Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-08-02
NUMBER III.

use about 100 tons Of rails per mile OF road. ane
i the average is probably below 50 tons. III ",
n assume the highest amount, 100 tons, AND
place it at an average of $50 per ton, we have
e $4,000 per mile. Now take the ordinary cost O.
X spikes, chairs and iron used in bridges; calcu
late the value of the metal required for the &C.
Z tual number of cans and locomotives now in Ope
= ration on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and
ii willbe found that the iron used on a railroad
[ other than the iron rails, is worth IS 800 Der
e mile of road. Therefore, for every 5000 ex-
T pended IN railroad iron, there is more than an
2 equal demand for manufacturers Of iron of a
more profitable character. NOaccOunt has been
: taken of the machinery and tools used in the
: shops and ON the repairs of the road bed, track
/ and bridges. Nor has any account been taken
of the materials consumed in keeping up the
2 road aud equipment.
Therefore, the admission Of iron free, by en
lcouraging the construction OF roads is An actual
protection 10 the producers OF all other charac-
ters OF iron. This is the true reason why our
rolling mills have made so little railroad iron
They have been more prOfitably employed. and
the amount of rails rolled in the United States
bears very small proportion to the amount i'm
ported.
THE value of the iron castings produced in
the United States in 1850 was S25, ,l0S 1 SIS. and
the wrought iron produced was worth So. cog
2Il; and yet this must have been far short of
the demand for iron fabricks other than rails ar
the mills of the United States would have rolled
more railroad iron. The price of rails abroad
together with the duty at home, has certainly
been sufficient to encourage home manufacture
but for the cause above stated
The value ofrails imported during the last
Tour years, exclusive of duty was 81 9Ol 452 i'm
The year ending June 30th, 1851; Sc 22S 794 i'm
the year ending June 80, 1852; O,446 O37 in
the year ending June 50, 1853; and Sl2 O2O. .3O9
IN the year ending June 80, 1854.
~, Il q. r
lowing sums: $780, SCI in 1919; Sl7 ,524, I59
IN 1850; SIS, ,73SlO2 in 1851, and S2O, ,495 ,Os6
! 1852
IL From this II viii be seen that we pay for
eign countries more than $50 900 900 per annum
for iron and more than s. 900 600 for iron other
than rails. Ii is therefore clear that the pro-
duction of iron in the United States is far short
OF the home consumption. Why is t;;sy II is
because the iron and coal fields of the United
States are not yet sufficiently developed by rail
roads to enable us To supply the home demand.
even for the more profitable manufacture of
iron.
THAT the labor OF the country is benefited by what
ever promotes the construction railroad-
y he admred. But il wonderful 10 consider The yast
amount OF mechanic skin which is employed ope
ration OF finished railroad; throwing entirely OF
the question the and magnificent work shops
of the country in which the cars locomotives and other
machinery for our roads are manufactured.
"Ihe following statement was made In 1851: The
Reading Railroad employs in all, about 500 persons
|
per month"; or Ss2OOoO per annum. Il consumes mate
rias IN value OF sa00 per month, causing in all (con-
sumption OF materials, salaries and wages9 annual
outlay OF S9OOWO, all expended il ground. II
manufactures ~ wheels day 10 perpctuaie It's machi-
nery and and requires annually from five 10 eight
"Let see now what will be the future demand for
iron 10 perpetuae the track and keep up the supply
of wheels our railroads.
''There I9,43s miles OF railroad in operation
IN the United States, according 10 careful estimate pub
tshed In the Railroad Journal Of January The
rlv Tnsff
number Of miles in construction. Suppose we assume
10000 miles as the present NUMBER and 1900 miles
the number which We viii have In e60. Take the
rage demand for new wheels, per mile OF road,
haJ Of what il is the Reading Road, and win
the present demand 10 be 22 600 per annum, and
the demand In 1860 to be 33 500 tons for repairs aons
Assume hundred tons per mile the weight Of the
raul and i've per cent per annum as the loss, and
find 100000 tons per annum necessary for repairs
this time and l5O.OOO in Il will probably require
r"ads-maSins demand for nany years Of ssn 90 ,on
of rails, and probably GoO.uo0 OF wheels,
Than one million OF tons OF metal
I" There produced in the United States only
$500 Q tons Of iron in Great Britain only 3ooosoo,
and In the world only 5,5l7,OD0.
he demand tor other descriptions OF iroH Is incress
ing rapidly, and the 10 which II Is applied daily
multiplying. The production Of iron In Great Britain
United States has been irpled.
"Is IL then the interest Of the American iron mas
ter 10 encourage still further the construction Of rail-
roads? The fair deduction from the foregoing Is
that it is ndisPensaby necessary 10 penetrate the coal
and iron fields Of the United States by railroads. before
approximate the supply Of iron necessary for
home consumption, and that should continue little
longer TO direct our Industry TO supply the more profits.
bic description of iron, taking the rails, which less
profitable, from Great Britain.
