New-York daily tribune., 1844-05-04
Reported for The Tribune.
Railroad Iron-Can II he Manufactured In
the United StatcsI

AMERICAN ISsTITUTE-CoNyERSATIo MEETING.
April t9. 1874.
JEr Oi;rer Smih.-I attended the last meeting
here, desiring 10 obtain information on the important
question under discussion. had entertained doubts
OF the proprielv of our undertaking 10 make our
Rarosd Iron, bat have Eow the fullest conviction
that it is time for put own orges III opera
ton. The President OF the institute has SAID that
we have great amount OF Railroads yet 10 make,
and that we have only commenced, although We
have already made aud begun 10 n axe several thou
sand miles of road. The sums OF money hereafter
10 be expended will be great many millions. We
were told by some that We might impor; rails for
twenty dollars per ton. Mr.. Browning suid that we
could not make pig iron for less than thiuytwo OF
thirtythree dollars per ton. But it seems to be
pretty well ascerianed that the rails will cost us
forty dollars per Ton, One fuct Is certaln-ihht
when landed on our shores the cost OF uansporta-
ton the interior is great as the forging. DIR.
Jones gave Us valuable information relative 10 the
manufacture of Railroad Iron in England. They
there complained Of the low prices, and declared
thai they could not make living oil such rates
General Chandler had also given Us some valuable
statistics lhs subject-,hat the rails cost forty
five fiitv, and sometimes sixty dollars per ION
Forty to fifty is generally admitted Us the probable
cost o. imported rails. The general conclusion Is
that they can be made here for orty or fly, and al
that we can make them. England vii supply Us
ms long MS she possibly can.- When we impose
duty she will lower her price. The effect OF duiy
on cotton goods has been To lower the cost here
Competition here produces that consequence. be-
lieve that if we let our people have the market they
will make all our rails, and make them good too.
Samuel Oakley, ESQ., dropped in this eve
ming 10 lisien-and had no intention OF speakng-l
want information. Much has been given, and some
that was mathematical. 1t was said by one gen
teman, that Railroad Iron could be made here ior
twenty-five and a half dollars per ton. That was
an abalirditv, perfectly | am aw arc o the lac
tory al Reading. but nothing short ui delnonstra-
ton will satisfy that II can he done here Tor that
price. Such assertions will excite expectations that
cannot be realized To ask the question, whether
we can make our own Railroad Iron, Is 10 ask whe-
tber We are as intelligent as the animals that veee-
tate in Wales jrcn Is embodiment 81 tda0T,
from beginning 10 end Forly-Eve dollars OF the
prce per ton is labar Labor here is nearly three
times as dear as there. They do for six shlliings
per ton what costs lie three doars-pnddiMS. We
encounter another evil. Capital here is seven per
cent-in England not much more lhan one bali that
amount. To establish large Railroad Iron Forge
costs from two hundred and fifty ihOus md 10 hall
million of dollars Our orges must he planted IN
the mountains where the Ore and Coal are Ill JuXta'
posi,on Capitalists do not love TO trust their mo-
nev at distance. The work requires constant and
intelligent attention. it is true that III many ocali-
lies less bodily labor will be required Than III Wales
These positions have been lntely reached by inter
nal communications Of road and canal. But we re-
quire thai kind of labor from man which is not suit
ed to American habits The fires OF these iorges
are necessarily large, the heat is intense-thc men
ure greatly exposed to lis power-they are Obliged
TO work almost naked-nothing but rag OHIO
shirt. Ii is true that we can import operatives
One thns-wc can as easily make Rnroud Iron as
Tire Iron and some other kinds. Indeed Tire
Iron is infinitely more digic~H 10 make. Railroad
Iron has been made here Ten years ago The makers
had some trouble in arranging their guides; hut
it is not so difficult TO handle as Tire ron, nor rs
he quuntity Of The iron required for the rails as
GOOD as tie Tire Iron. The iron masters have had
no protection a Tariff only Tor yenr and hall and
in constant danger ofalleruiion! We cannot COON.
Ii is demonstrated that we can make all our Rail-
road Iron; Tut who will put his Hundred Thousand
Dollars in Forge when the Protection may in ell
probability go by the board in 9ncxt Congress
ecea before his Mil is hdif Tnisaed2 lronmasters
are ready to contract il they can be assured OF their
safety-of fixed state Of things. In less than hive
wears Turn II nj forty dollars per ton,
and perhaps, by means OF some improved processes,
cheaper still.
ar. Bloomfe1d.-I am happy 10 listen TO so intel
ligent n witness in the cause as the last speaker L
have noiconnectiOn with the Iron interest," but | am
interested in Railroads. There is no doubt of our
ability TO mike Railroad Iron but il is u question
of policy. Why shall we not take advantage OF the
skill and capital of England! She has, in about
fifteen wears, made some fifteen hundred miles OF
road she has large and powerful rollers 10 work
with. We have Coal and Iron lying near each 9TH
cr; we have twenty five dollars per ton protection
in the shape OF cost of transportation. But our
Iron men do not make Railroad Iron yet They are
fully employed in making Bar Iron, Nails, &c
There arc no forgcs that can make what we require
for our Albany and our Erie Railroads The un-
certainty Of the prosecution OF these roads, too ope-
rates as check. The lron-masler will not, in these
doubtful circumstances, go on and make Railroad
Iron TO his own ruin. Whether the Rails are made
by foreign paupers or not we may as well use Them
while we want them. We have now some five thou
sand miles of Railroad. New-Eng land manages her
Railroad system well. She takes care 10 put the
parts Of her roads together so that they become I'M
medately productive. Congress ought 10 project
this interest; but | think that ten dollars per ton
would be enough--it ous hi 10 he enough. Ii is
mere question of policy. In Pittsburgh, Pig Iron
costs from twentynine 10 thirty dollars per ton now
Mr.. Browning SAYS that we cannot make Zig Iron
for less: an intelligent Iron-master says that we
cannot make ii for less. They tried The making OF
Edge Rails AT Wilkesbarre, but they could hardly
begin. Mr.. Broadmeadow's ore was the Hemaie.
As TO transportation. il costs SIC dollars per Ton.
to take il from the furnace in Duchess 10 the Hudson
river. Let us get English rails TO lay tracks 10 The
mountains. Wewant the roads. In the event OF war
we want them for defence MS well as ior internal
commerce. They are as necessary to the Iron mas.
Ter as his Rollers. An excessive duty OF SO will
delay Railways.
Vice President CLnndlcr.-It is apparent from
the statements of Ar. Oakley, that all that is want
ed 10 make all our own Railroad hon is Protection.
The little advance which we have vet made IS Owing
entirely TO the want of that and The lack OF assu-
rance of its permanency. There gre, l am toid,
Iron makers ready 10 contract at the average British
price OF the last ten years.
M BlOom6e'd-The Ridge Of Allegheny Noun
iains is equivalent TO protection OF twenty five dol
lars per ton.
!Mr Oah1ey.-Does it cost twenty five dollars 10
transport it Sir ii costs but six dollars or there
abouts.
Ticc President Chadler.--The Institute has not
said that the cost Of transportation was twenty-five
dollars. That was stated bya member speaking OF
distant point.
Mr iakeman.-That was stated Of the rails
sent to Illinois in 1886 and 1887. The transporta-
ton of those rails was twenty-five collars per ton.
ar. Siapson.--lt would be singular PROPOSE
ton 10 make that the Iron masters OF Eng gland love
us! When remove our duty from the iron, their
prices will actually rise. They sell itlo US cheaper
ic,tA duty on than off 1t is grand mistake in pol
icy TO 60 for cheapness altogether Should We exert