainard Milling Machine Company, Jamaica Plain John Nelson, Jhe Jron Age, Worcester George Bb. Buckingham, Arcade Malleable Iron Company, Wor cester. W. D. Ballard, Coburn Trolley Track Mfg. Company, Holyoke W. H. Beuse, Kinsley Iron & Machine Company, Canton, Mass J. F. Blauvelt, New England Butt Company, l’rovidence Charles A Reed, N. S. Bartlett & Co., Fred. A Hoyt, Barbour-Steckwell Company, Cambridge Charles ‘T. Colvin, James F. Lanigan, Davis Foundry Company, Lawrence M. F. Perault, Fitchburg William C. Doherty, Doherty Bros., Lowell. L. H. Baird, Villing & Crane, Philadelphia. Edward W. Beach, Manufa Foundry bury, Conn Boston. Colvin Foundry Company, Providence: ‘turers Water Company, R. 8S Brown & Co., New York. George H. Lincoln, George H. Lincoln & Co., South Boston. Ss. M. Thompson, Barbour-Stockwell Company, Cambridge. William Harvie, Vaughn Machine Company, Peabody Rogers, Bosworth, om —— The Molders’ Strike at Chester, Pa.—The strike of the molders of the Chester Steel Castings Company, Chester, Pa., bas been settled, and the men have returned to work with the agreement that there shall be no dis- tinction between union and nonunion men. The company ugree to pay a minimum wage rate of $3 per day of ten hours to all molders in the open hearth foundries, piece work prices to remain unchanged. An adjustment will be inade shortly in the wages of the men in the McHatffie department of the company. The situation at the works of the Penn Steel Casting Company, where a strike of molders exists, remains unchanged, although some of the men have returned to work. Some of the large office buildings in New York have their subcellars much below tide water level, to such an extent that the seepage into them is very great and has to be pumped out, and the sewage as well. At a suit recently brought in this city against the Battery Place Realty Company, owners of the Whitehall Building, by the Bowling Green Warehouse Company it was alleged that the boilers of the former concern had injured their property by heating the cellars to such an extent that they were no longer available for storage use, the tem- perature being increased from 50 degrees originally to 80 degrees after the boilers were put to work, and the plain- tiff asked that the boilers be moved back from the party wall a few inches, at a cost of $7000. The answer was that the boilers were built into the wall, and could not be moved back without virtually rebuilding parts of the structure at a cost of $200,000. Moreover, to stop the boil- ers from working would not only cut off the light, heat and elevator service, but would actually destroy the Whitehall and adjacent buildings, for the Whitehall cel- lars were below tidewater level and leaked to the ex- tent of 200,000 gallons daily (about 4500 barrels), all of which had to be kept down by pumps to prevent flooding. This must have been apparent when the Whitehall Build- ing was being erected, and the necessity for constant pumping shown. In any case it is anomalous that steam boilers should be integral with a party wall for reasons apparent to all engineers. Decision was reserved. A new law for the regulation of automobiles in New York State and city is most drastic and prohibitory to general use with any great satisfaction. The things that owners of them may do are very few in number compared with those which they may not do, and there seems to be an intention to hamper owners of such vehicles as much A speed of only 8 miles an hour in cities is permitted, 10 miles where the houses are more than 100 feet apart. Speeds of 20 miles per hour are allowed in towns and villages, but drivers must not pass persons or vehicles at the rate of over 8 miles an hour. A license fee of $1 per year is exacted and this must be carried on the person. Automobiles must be stopped to a standstill upon the request of any person riding or driving a restive horse or domestic animals. Violations of the law are punished by a fine of $50 for the first offense, fines and imprisonment for the second offense, and revocation of license for the third. as possible. : * THE IRON AGE. Drawback Entries Suspended. Question Raised Concerning Obsolete Regulations. WASHINGTON, D. C., May 19, 1903.