The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-25

We copy from paper Of high character an srti-
Gle IN regard TO iron, which commend 10 the dill.
gent perusal Of friends in Pennsylvania. II
these statistics be correct il would not be wonder
full if in a few years iron were exported from
Pennsylvania for sale at profitable prices in Eu-
rope:
From the London Commercial Record July a.
The following remarks, which appeared in the
Mining Journal a short time since, will be found
very interesting there is every reason TO believe
they emanate from parties of great practical knoW-
edge and discernment. The same correspondent
wrote at the close Of last session. al presumed that
not less than 1000 miles of railway would be
TONED by Parliament in the present session, and
900 miles in the session of S47. calculated that
in the three years (l646, l547, 1857 an extra de-
mand for between 1900, 900 and 5000, 900 tons Of
iron would be created by railway enterprise; that
such deficiency Of labor, Of materials, and Of man.
ufacturlng capabillty, would be experienced, as to
make II impossible to meet that demand; and that
the difficulty Of obtaining iron at any price would
shortly present novel feature in the commercial
history of this country"
The course of events has more than confirmed
hose expectations; and has interfered with those
calculations, only to make the result more remarka-
dble and more certain.
Instead Of 1000 miles of railway being sanction
ed this session, there is every probability of 100
miles receiving the royal assent; and instead Of
5000, 900 tons of iron being required for railway
purposes, between 1000, 600 and 5 900 900 tons will
be wanted
The great check which will be given to railway
making, both at home and abroad, is the necessary
restriction to one material and the impossibity OF
supplying the demand which railways must create
for that material. Ii has been asserted over and
over again. that such vast number of miles of rail-
way ought to be distributed over a period of seven
or ten years. That such distribution ought to be
made, Is very questionable, but that such dstribu-
ton must be made, is absolutely certain. The mo-
ney may be found-the iron cannot be supplied
AT the close of the present session, the railway
companies incorporated by act Of Parliament will
have virtually bespoken quantity of iron equal TO
the total make of England, Wales. and Scotland,
for the next four years-leaving none for ordinary
uses at home, the requirements for which are sea-
Oily increasing, and will be further stimulated by
the liberal commercial policy recently adopted by
our government; and leaving none for the supply of
foreign countries, whose wants already exceed their
own capabilities, and who WILL ere long, 70 low the
examples Of Great Britain, and abolish those re-
strIctIons which have hitherto prevented them from
purchasing in the best and cheapest market
Where, them is the iron to come from Our
make of iron is not, at present, on the increase.
few new furnaces have been built-a few more are
in progress, but most Of the old works have reached
their maximum, and several are on the decline
w hatever ingenious theorists may surmise respect
ing the formation of iron ore, and the growth of
Soai, lrOnn1aster is every day remind
ed of the disappearance of those minerals. He
knows, too, that wages advance, his stock of
minerals is apt to diminish; and that the quantity of
IRON manufactured does not depend so much upon
the demand, upon the readiness or reluctance of
the miners to keep to their work, which is labor
Gus, that they would rather do less and earn the
same wages, than do the same work, and earn more
These circumstances will, for long time, operate
to prevent any addition to the quantity Of iron now
manufactured; meanwhile, the excess of the demand
beyond the supply must create exorbant prices, and
many railway will present the strange anomaly of
being incomplete, because it cannot be provided
with the article Itch gives it both its name and its
utility. 1t may be asked why has the price of iron
receded rather than advanced, during the last year,
Because of the uncertainty and the gloom which
have hung over our commerce, government,
and our foreign relations. These clouds have all
passed over; and, with free trade, strong admin
Istration, and peace with all the world nothing can
prevent the natural tendency of an article to con-
nue to rise in price, so long the manufacturer is
unable to meet the wants of the consumer.