December 13 1884





The Record and Guide,





125^





dood-Bye, Canals.

The canal must go.   The railroad is too much for it.   The Erie CanL*

has closed for tbe season, and it has been the dullest in twenty years, in
spite ot free tolls. An eastern exchange says that scores of men who have
grown up on the canal are disposing of their boats at a sacrifice, and will
boat no longer. Tbey say that tbe days of canalling are over. Grain,
iron, coal, potatoes and lumber, wbich formerly kept twice as many boata
busy transporting them alone as were run on the entire canal this season,
disappeared almost entirely aa articles of freight on tbe canal during 1884.
Tho railroads, owing to lower rates and quicker transit, have taken all
that business away from the water route, and they now have to depend on
the local misceilaneous freight business for tbelr money. Itis said that
instances are rare where a boat has taken in $1,000 tbis seasou, aad that is
the figure generally set on tbe expenses of running a boat tor the season.
It is customary for boatmen to put their teams out for the winter witb
farmers along tbe line, paying tbem tor their keeping until the opening ot
the caual in tbe spring. This fall many of tbe boatmea, it is reported, are
selling their stock outright, as they have not the meana to pay for winter¬
ing it, even if tbey intended to boat again next year. In the light of tbese
facts, why seek to construct new ialand canals? Tbey will be of little uae.
Ship canals are the only ones that are of utility in these times, and tbere
are but few places where such can be constructed. Ordinary canals will
go out with tbe century,—St. Louis Grocer.

Southern Pig Irou Revolutionizing tbe Trade.

Somewhat more than two years ago tho Courier-Journal aroused tbe
icdignation of a number of ignorant protection journala in the North by
stating that pig iron could be made in the South at from 19 to $13. Tbe
greater ths ignorance ot these journals tbe greater tbeir indignation.
For a while incredulity prevailed, even among those who were unpreju¬
diced, but the authenticated figures submitted left no room for doubt, and
wben this journal gave full particulars ot aa immaase coutract, covering
a period of ten years, for pig iron at $12.50, the manufacturers ot the
North began to realize that Southern pig iron was to be the controlling
infiuence in fixing prices. Recently tbe managers ot the Southern furnaces
have assumed the aggressive, and low rates of freight by sea from
Savannah and Norfolk have enabled them to put Southern pig in Eastern
markets at $16, netting the furnaces $13 or $ia.50. If tbis were simply a
cut in order to dispose of surplus stock it would be of some significance,
but it is much moro than this, and it really means an industrial revolution.
Fig iron at £16 means tbat the most expensive furnaces and those unfavor¬
ably located, the very furnaces most benefited by the tariff, will be per¬
manently closed. Ib is according to a law ot competition, a law higher than
any act of Congress, that only ihe fittest survive, Tliese prices sbow that
tbe decline in the past two years has been greater than the tariff; yet then
it was asserted that if tbe tariff was removed every Northern furnace
would be closed. Now prices bave failen below tbe tariff marit; the peo¬
ple are getting cheap iron and cheap steel, and ■while many furnaces are
out of blast, the cheapness of a raw product used in so many enterprises
fully compensates for the distress inone branch ot industry. The value
ot cheap iron cannot be over-estimated; it is an incalculable boon to any
nation, England has conquered tbe world not so much with her
armies and invincible armadas as with her cheap iron. This is
veritably the iron age, and tbe nation wbich can secure it at the lowest
price will stand highest in the scale of civilization. Lbeap iron
stimulates every industrial enterprise. It means cheaper tranapor¬
tation; a reduction in tbe coat of every manufactured product;
it means new markets tor all our products. Cheap iron is assured
in America, not by a tariff, but by new beds ot coal and iron ore opened
to the world by the Southern railroads, and it is a consummation retarded,
not aided, by the iniquitous war tariff. In many respects radical
changes need to be made. It was a long time before the owaers ot the
furnaces could be convinced that it was economical to put in the Whit-
well stoves, aud yet it ia now plain they reduce the cost ot pig $1.50 per
ton. Other changes just as important must be made. Better paid, more
skillful labor must be employed- It is admitted that accidents are far
more frequent in Southern tban in Northern furnaces; that repairs are
more frequent and more expensive, and that witbin a given period they
are necessarily idle a greater number of days. Oue cause of tbis ia ignor¬
ant aud underpaid labor. Tbe coke used in the Southern furnaces must
be improved in character and in quantity and reduced in price. It can
be done; it must be done. The new processes in use in Europe, what is
known as tbe basic process, or tbe Bull process, must be introduced in
order to make steel of tbe Southern ores. This is the iron age; the next
is to be tho age of steel. Kentucky and Virginia and East Tennessee and
North Carolina have beds of ore from which steel can be made, but the
cheap ores of Tennessee and Alabama are not suitable witb tbe present
methods. These hints are viiluable, if not altogether original; the truths
underlying tbem have long been recognized, but profits have been large
enough to enable the owners of Southern furnaces to igaore tbem. They
can no longer be ignored, for the Southern furnaces having now to be
content with a smaller profit per ton, must largely increase tbeir product,
—Courier Journal.

