New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-07-01
q giant cru'hes with bis tread a 'eoo'"'0' '
fhbt crosses him In his way.

a. reat Britain sre substantially tnese'
/ Because British iron.mskicg commencea ions
before ours, and has always managed 10 keep 'n'
s.,,t of ia. But this advantage, If measured o!
rho smoupt produced in either country, IL oe'ns
diminished. In 1870 Jour lowest point OF dePre"'
,ien for hslfa century We made no mere iron 'nan
Great Britain had done eighty years before; 10
lsaO. we were but twenty two years behfnd Eng
land in the amount Of our product; In 1911 u"'o'
the stimulus Of the Protective Tariff OF A. our
rroduct eousled that Of Great Britain in loSS only
fourteen years before; and, though we fell behind
lamentably after the Tariff OF 40 'ooh ene'r ~
that in 1852 we were twenty eight years oenind
Great Britain, (our product in lc9@ ana ne' II"
1894 bayipg been Half Million tuns, yet We n''e
since BY the help of war prices and diversion
labor in Europe, recovered part OF our ioss-our
pro3uct in '55 Zone Million tuns) equslpg that oil
Great Britain in lS36-nineteen years previously
Had the Tariff of a? been allowed to stand We
,bouId this year produce at least Two Million tuas'
which was the amount produced BY Great Britain
only eight years ago.
3 The British iron.msster works in the center
Of the commercial world. All who buy Iron send
~ his or tis neigbbors warehouse in quest OF u.
If the bu,er in Southern Africa, Australia, Buenos
Ayres or the Indian Archipelago knew tnat No
could procure his Iron quite as cheap in New York
"a in London. be would still buy, LINE times IN ten'
in the latte, city; partly from the influence OF
habit bnsnsss connections and lifelong assoc'a'
tons; and partly because he has the oPpof'an'"e'
% forward his orders to London ten times tor ev'
orr cb.nco IN communicate with New-fOrk. II
Iron were no cheaper in London, ne Knows nc
could procure it thence much quicker than from
Nev.York. and acts upon that knowledge.
3. Capital is more abundant and Labor cheaper
in Great Britain than here. We do not think
these diparties so important as some do, but they
b.ve their influence. A firmly established interest,"
with a certain market for its product, has great ad.
ysntases over one comparatively In Its infancy and
still struggling for existence
1.-THE extreme points of depression in price, which
have ALWAYS ruined our American iron masteis DO NOT
continue than one or two years. "A. su.n pe.ou
the selling price il below the cost OF manufacture even
in England But herein lies the advantage OF capnsi
The English iron master is either rich enough to hold
bis product for better prices, or can ooHow uvuey 9"
low rates on il; while here the maker must sen NJ
css or stop his works--either Of which Is rum
Mr.. Hewitt, "a Democrat, anxious 10 be as
nearly Free Trader possible thus testihes to
the cobtrssted influences Of our two lass-en"cted
Tariffs on Iron:
"Tbe taiifT of a42 imposing substantially prohio'
iory duty, simultaneously witt largely Increased de-
nsn in Great Britain caused by low prices, s'maa
In consumption and followed by the railway mania
of lsif again raised prices to high point, anu 10
established our domestic manufacture. The CONNER
cial disasters which followed the railway specula
ton in England and the famine OF lsio 8gan reduced
mices in England, and the American production was
cut down one half, because, under the dd ra'orem
tariff Of 1896 low prices are accompanied oy low du-
ties. But this time il il to be observed that the make
did not get below 500 600 tuns, shO wing that snthra-
c.e nip ron could hold s own with the low du'
tits. II 10 dutes had been imposed, must declare
my solemn conviction that every furnace In America
must bave been closed because for three years every
hour Of which remember, struggle for life,
and not for prett."
Was it wise, was it just, in our Government
to condemn them to this fearful struggle What
truly American interest was subserved by it,
Surely, not that of Labor, which was largely de-
priyed OF employment and liberal rccompenss BY
this depression of the Iron manufacture. The
number of persons employed by the Iron trade
when prosperous, not merely in FORCES or furnaces,
Out Ill DuTuluR VI COuf, uikBh6 ooo ~A""'"S
ores, erecting, extending or repairing buildings,
&C., &C.. must amount to hundreds Of Thousands.
1. would have been twice as many this day If the
tariff Of AZ had been left undisturbed, adding at
least $40, 000, 900 TO the annual product OF the
country, and securing work and bread to thousands
on thousands who shivered and starved in unwil-
ling idleness through the last hard Winter;
still moro through tho Winter proceed.
ing. Neither can American capital have
been benefited BY policy which reduced
tho value of ore.beds, eoal-mines, &c, by dimin-
Thing the demand for their product, OF furnaces
and rolling mills by keeping them idle, and Of teno-
ments by keeping them empty, and Of hay, edible
roots and other bulky products Of the soil, by de-.
pryDg them Of market, at mines near the point Of
production. and driving them to the distant cities
for market, whereby their value Is mainly eaten up
in the cost of transportation. What deserving
American interest then, is pro6!ed BY the past de-
preston and present relative retrogresson Of the
American Iron busif caused by the Tariff ofloS6
Mr. Hewitt foreibly argues the injustice and i'm
policy of eIemptiBg Railroad Iron from duty, as is
urged bya greedy lobby from year to year sur.
rounding Congress, and pleads for such incidental
Protection as duties levied for Revenue may afford.
Right a. this manfestly is, it il 80 tiuidly put
forth as to lose half its proper force. Is it true as
Mr.. Hewitt asserts above, that lad there been no
duty, "eyeV furnace in America must have been
closed" from la49 to 1882 Whe can e1sggerate
the disaster which would thence have resulted,
not to our iron. masters and irOn-makers only, but
to Labor and Capital generally, and to Commerce