The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-10

Admission of Foreign Railroad Iron.
MosroUa Iaos WoRKs, PEsssyLvAsIA,
April, 1852.
Hon. RICHARD BRopHEAD,
United States Senator Of Pennsyludnta:
DEAa STA: l have been much disturbed by the
recent movement in the House Of Representatives
t. repeal the duty upon railway iron, which would
be most disastrous to the beet interests of the coun
try, and utterly annihilate and destroy the great
iron trade Of QUE State. IL would seem as If this
great trade. second only to agriculture branch
OF national industry, was constantly to be the
sport Of legislative change and experiment When
the bill OF 1886 was presented to the country a
revenue measure. Secretary Walker, in his report,
held the following language: disability in the tariff
and currency is what the manufacturer should
most desire. Let the tariff be permanently ad-
justcd by return to reasonable and moderate rev.
enue duties, which, when imposed truly and in
good faith for that purpose, will yield sufficient ad
vantage to afford reasonable profits-and let this
permanent system (and none other be perma.
ncnt) be established, and the manufacturer, in a
series of years, will derive the greatest benefits
from the system. The tariff has been changed and
modified thirty times since the first bil--bcing
more than once average for every Congress
since the Government was founded; and it ID vain
10 xpect perinanency from any thing but
tariff. Stability is what the manufacturer should
desire, and especially that the question should be
taken of the arena Of politics. by lust and per-
manent settlement" In n more recent report,
Secretary Walker admitted that iron would bear
much higher duty for revenue than that imposed by
the bill OF 1916. and recommended duty of forty
per cent ad r0iorem. At the time of the passage
OF the bill OF 1885, railway iron selling in Eng
land at EiO, say $50, and consequently paid
duty OF s 10 and upwards per ton. This, then, was
considered the l0,oest rerenue duty by Secretary
Walker. Railway iron is now selling at "a los,
($22 50,) and pays duty of SO 75 per ton. 1t
has been admitted by all parties that the iron trade
has been the great suffering industry under the
bill Of 1916, and 90 declared by the chairman 1.-THE
Hon. MIR. Bayly) of the Committee Of Ways and
Means OF the last Congress
This movement in Congress ia alarming
from the fact that it is sought by combination of
other interests. The proposition is to bargain away
the railway manufacture for an increased duty upon
the other descriptions of iron, and upon the finer
fabrications OF cotton &c; and thus, by dividing
and separating the interest, eventually to destroy
il. Such discriminating duties are proposed in
favor OF other descriptions of iron would deter
mine every operator to the production of those,
and by thus overriding the business, bring imme-
date embarrassment and ruin upon all engaged
in the trade.
Now, if We examine in what the consumption of
iron chiefly consists, and in what the increase will
be most considerable and most likely to continue,
cannot fail to be impr essed with the magnitude
OF the consumption in the construction of rail-
ways. Every mile OF road demands upwards of
one hundred tons Of iron for a single track. and
these massive rails arc to be stretched from one
limit Of the country to the other East and West,
North and South, and in every direction. wherever
trade and travel call for them.
For any satesman, therefore, under such cir
cumstances, to entertain the idea of importation
free q duty of a material 80 largely used and to be
entirely dependent for il upon a foreign country,
is totally inadmissible. Who has ever heard Of
such commerce with any nation, and what
ton could sustain itself under il? As well might
country like ours, with it's rich and fertile fields,
encourage the importation of its breadstufs-the
lnstx "a ~ L.,
terests of the country. What items Of exports
to counterbalance and furnish the returns for such
trade Of imports? Not even Stale bonds pro-
posed; but railway sec turtles, county and township,
and town bonds. Can any statesman look back to
the period of railway mania, from 1880 to S4O, and
encourage resort to such negotiations?
The State stock issued from 1880 to lsiO reached
the enormous sum Of. ............x l73, 409, OS4
But the Of imports far
ahead of the issue, being, from 1929
to 1870. ....................... 2Oi ,t64 40
The of scheme project in nego-
tiatinS bonds, was only an incentive TO others oil
more magnihccncc and splendor, little any regard
being had 10 the productvencss Of the work.
Ought not, then, the strong temptation which
exists with the experience Of that day to
guide us) to negotiate such securities for iron
abroad he checked, instead Of encouragcd?-thus
further deprecntng American credit, adding To
our foreign debt, degrading ourselves in foreign
estimation, and FORGETTING our real independence.
But what sound argument can be used for the
remission OF these duteSs lie not railway iron at
the lowest CURE that il has reached aud would
not Its repeal take from the treasury at eas ftco
millions Of aos.svs yr Gnnua.2 II the rNDwue IA IN
excess, would II not be much more conducive 10
the best Interests of the country 70 REMOVE entirely
the duty upon that class OF articles entering into
the consumption oil our farmers and planlers-such
as the iron for houscs, and roois OF houses, posts
and iencos, raiIings, boats poughsbares, ploughs,
scythes, wal ons, Gc.-instoad OF remitting railway
duties to incorporated companies, which are usu-
ally owned and controlled by few indiyiduaisr
Would our agriculturisis submit TO such aug
mentsiion Of dutcs ne would restore the amount
RENTED 10 the treasury
Itis not now pretended by any one conversant with
the trade, that have not the skill the resources,
and the ability 10 increase this trade TO meet the
entire wants OF the country at price hof "a renu-
nuohng 10 the Ep glisb iron master. For tits known
and openly admitted, by the iron masters OF Eng
land, that all the iron sold (although pro iuccd
by labor at the starving poin Is ats absolute ioss
TO be sstshcd Of ihs IT is only necessary refer
any intelligent mind TO the English Nin,ng Jour
MI. II would be supposed that the low figure at
which this iron Is now obtained, with the dimin-
isbed coet OF construction, arising from the expo
ricncc Of those who have pioneered In these rail.
way undertakings, and with the enormous grants
that arc daily made by Congress Of lands, would
satisfy these grasping companies without socri-
ficing millions invested under the guarantee and
faith Of the Government But, nj bough such lie.
cisistion would have tho immediate effect Of de-
stroying the railway manufacture in this country,
yet VIC thall undertake 20 show that u would not
enable the companies, in a period Of i've or ten
bat II would be largely enhanced by destroying
the American establishments. To illustrate this,
shall furnish tho most conclusive fscts.
From 1882 10 1912 railway iron was imported