Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-10-11
The iron Interest,". of the United states.

There are few minerals more widely diffused, and
none of greater value than Iron. The ore eff this
metal is found i'll almost every State, though Penn
sylvana is emphatcally the greatest iron producing
State of the Union. Other States, however, con-
tain the ore III no less abundance. 1t has been es
tmatet that i'll Ohio, 1900 square miles are under
laid with Iron, which tract is calculated TO contain
4,0S0000, 000tons. In Maryland. Tennessee, Mis-
souri,, Kentucky, Virginia, and other States, the
ore is found in abundance. And yet with all the
lavish bounty of nature in this respect, we,annu-
ally import not far from $4,000, 900 worth of iron
in the pig or manufactured by rolling! ,s,a.g +
Great Britain is the greatest iron producing coun
try of the world, her annual production being esti-
mated at 100000 tons. Five years ago the United
States produced the same amount. In 1850, accor
ding to the census returns, only 564, 755 tons
made. This decline in production is in great
measure attributable to the reduction of duty under
the frcetrade tariff of 1876 The cheapncss of for
eign iron in markets sets at defiance the compe-
tillOn OF our own iron and manufacturers. Some
idea may be formed of the great loss which has re-
suited from the abandonment of the policy of pro-
tecting our own producers, by an examination Of
the statistics of the iron manufacture of Pennsylva
mia. There are 304 blast furnaces and bloomer-
les IN the State, with capacity for making $780,
$50 tons per annun. In 1871, these furnaces made
3S9, $50 tons. In 1850, they made but about 2OO-
900 tons. The number Of FORCES and rolling mills
in the State is 200, with capacity for making 224,
ESQ tons per annum. Their actual product for
1877, was 202, 1877 tons. In 1S49 the production
hau lallen OIL 10 $50 oo3 TONS The capital invest
ed i'll the above mills amounts to not far from $780,
100000, and the deterioration must be at least so
per cent. Probably not half SO many laborers are
now employed in the manufacture as were employ
ed in lS47. These facts show the extent Of the
existing depression in the iron business of the conn
try. -rl -.-tt2S - y
Its doubtless a matter of surprise with many,
how 1t is that SO heavy. and yet comparatively
cheap an article as iron can be produced in Great
Britain and sold in this country, after paying duty
p1iccin ~ - lac, "a
be afforded from our own mills The answer is
obvious WehaSe the skill, the fuel, the facul-
ties for reaching market, and every otherrequisite
Tor the production of iron which is to be found
abroad, except cheap labor. Labor enters largely
INTO the process OF iron making, and laborers can be
obtained by the iron masters of Scotland at from "a
to &c cents day. In England from 80 to 4S cents
per day is paid. Inthis country the wages of COM
mon laborers is from IS to 81 per day. the average
being about so cents day. Here is a difference
of about 100 per cent in favor of the British ma nu
tacturel, enablinghim to produce iron alta cost of
only about $40 per ton, which cannot be nlanufac-
tuIed here for perhaps twice that sum. ). ti5,+s
;ltfollows that without judicious protection, or
great reduction in the wages of the laborer, the
IRON interest," like many other branches of manu- fac
ture, must continue depressed. The desired pro-
lection was accorded to the iron business by the;
tailif OF 1S42-a tariff which was emphatica nv a
wing measure, and which was repealed by the de-
mocracy. The latter party is emphatically respon-
slble for the existing depression with the manitac-
lures. Here then we have a broad line separating
the two parties and distinct and important issue
IN thelpresent canvass The Wings aim to encour-
age the iron interest and every other branch IF do
nestle industry-the democrats seek by free trade
to throw our markets open to the competition Of
the world, thus breaking down our manufacturing
Industry, or reducing the wages of the aborer to
par win me starvation price, in Europe. Those
tween the two great parties will do well 10 ponder
upon these facs.-Boston Journal IA ~