Things Lookiug Brighter.

There is good reason to believe that production is now below conaump¬
tion. There is but a moderate supply oE iron and textiles, ond tbe ten¬
dency is to reduce rather than iacrease. The product of the Southern
furnaces is, however, a cause ot anxiety to the Northern operators, some
of it having recently been sold in Jfennsylvania, the principal fleld ot the
Northern iron men, and it is a question whether the output of these
Southern mines will not koep the price of tbe commodity permanently on
a low level. The execution of the railroad schemea in India would stimu¬
late tbe iron trade all over the world, but that is not to be counted on as
a factor of prosperity, tor no defioite action haa yet been taken by tbe
British government. As for the carrying trade of the world, it is unques¬
tionable tbat its machiuery is much beyond the needs of commerce, but
tbis means low rates, and so long as tbey do not force tbe companies into
bankruptcy shippers and consumera will have no cause to complain.
With tbo evil bas come tbe corrective. There is little railroad building,
and the British ship-yards are idle. Many British vessels, too, have been
taken out ot commission. Tbe capacity ot tbe British merchant marine
was increased 41 per cent, from 1879 to 1833, but tbe decrease trom the
loss of vessels and wear is 5 per cent, a year, so with the natural growth
of commerce tbere ought to be some revival even in tbis dullest ot indus¬
tries beforo long unless somebody goes to building ships on a large scale.
—Chicago Tribune,

American Taxes ou English 8oil.

It will be news to this free trading country tbat tbe American govern¬
ment has discovered a means ot taxing our exports to the United Statei
before they leave our shores—taxing them hereon British ground and In
the very heart of our Empire, bo cleverly is this taxation levied that ao
far it has passed without protest. It comes in tba form of fees to consuls
certifying exports. "Among the peculiar features of tha American pro¬
tective svstem is a prohibition on tbe introduction ot any merchandise
Into the United States as merchandise unless accompanied by an invoice,
wbich invoice muat have been produced before the American consular
officer at tbe place of export. The American law requires the shipper to
declare to the Americau consul that tha things written in tbe invoice are
true; and the consul must certify this declaration. For receiving thia
dtolaration by the shipper and certifying thereto, tha Amerioaa   Uw





authorizes the American consul-general (in London, for example) to
demand a fee of two dollars and a halt, or 10b., and no more. This t«a
demanded or to be levied in London by the Americau conaul-generol
applies to every English manufacturer or tradesman sending merchandise
to ' the States.' and on small parcels ot small values it is a great burden.
But the American conoul-general in London not content witb 10a., now
demands 15a. as the price of his certificate, without which the merchan¬
dise covered by tbe invoice cannot bs lawfully entered at the American
custom house." This tax levied ou British ground, at the diioretion ot
the American consul, without the assent of her majesty or tbe approval
of Parliament, must, it is obvious, be very burdensome on parcels ot
small value. Tbe whole system is bad. It is part of a protective scheme
which prevents America trom taking the greatest advantage of her posi¬
tion. But what can the British governmeat do ? It may make represeu-
tations to the United States which would have a courteous reply conced¬
ing nothing; but that is all. We can only sit down and enjoy with «
painful consciousne«s, that is not all enjoyment, tha uew proof of the
•xoaediug 'euteaess of our Yankee cousins.—London Standard.

Not so "Depressed" After Ail.

The London Times of November 14 contains a letter trom a correspond¬
ent, apparently well informed, who protests against tbe tone of much ot
tbe current talk about the present " unparalleled " and " long-continued "
depresaion in trade. He says that these terms are always used whenever
a period of industrial depression comes around. They were applied just
the same in 18r>9 and 1870, and again in the bad years from 1874 to 1879.
Besides, he adds, tbe present is not one ot tbe worst depressions tbat they
have had. The iron and shipping interests are extremely dull, and, so far
as can be seen at present, cannot be expected to revive materially until
enough of tbe present surplus of iron ships bas been used up by tbe slow pro¬
cess of wreckage and disaster to set the idle building-yards once more in
motion. Aa for the trades in woollens, worsteds, leather and chemicals,
all of tbem, he says, are doing pretty well. Even in cotton there is a fair
business doing. In further confirmation of tbe notion tbat things are by
no means going to the bad, the aame paper editorially cites the increase in
tbe savings-banks deposits, the latest returna ot tbe income tax, and the
decrease of persons in receipt of parish relief, aa lending support to a more
hopeful view. Per contra, Lord Dunraven spoke of the savings-banks
returns as "delusive," and stated that an examination of the returns from
twenty ofBces of the postal savings banks showed that the number of
artisan depositors bad fallen off from 1,223 in 1875 to 923 in 1884, and
laborers from 1,053 to 757. On tbe other hand, the same returns showed
that people of "no occupation" (clerks and minors) had very much
increased. Supposing these figures to have been fairly arrived at, they
do not bear out the impression tbat Eagland is suffering as a whole, but
chiefly in the artisan class, and there not to anything like the extent which
current talk would indicatie. The reduction in wages whicb many manu¬
facturers urge is nearly or quite made up to the workman by the cheap¬
ness of breadstuffs. Thns there are many elements ot encouragement,
and at worst tbe suspension ot manufacturing will be but temporary.—
Chicago News,

