Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1842-05-11
From the Baltimore American.
The IRON Manufacture.


superintendent Of the Mount Savage Iron
Works, near Cumberland in this State, gives
,ome valuable information concerning The man
ifacture OF American Iron.
Mr.. Young states that in answer TO an inter-
yogalory from the Committee, that duty OF so
.er cent. Gd vdlOrem would be altogether made
,.iate 10 sustain the iron masters otlhe country.
.Jith a reasonable belief that our Legislators
would modify The Compromise Act and give a
suitable projection, those engaged in the iron
,.,anufac,ure, whose means. enable them to do
80, have prepared 10 continue their works in
operation this year and work up their stock Of
i;ierials. Bul it is added, if The Compromise
,cl goes into effect, there will be not blast
.arnace, using Charcoal, in operation in lS43
J., Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
,ork, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Penn
;. .!rania or Virginia east of the mountains.
The reasons for this belief are given. II is
aown by reference 10 the prices of English
on, as quoted from the circulars of Jevous,
.5ans, & Co. of Liverpool, from S06 TO 1886,
lat variations took place so exactly adapted to
ne sla;e Of the American market al different
eriods as to show that The control of prices
vas in the hands of The British manufacturers,
aad that the same was used TO PROSTATE, if pos
>!bIe, The Iron establishments of the United
States. In 1892 the minimum price in Eng land
uas fixed 10 meet our tariff; and the minimum
-,i 1911 10 operate on our manufactures like
wasting disease.
One-fourih of all the iron manufactures in
England, Wales, and Scotland, were stopped
al the lst of December last, by agreement
among masters. The quantity produced hav-
,ng brought prices TO their lowest Stage, This
Measure was resorted to for The purpose of ell
evating them again-and probably for another
purpose also, VIZ: to set all their works in ope-
ration al The fall Of our tariff in June, and by
putting prices down, 10 embarrass The American
establishments Mr.. Young says: "Ifthc Com
promise Act goes into effect in June, our mar
ke,s will be guued in July with the present
surplus stocks in England Their works now
lying idle lone fourth of the whole) will be put
in operation again, and prices will be kept low
until our works are abandoned, after which they
Will be advanced ad h5itum. When arrived a,
Il point al which We could make iron al mod
eraIe profit, should any be foolish enough 10 in
vest capital again in the manufacture our kind
friends in England will send it sufficiently cheap
ia ruin lhem and thus control our whole sup.
,..ies at their sovereign will and pleasure.
The low wages Of the laborers in England,
and the immense capital invested in large iron
establishments, enable the manufacturers, in
that country to produce iron al lower rales than
is practicable In the United States at present,
while tho manufacture is yet in its infancy.
But there is no doubt of the final and speedy
success Of the business here, if sufficient pro-
lection is extended 10 warrant inresImen in it,
Mr. Young declares thai If a reasonable protec-
zion is given by the Government, we shall with
in ten years send bar iron 10 England For
many purposes American bar iron is of superb
or excellence; and The country possesses ores
of fine quality in the most profuse abundance,
with resources Of coal both anthracite and btu
lainOus, which are inexhaustible.
Ii is essential to the defence and security OF
The country. as well as TO lis independence, that
the iron manufacture should be encouraged and
sustained at home. In the event of war the
right arm Of our strength would be paralysed if
we were dependent on foreign nations for sup
plies of This Indispensable material This con-
sderaton is so pressing thai if there were no
other reasons 10 be urged 10 the same point, it
would alone be sufficient TO justify the Govern
nent IN afording any amount OF protection that
might be necessary for establishing our domes-
Tic iron Interests upon permanent basis.
We shall conclude our REMARKS and referen-
ces on The subject of Mr.. Youngs communica-
non by quoting The following account of an i'm
poriant establishment now growing up in our
Slaie-merely adding that this gentleman,
whose statements we have referred 10 with con
hdence as to their accuracy, has been an iron
manufacturer, since lsl7--tha he was for
fourteen years Superintendent of the Yves,
Point Foundry, and afterwards President Of The
Ulster Iron Company of New York--situstions
IN which he has acquired all that practical
knowledge Of his business which personal ex-
peuence for SO long time must give 10 an in
'eliigent man:
This communication is already too long, bu,
! beg leave to introduce TO your notice an es-
just springing into existence, with
which sm connected, viz: the works OF the
Maryland ano iI1% York Iron and Coal CON-
pany; situated al the foot Of Savage mountain.
9 miles from Cumberland, on the route of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. On The proper
~ Of this company there is every material to