New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-03-23
rron-neetsng Of the American
Haiir0H" Institute.
-o,v interesting and important meeting was held
,son;ns at the rooms ofthe American institute,
Is'' !. ,ooefher on published notice that the

.o-v interesting and important meeting was held
'.on,no at the rooms ofthe American institute,
s'' ;. toeether on published notice that the
pI07 10 consideration would be, Can America supply
low she so situated by nature that she
OWL AID procure it from the m'nss OF stafford H.lr1 and
80 ms iarthe farther from the mines OF sseden, Ru5-
W, All pstsoas interested in the m!nufacture or coz
81 a az Ron in the general pcSF1lity OF ou country
lend this meeting md that with
iron coal III atsr re wiki their tops
10, via meme forests AID iaY's able waters how!us
G;hs 80 f,rln Of utility: are, tthstanI ng .oge-
tSo sd banIon ths ''oieaat ernploy foreign lebo
Sg s;s meeting IS discuss aud settle this question
We noticed several Iron men present from New
,,,.sv, some from Philadelphia, and most of the
s,ry dealers in our own city.
General TALLMADcE the Presiden, OF the Inst-
40 having taken the Chair,
On motion of Gen. CHANDLER, Judge MEIGs was
.ooonted Secretary.
General L. stated tina, ii was not so much the bu
.os.s ofhese familiar conversational meetings to de-
,,,e as TO elicit information, and in order 10 invite
.od if possible, to devc!op the views of gentle
nen present, he would submit few remarks. 1t
I'll not be atniss, then continued Gen. T., to illus
ME this subject by brief reference to the history
Grail Roads.
about the year l7G0 Rail Roads were first used
and about the Galleries Of England. They used
othing more than rude carriages, which they pro-
eled along on tracks OF rails. Inc cars mad
sbeels and were laden with conls.
About,he year 1922 Rail Roads were first intro
heel into England for the purpose of travel In
10, year the Liverpool and Manchester road
~, m nofiop and in the same year, 1929, the GUM
poi Road 10 the Granite Quarre near Boston
!,s opened. In 1880 the Baltimore and Ohio road
ras oneneil and mat Of the Mohawk and Science
AZ was also commenced. We have rail roads
n all the States except Vermont, florldn and Mis-
,onri From various documents, | gather that in
he year 1910 we had about ,299 miles Of road fin
sbel in the United States 10 which may be added
Nv double tracks, pdss-ways turnOuts depots, &c.
-. .,v one quarter nore-;hus we have 6624 miles
S;nce the wear 1910, there have been added about
Ig-6 and The result is have now about 8, 900
r;la. mostly completed. For each mile of rail road
rs compute 1860 yards, and the average gross
weight Of iron on each yard is equal to 81 lbs; the
,psnlt then Will be that each mile OF rail road has
,soured - tons of iron. II right in this caIcula
nm and tie average price of rail road iron $50
per ton considering 200 as the cost per mile of
AL road we find we have expended on this article
,be enormous sum of $50 600, 600.
This country has the materials aad the capacity
IN proyide Iron fully equal to any country on the
hcp of the globe and yet it is painful to reflect that
with this natural capacity, with the mental energies
and the Immense expenditure of S32 00O,0 600, we are
still 10 this moment unable to produce a single bar
ofRaiIroad Iron in the United States. In 1882 four
Sroes were changed in this country for the purpose
Of producing Railroad Iron, but from a change in
tbepo!cy of the Government, and from other causes,
after the manufacture of about 100 tons, the enter
nn @ was abandoned. | repeat, then, that behind
s32O1OONO of expenditure, the business is not yet
begun. Thus while VIC buy abroad TO the tune OF
tbjrtywo millions. II accounts Tor the disappear
unce of specie from our shores, while our own labor
ers are left without employment, and no induce
ments are held out Cor the arzans and laborers of
other countries to come amongst us and augment
the demand for our own agricultural products.
Here Cent laid on The table letters from Nessrs.
A. e. G.. Ralston, of Philadelphia, and Messrs. Da-
Wis Brooks &, Co. of New York, showing the prices
OF Iron from the year 1881 up TO 1879 lie then
proceeded
England is satisfied but we have not yet entered
upon the thoroughfares of our naiion-have hardly
mal, IL commencement, for 1000 miles Is not COM
mencemeut; and yet | repeat 1t, 1t has st us
49,, 0O0000, and we are yet without the ability 10
produce q rail! Shall we then 60 on aud repeat an
other like sum, employ the labor OF Sweden, Eng
land and Wales, or had not better invite these
lsborers 10 come with us and receive generous
welcome An expenditure of like sum IN our
own country will give outlet for our agriculture
make II home market for our products, ana give en-
ergy and life TO all our operations
MIR. BruadIneNuOW SuCCeeucu Seii. otiu ioS'c.
Tod exceedingly that q country Astounding as this
country does in mountains of ore and mountains OF
ronl should not yet be able to produce her ownron
AR r. went on to say that Railroad Iron could be
for 5 80 per ton and he stated that fur
mace was already erected, within tive miles OF Read-
inc Pa where the truth OF his assertion could be
rested. MIR b. here went into description of the
process of making iron from the ore and contended
that The tendency of the minerals was to run INTO
wrought IRON and not is generally supposed INTO
cast IRON lie exposed some OF the errors usual IN
the manufacture, aud then went on 10 show that one
ton OF Railroad Iron can be produced in this coun-
try at the following cost;
2tons OF Coat, at 50 per ton 49,. w w
Lap @ lo an aull Iii balls per tom
CuttinI and piilns no 10
Re ' iar &e to coinrs;e tn: railroad soS
Cost for bali furnace per t"a = %g 9s
Weighing and warehousiue per TOM. y
C. A. Davis. ESQ. followed and spoke at some
length in favor of the general policy OF Proectlon
but conended that in the present state OF our ufiurS
il vas proper to receive Railroad Iron at reduced
rate Of duty. He stated as a fact that Tor TWO or
three years and up the present tnc le had stand
Inc orders with Iron makers IN this country loi even
the flat Railroad Iron but that he had
single offer, Notwithstanding the manufacturer would
have had the advantage of S25 per ton duty besides
the expense of transporting from England MI. H.
further contended that the policy OF Protection
consisted in facilities for developing our own re-
sources aud in the Home Intercourse.
Joseph P Simpson, ESQ. controver'ed the views
the last speaker and insisted thata firm adherence
10 the present duty on Railroad Iron would lead 10
its production at cheaper rate IN this country IMAM
we have ever before received it from abroad.
gentleman from Philadelphia, whose name we
d learn oo the 9pPGsS To s%o u 'i
iron in his country.