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The Department of Public Parks has been petitioned by a number ot
property owners north of the Central Park to widen tbe roadway on
Ono Huadred aad Tenth street, for the mors adequate accommodatioa ot
the vehicles and traflBc passing that thoroughfare. They suggest that tha
sidewalk ou the south side of the street, wbich is now 26.6 feeb wide, can be
narrowed by 10 feet from Fifth to Eighth avenue, thua leaving it 16.8 feet
including the wall and coping, and the 10 feet thrown into the roadway,
whicb would then be 36.6 feet. This could be done without any cost tor
the land to tbe property owners, tbe only charge being about $7,000 tor
tbe actual work of making tbe necessary alterations. Among the peti¬
tioners are John H. Sherwood, S. Van Rensselaer Cruger, C. H Suydam,
James Rufus Smith, Ad, Bernheimer, William D. Whiting and John
Downey. Should ths Park Commissioners grant the petition, wbich ia
very probable, a usetul and necessary improvement will be made to Ono
Hundred and Tenth street.





The death of E. H. Ludlow has necessitated a reorganization of the real
estate firm which bore his name. The members ot tbe firm hereafter are
to be Morris Wilkins, James Edgar Levineaa, Edward M, Wilklna and
Elliott Roosevelt. The first two names are well known in connection with
tbe old firm, and Mr. Roosevelt is a member of the family of tbe late Mr.
Ludlow. Tbe firm ot E. H. Ludlow & Co. stands so high and ita business
has been so large that it has been determined to do all its future businesa
under tbe old title. It is to be hoped that the name will not disappear
from the list ot real estate dealers for many geaerationa to come.





We are requested by Mr. Jobn D. Crimmins, the newly elected president
of the Park Commission, to state that he will bs in daily attendance at the
office of the Commission iu Union square from 11 to 1, where he will be
pleased to receive auggestioas or bear complaints trom property owaers
aad others. Ha further adds that be will cheerfully place maps, &c.,at
the disposal of those who may require them and give auy iaformation

tbat may bo desired.

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Tbe city authorities of Liverpool have just erected a temporary hospital
for Infectious diseases on a tract of land containing thirty acres on Ibe
banks of the Hiver Mersey. The drainage, heating aud otber arranga-
ments are of tbe beat description. Flush tanks are provided at the head
ot eaob line ot drains, which are supplied from special tanks with a strong
solution of carbolic acid. The flush tanks are set to discharge every six
hours. A special eewcr li laid to tbe river to avoid infectioa through tha
city sowers. The heating is dona by means of circular open grates being
placed in the middle of eacb building to give radiation and ventilation, and
■taam pipes are aleo laid around tha outside walls, conveying steam which
ta generated in the flre place by means of a coil of pipes, aome of wbloh
form tbe grate bar«. A separate convalescent building ot iron, and brick
kitchens, sculleries and otber accessory buildings ara lituatad near by.

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There Is a proiect on foot to reclaim a portion of the Immense swamp
that surrounds New Orleans and make it usetul. It la a wonder tt wo*
not dons long agv>. If the Hollanders, centuries ago. reclaimed trom tba
eea the vast stretches of ooza which they now call their country—and
wbich is one ot tho moat fertile and productive regions In Europe—surely,
In this age of engiueering triumphs, the swamp that comes close up to the
buck door of ths Crescent City cau be, and ought to be, made dry and
habitable. At present it is worse thau useless; It Is a nuisance. A oom-
pAny proposes tn enclose 3,5u0 acres of it with a substantial levee, pump
tba water out, clear it of jungle and bring it into cultivation. Tbe soil is
rioh, and. it devoted to market gardening, the tract would amply repay
tbe cost of its reclamation—while tbe levee that protects it would be »
barrier to tbe oity against Inundations at tbe same time.—iSt. Louia Ho-
publican.