—Considerable un- easiness among manufacturers and exporters has beer occasioned by the suspension of a number of important drawback entries at the port of New York upon instruc- tions from Washington. The parties in interest include certain large exporters of steel products and the basis of the action taken is the fact that the entries were made in advance of the establishment of a rate of drawback by the Treasury Department. The anxiety of the trade concerning this development is not only because of the magnitude of the suspended accounts, but also because the action of the Department appears to be a step back- ward in view of the widely heralded intention of Secre- tary Shaw and his associates to liberalize the drawback regulations as much as possible and to co-operate in the movement for more liberal laws. Whether the failure to file an application with the Secretary of the Treasury to fix a rate of allowance is a technical shortcoming on the part of the exporter or not, it is conceded by the Treasury officials that this require- ment has not been enforced at New York for a number of years. The regulations prescribed by the Treasury De- partment under the provisions of the drawback law as found in section 30 of the Dingley act undoubtedly have the force of law, but it-is equally certain that exporters who comply with those regulations as they are construed by the customs officers at the principal ports of the coun- try cannot either in law or equity be made to suffer for failure to meet the exact views of the Department in the matter of mere detail. The only provision in the general regulations which would seem to justify the De- partment in ruling that no drawback can be allowed on articles exported under a preliminary entry prior to the filing of an application is article 789, Treasury Regula- tions, 1892, which is as follows: No drawback shall be allowed on any article of domestic manufacture exported until the rate of allowance has been estab- lished by the Secretary of the Treasury. Application for allow- ance on an article for which no rate has been established shall be made to the Secretary of the Treasury. Whatever the original intention of the Department as to the interpretation of this provision may have been it has not been construed at the port of New York to mean that drawback entry should not be received until the rate of allowance had been established by the Secre- tary of the Treasury. The presentation and considera- tion of the formal application afford no protection to the Government for the reason that in every case the draw- back entry, which must be made at the port of exit before the goods are laden, furnishes the only description neces- sary to enable the customs officers to inspect, weigh, measure and fully identify the exported products. If the records of the manufacturer have been so kept as to enable the Government to determine that imported ma- terials of the kind and quality alleged were used in the production of the goods exported, drawback can then safely be allowed. The great advantage of this method, which has been in vogue so long in New York, lies in the fact that man- ufacturers are thus frequently enabled to fill export or- ders received by cable on the shortest possible notice, too short, in fact, to permit the elaborate sworn applica- tion contemplated by the regulations to be prepared and forwarded to Washington before the preliminary draw- back entry is made. To the extent that the sworn ap- plication describes the goods for the purpose of identi- fication it is merely a duplication of the preliminary entry and has been so regarded by the drawback authori- ties at New York. It is easy to see that if the regula- tion is to be interpreted to mean that no entry of goods for export with benefit of drawback shall be made until the formal application has been received and the rate of allowance fixed, manufacturers and exporters would be obliged to decline a large amount of foreign business which they are now able to accept. The fixing of the rate of allowance is frequently based upon elaborate cal- culations and applications are usually transmitted ‘to Washington and returned two or three times in each May 21, 1903 case, and are also made the subject of investigation by special agents before the rate is finally determined. If it should be held to be necessary to withhold preliminary entries while the application traversed this elaborate routine, it is obvious that by the time the rate was fixed the order for the goods would have been canceled and the business lost. The officials at New York express the fullest confidence that the regulations as heretofore en- forced afford the amplest measure of protection to the Government, as the determination of the character and quantity of the goods exported is never based upon the manufacturer’s application but solely upon the prelim- inary entry against which the shipment is uniformly checked. It is understood that the action taken in the cases re- ferred to, in which entries have been suspended for failure to file applications for the fixing of rates of al- lowance, is based upon a general overhauling of customs practice incident to certain changes in the personnel of the Department service. When the officials now in charge learned that entries were being received at New York prior to the filing of applications they issued or- ders suspending such entries as had not been acted upon and instituted an inquiry as to the