New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-24
RAILROAD IRON.


OF all the people in this country, the most IN
gepious at contrivipg methods to prevent the
accomplishment of the objects they have at heart
are. az we think the railroad men. For years
they have stood over the manufacturers Of railroad
iron. menacipg them with destruction, and pre-
venting them from extending their wOrks-ani
thus have they prevented that extension of the
manufacture which was required for increasing
the competition for the sale of iron and diminish
ing its price. BY so doing, they have produced
necessity for going abroad to procure iron, to be
paid for with gold, and the gold mas gone until
credit has been destroy ed-and now we have not
the gold 20 give, nor can we sell bonds. The
manufacture of rosds has, therefore come TO
full .top, and for the simple reason that those
concerned in their manufacture are unable to
see that system which Was exhausting the country
could not be favorable to any enterprise requiring
the aid of capital
Railroad men are everywhere in trouble, and
roads are eyeryw here suspended. Why this 80
Because of the past errors of these very men, who
would insist upon sending all the gold to pay for
the cloth 10 be worn by the aborers who made
when made. Instead, however Of now acknOwl
edgiDg their error, and retraclng their steps,
making now, at this late hour, common cause
18th tn 6 iron ufacturers thus aiding in increas-
ing the supply and diminishing the price of iron
these infatuated men are still welding the clab
and thre a.ening the destruction Of the very men
who must have aided them in the accomplishment
of their work, so far as it has been accomplished.
A bill is now before Congress granting three
years credit iron, preparatory, as is vel under
stood to another by which the duty shall be alto
gether Northumberland there is, as We under
stand, danger that it may become law. Should
it pass we hazard ttlen saying that it will prove
TO have been one Of the most disastrous measures
we have yet setD and that it will bear nost heavily
on the railroad Interest.
The direct effect will be, the destruction OF the
domestic manufacture of the COMMODITY tha'
needed for roads, amounting now, as we under
stand, to 900 600 tuns year and capable OF oelng
extended, in a very brief period to half million
Such extension would tend rapidly to lower the
prices whereas q contraction must raise H.
because it must throw Us altogether upon Britain
for supplies and thus enable the foreign minutac
turers to pocket all that is lost BY our Treasury
and all the additional price must be paid BY the
export of gold; for the more iron We must buy the
lower will be our credit and the greater will be
the difficulty Of selling bonds.
The real obstacle TO be overcome by the road
makers 10, not that which results from the price
of iron, but that which results from the scarcity
of money. Were all the iron required Cor the
California road new to be .iren to il. free ofcharge
it would still not be made, for the money required
for the other parts Of the road could not be
obtained. Make money plenty and cheap, aud the
road can be graded and there will then be no
difficulty in obtaining the iron to be placed uponit
How can money be made plenty By adopting
measures that will diminish the necessity for eX-
porting gold. SIS would be the result Of any tia.
looked to making cloth and iron at home by help
Of the hundreds of thousands Of men who are nov
unemployed.
VII the measure now before Congress tend 20
make money more plenty, or TO lover its price
On TIE contrary, it viii make il more scarce,
because il looks to closing our rolling mills aud
forcing us to 20 abroad for all our iron. The
more of it tina, We import, the higher will be it's
price. and the more gold will be required to pay
for it-snd the greater will be the difficulty Of
making roads. The California road, and hundreds
of others low greatly needed will be made when
their friends shall come to understand that eff.
Gent protection tends to make money plenty and
iron cheap, but-as we pray their friends to be
astured-no. until then.