The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-11-15
Hear q Pennsylvania Iron Master.


" re{uted. The attempts of few pock-
ct patriots to overthrow ;he admirable tar
if of IS46 and substitute the abominable
act Of 1912, with its specific dulies,-
must prove an utter failure. Ninetenths
Of the people of the United States, con-
rder the tariff question as setlled. A
large majority Of the people of Pennsyl-
rania, at the recent election, declared
themselves satisfied with the present rev.
enue laws. A Democratic Congress viii
not dare to act contrary 10 the wishes Of
the people.
The Following is the communication in
the Union to which we have referred:
OCTOBER %, lS49.
Gentlemen:-Enclosed you will find
circular 10 the iron masters of Pennsyl-
vania. An iron master myself, | have
long been satisfied that my 'ferruginous'
brelhern have mistaken the cause of their
alleged troubles; and l cannot let this op-
porthnity pass, without recording my pro-
test:against the present efforts to alter the
tariff of 1916.
l propose now to submit plain state
ment Of facts. which they knoy to be
trate, and which are conclusive with me,
that it is the interest Of the Pennsy ylvania
iron master to oppose any change in our
present tariff.
The cost Of manufacturing pig iron
with anthracite coal varies from $l2 to
els per ton. To get it 20 the Phllade-
phiG market seldom costs over So, and
large quantities are daily thrown into
Philade phia for s per ton; making tn e
whole cost 10 the iron master from $l3
10 sly.
The pig iron made from charcoal west
Of the mOu untans, costs the furnace men,
delivered in Pi,tsburg, from SIS to so
according to their facilities for manufactu-
ring and getting 10 market.
Now let US see what advantage the
Englisnman has over US in our own mar
kets Of PlItsburg and Philadelphia. The
Liverpool Times, now before me, states
that the COS! of making pig iron in Great
Britain to be from Sll TO Sig. 1T must
be remembered too, that English pig
iron is inferior to ours for many purposes.
The following statement, am satisfied
will be acknowledged a fair one by all
familiar with the subject:
Per ton.
The cost of metal at the furnaces
in Great Britain, say sI1 90
Transportation o Liverpool or
Glasgow, storage, commission,
&c, say 90
Thirty per cent. ad vaorem duty
upon Sl3 3 90
Freight TO New York or PhiladeI-
phia, (seldom under So per tony 90
Charges for unlading, storage, &c,
in our ports, say, 100
Actual cost Of ton of English iron
in New York or Philadelphia S2l 80
Bicknell's Philadelphia Reporter quotes
anthracite iron in Philadelphia at so 10
TO S23; English and Scotch pigs per ton,
S21 TO S24. The Commercial Journal
and other Pittsburg papers quotes char
coal pig metal in that market at SO TO
S2T. English pig metal in Pittsburg,
NONE. II costs at least 50 per ton to get
it there.
That our profits are fully equal to those
Of any other branch of manufactures, the
above statement Will clearly show-par-
ticularIy if proper attention and economy
are observed by the iron master.
The mere passage of the act Of 1912
so unnaturalIy inflated the iron business
in this Slate-the product of upwards oi
seventy furnaces being almost immedi late
ly added TO the yearly suppty-that the
demand even TO this day has not overta-
kenit. Now, give another unnatural i'm
petus to the business, by augmenting the
present duty. of 80 per cent. and who car
tell how many more iron works would i'm
mediately spring up, and ,ohen the oemaac
would overtake the supply? The fact i:
the business even now is overdone.-
There are now too many rolling mills anc
furnaces for the consumption of iron.-
The demand is, however. gradually grow
ing upon the supply. and if the tariff is lie
alone, the business will, in another year
be healthfut and prosperous. England
cannot now successfully compete with US
IN our own iron-markets for any length o
time. The iron masters of England are
too shrewd to play the game they have
been much longer. Their losses by the
shipments of iron to this country for the
past year or two must have been enor
nous. The disturbed state of Europe, i
is true, compelled them TO force their ac
cumulating stocks into the only marke
they consider safe. We have compelled
them to sell at a sacrifice, and l doubt no
they are tired of the experiment.
1t appears to me, Messrs. Editors, thai
the truth is perfectly clear, and lies in a
nutshell. The iron masters of Pennsyl-
vania have more to fear from domestic
'han foreign competition. Let ''aoeL
enough" alone.
A PENNSYLVANIA IRoN-MAsTER.