New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-12
THE EPPECT or BRITISH FREE TRADE

The Erening Post still asseverates that
the use of iron is increasing in the United
States simply because the writer happens
to know Of new inventions in the form Of
iron fences, iron bedsteads, iron window
sills, &c. &c. Of the Treasury Reports it
holds the following language:
"What does the Secretary of the Treasury know Of
the amount of Iron used annually in the country or
what certain information the subject can be found In
the returns of his department. All that the Treasury can
do in the matter is to tell In its reports OF the Com
merce and navigation of the United States, how much
iron is annually brought into the country but that Is
quite different matter
sin the first place. ii does not follow that because In
any single year large quantity OF iron was imported
that an Immediate was found for it. large I'M
portaon in one, or In two three successive years,
may diminished importation for two or three
years afterward The iron imported In 1873 for exam
pie, mgh have helped to supply the market for three
years atterward
Again the Treasury knows nothing Of the quantity
OF iron annually produced in own country IL takes
no account of the iron dug from Commodore Stock
toms mountains in NewJersey, or of what smefed In
the Pennsy furnaces in those OF the Noftnern
Counties OF our own State. OF all the iron annually ex-
uacted from the American mines, wrought INTO snape,
and employed for various purposes throughout our vast
country, the Treasury hears syllable except
when il pays the accounts for that part OF il which or
dered for the of the Government Yet The Tribune
proceeds upon the notion that iron Is used In the
country except what appears In the Treasury returns oil
our foreign We all know that since the re.
duced tariff of 1876 passed, iron mills have been
erected in different parts of the United States, and
vast amount Of capital has been actively employed In the
iron manufacture If the importation Of iron has fallen
off, it has been doubt owing, in part 10 the compe
ton which those mills have maintained with the foreign
importer.
We are not surprised at this confession
of The Posts utter ignorance of the Treas
ury Statistics, and of the manner in which
they are made up. As leading organ of
the doctrinaires of free trade, it is bound
either 10 ignore or to pervert the facts in re-
gard to the effect Of the Tariff and the con-
dition of the country, and it is rather cred
liable than otherwise that it should have
chosen the former alternative. and avoided
the sources of correct information.
We will then inform The Post, that in
addition to the exact account kept by
the Treasury Of every pound of iron i'm
ported, it has been the practice for that
Department TO obtain the most accurate in
formation possible as to the quantity pro-
duced in the several States, as a matter of
great interest from its bearing on the tariff
question. Mr.. Walker did so, and Mr..
Corwin has done so. Of course, it is not
possible to obtain tire exact number of
pounds, as is done in the case of the iron i'm
ported, but a sufficiently exact approNma-
tiou 10 made. Il Is known. tor instance,