1--WE have endeavored 10 establish the faet that each
mile OF railroad constructed In the present condition Of
, the iron business, will be attended with immediate
benefit 10 the American iron master, though the
that ultimate importing free,
thus completing rapidly and economically those roads
which under construction, will be 10 increase
the annual demand for iron In this country a the end OF
i've al least 2OO Of tons, or double the amount
now produced i'm the United Stntesp
In view of this demand for iron rails, will those
whose policy II Is, for the nconsiderabe present adyan
tageto American manufacturers 70 continue the present
burden upon their importation indicate the method by
which these rails to be obtained at price
Poning with the limited means OF the new States, and
In amount adequate 10 the OF progressive rail
road sysemf l. the country 10 depend upon the ful
humOr OF the Pennsylvania rail mills but sin eight 10
number. now In operation and now In suspension, a. tho
price OF rails becomes rulnOusly high recedes toward
;, reasonable andardr Without great increase Of In
II Dor in this country injurious diversion from agr
culture and eher necessary pursuits IL Is feared that
many road beds would be long without rails n shut up
10 the home supply The demands OF this fast age
&c onire the empoSuen OF labor abroad making our
rails while the small surplus at home Is preparing the
road beds The multiplied pursuits and Asocaticns OF
society with the Of the Territories,
spare few years to come. not more labor for IL :
: @ demand for irou and IRON fabrics other than rails
is ittOO much that ask Of the iron districts 10 aim
n shon period chiefly :, the production Of common
weakness TO buy rails at the cheapest market and
free iOm eust0mhousc eXactionsf When our leading
prares the West, and raiiwsy system
: shall have reached IFS thirty thousand miles Perma
nent demand will have been created, not only for com
mon ron for rails renewal and for double tracks
filling the largest visions OF the American manufacturer
e The limited time 10 which the proposition OF Mr. I'd
~ geron was restricted might have saved om the fierce
m Of opposition that overwhelmed H. lis retrospec
10 tive seticn would oi course have been nasnss IN
III In bond in this country, or under contract abroad
could have bearing upon the American manufacturer
M only such might have been laid down prior 20 L.
JAIy, 1850 and YET PHrehdsed In resef 10 whici
De any advantage would have accrued 10 foreign rails
i'm And yet defeat this proposition, 20 slightly urou
!, io The IRON interest," and 50 beneficial the struggn.
no railroads in the new States the delssai'o
Nv bsiiiute the bill reported from the Committee OF Way
a and Means, reducing largely the duties all dsserp
rrifhOHf limit 10 tfse-a measure nezns
which the delegation had voted with like unanmit
rs a few days before.
n state upon a review important relations
lh West and TO Union Her sober thought
er surely brng with Il mitigation Of this policy. Al
Of there not considerations Of national progress expansion
ed development aud harmonious intercourse between n
states, paramount in the view OF Penn~ylvania 10
Interest she may have IN this question: Claiming 10
re- the Key stone OF the Federal Arch has she patriot
ng tho perfection, strength aud grandeur of IN
od arch, that has been extended 50 a. 10 span me COZ
=, tnenr .
Va While the completion and extension Of the ieadir
'ut lines OF railway matter OF necessity 10 INC new Ste
no their influence upon the older sections Of the Union
. scnrcely less important. The commerce OF the ent
system whether gathered from the banks ofthe hssou
ng ts OF Ihe Atlantic slope certainly there Is aura
he ton In concentrated capital and In Fas' commefc ~
-. manufacturing resources.
ICY TT,e polcy of facilitating the construction Of The
m uorks 10 the extent Of relieving the rails Tor a limit
en od covering the present financial resuislon ther
- " - commended 20 the country beneficial te all se
i'm. and 10 every interest IL involves no conflict vi
ern te ncpe OF protecting, adequaiy The iron inere
est nor proposes any departure from the practice OF the Go
e.s rneu avoiding a. the tme the exercise OF a
lis disputed PS%SSSSIh P%SSh Gsh .c, xaa, ~, serxan,
md "A''O" j. L. WIrLa.x.
s,afsment erhBfiHg the gHanfity and oalxs Of Rafrs
o Iroa imported Hf0 the UHifed States frsm Jxns D
)ne 1850 10 Jups 3h 14, inelasirs. 9lso fAe esasf
nst an boad on the 30tA Of JHas, 1854.
his Quantity Cost
on lears: Tons, Cwt value. Duty. II
IL Ending June
30, l6sG25 10 s4e0l Asa s1f7O.s35 co -.
IL do do le52 245G25 ID 6,22s,7N l.e6s,63s - 2.
ept do do 1853 2gS 995 "a lOl26,o37 3,l97.e 10
on do do Is54 2sQ,sC6 10 l2,020,3O9 3.G6.oSe70 q
the IT,, ,o,c ,13 40 s19 z-e 900 s,o o,o o77o
to \, pcad inna -