Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-10-11


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
sylvania is emphatically the greatest iron producing
State of the Union. Other States, however, con-
tain the i'll 10 less abundance. 1t has been es.
timatcd that i'll Ohio, 1900 square miles under
laid with Iron, which tract is calculated TO contain
| 1850, 0,000ton 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 i'll this respect, we annu-
ally import not far from Sl0,000O00 worth of iron
in the pig or manufactured by rolling! ,,r,.- I
Great Britain is the greatest iron producing coun-
try of the world, her annual production being eS-
mated at 100000 TOMS Five years ago the United
States produced the same amount. In 1850, accOr-
ding to the census returns, only 564, 1855 tons were
| made. This decline in production is in great
measure attributable TO the reduction of duty under
the freetrade tariff of 1916. The cheapness of for
egn iron i'll markets sets at defiance the compe-
idea may be formed of the great loss which has re-
suited from tile 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 annum. In 1917, these furnaces made
3S9, $50 tons. In 1850 they made but about 2OO,-
600 tons. The number Of FORCES and rolling mills
in the State is 2O0 with capacity for making 224,-
$50 tons per annum, Their actual product for
1917, was 202, 1927 tons. In 1S49 the production
had fallen off to sc, $50 tons. The capital invest
ed in the above mills amounts to not far from $780,
600, 900, 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
cd in lSI7. These facts show the extent of the
existing depression in the iron business of the coun
try. f ,.5sts = ~
Its doubtless q 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
height, and commissions, at less price than it can
be a fforded from our own mills. The answer is
obvious. Wehave the skill, the fuel, the facul-
ties for reaching market, and every other requisite
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 be
obtained by the iron masters of Scotland at from "a
to 36 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 difference
OF about 100 per cent in favor of the British manu-
actureI, enabling him to produce iron alta cost of
only about $40 per ton,which cannot be manufac-
tured here for perhaps twice that sum-. s.tsf5 1
1t follows that without judicous protection, or
great reduction in the wages of the laborer, the
iron interest," like many other branches of manufac-
lure, must continue depressed. The desired pro-
lection was accorded to the iron business by the,
tariff 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-
sbe for the existing depression with the manufac-
lures. Here then we have a broad line separating
the two parties, and distinct and important issue
in tbeipresent canvass The Wings aim to encour-g
age the non interest and every other branch of 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 aboref to
par with the starvation price, in Europe Those
who contend that there is no important issue be-
tween the two great parties will do well to ponder
upon these facls.-Boston Journal. ;aiJ