practice at other ports. The information received from other Atlantic ports is to the effect that the collectors have required applications to be filed before the presentation of prelim- inary entries, but exporters doing business at New York claim that the drawback business with other ports is so small in comparison with that at New York that literal compliance with the regulations as interpreted by the Department is fairly practicable. It now seems probable that the Department will instruct the officials at New York to pass all the suspended entries on the ground that the exporters have complied with the regulations as in- terpreted by the collector’s representations. Future Practice. As to the future practice, no decision will be reached until the investigation now on foot is completed, but As- sistant Secretary Armstrong, who has charge of customs matters has informed the correspondent of The Iron Aye that the Department will not be disposed to insist upon the filing of applications prior to the presentation of pre- liminary entries, provided the manufacturers’ records are in such shape that the identification of the goods ex- ported as the product of imported materials can be de- termined beyond question. Mr. Armstrong gives assur- ance that he will administer the drawback laws and reg- ulations in the most liberal spirit consistent with the protection of the revenue and that it is not his purpose to place any obstacle in the way of manufacturers who desire to build up their foreign trade. While the re- quirement with regard to the filing of an application prior to the preliminary entry would not always be imprac- ticable, it is believed it would unnecesarily complicate the drawback business and, as shown above, it would in many important cases prove absolutely prohibitory. Recent Drawback Regulations. Regulations heretofore issued upon the application of the Morgan Spring Company of Worcester, Mass., for the allowance of drawback of duty paid on imported stee) billets used in the manufacture of certain kinds of wire have been extended by the Department to cover “ round wire, plain, bright or copper finish but not including gal- vanized or tinned wire” manufactured from rods rolled from imported billets and also to furniture and spiral springs manufactured from the same kinds of wire. It is provided that allowance of drawback shall not be made on a greater quantity of imported material than that found by adding to the net weight of the exported wire the proper percentage as prescribed in schedules ac- companying the manufacturers’ statements. In the case of furniture and spiral sprinbs, the quantity of imported material used shall be obtained by adding to the net weight of the springs 8.45 per cent. in the case of fur- niture springs and 7.97 per cent. in the case of spiral springs to allow for waste. w. LC. ~~. — _.- The labor difficulty at the Roberts Iron Works, at Cambridge, Mass., has been adjusted, so that the possi- bility of trouble from the boilermakers has been removed. Lake Iron Ore Matters. DututH, MINN., May 17, 1903.—The middle of May finds the lake fleet busy, but with freights showing a downward tendency that is liable to continue in weak- ness all summer. There is nothing to indicate any strength to the vessel market. New ships are coming off stocks almost weekly, and are wheeling into line for ore as fast as they are ready. There is enough for all to do, but shippers do not care to press for tonnage, especially as the amount of ore sold ahead for delivery is not great. The wheat rate is down to 1144 cents from Duluth to Buf- falo, equal to 47 cents a gross ton for ore, but this is on ac- count of conditions singular to that trade, and there is no possibility that ore will reach any such figure, though the wild summer rate is very probably to be less than the season contract rate now in force. The steel steamers “ John Lambert,” “ D. M. Clemson ” and “ D. G. Kerr,” names familiar to the steel trade, are being launched, and are going into trade between the upper lakes and tidewater on the St. Lawrence, along with seven others for the same parties. A. B. Wolvin of the Pittsburgh Steamship Company is manager of the company and prominently identified with them financially. Contracts for what is to be the largest lake ship have been signed, it is stated, the ship to be built on the De- troit River. It is to be 500 feet long over all, just 2 feet more than the four boats built by the American Steel & Wire Company when J. W. Gates was a factor in the management of that company. These four were, and are still, the largest lake ships, and since their construc- tion the tendency has apparently been away from such extreme lengths toward a vessel 50 to 75 feet shorter and supposed to be more handy. New Explorations. No little interest is developing in possible ore lands in the