New-York daily tribune., 1856-06-09

The production OF Iron in this country originated
anterior to the Revolution but under almost fatal
restrictions TIE colonsts were allowed to make
pipiron, and send it to the mosher-country for
sale. Acts of Parliament prohibited, under severe
per ltes the setting up Of any rolling or splitting
mil in the colonies. The great Chatham declared
ia the House of Commons that he would not allow
the Colopists to manufacture even hob-nail. Yet
theAmercan export Of pig iron had risen In l7l to
7,525 tuns-s large amount when We consider that
the total product of Great Britain amounted in
174O to but IL, $50 tuns. The Revolutionary War
Of course arrested our progress in this direction
our iron districts being to great exten. the arena
of CONFLICT; and so utter was the scarcity of the
Chief Of metals, that Congress was obliged to take
up the business of an iron- master. and have the
iron and steel required for military uses made on
public account. Of course, no progress was made
during the pendency Of the struggle.
The close of the war found us destitute alike of
the skill, capital, machinery aud almost everything
else required in making iron. Meantime, this
branch of industry had been making Immense
strides in Great Britain. Our ports were thrown
open by the peace of 1872; We had no tariff at
an until 1877; and but very iIadequate one for
many years thereafter. OF course, capital, skill,
ingenuity, labor, were not attracted to iron
making among us, or were only driven into 1t 70
fail. We did not Jet know how to use mineral
coal in the business and it was not till half cen.
tury later that anthracite was used anywhere;
and mo.t of our coal then accessible was snshra-
cite. So the production Of iron in this country
tottered feeby and Diserably on, summed by most
thrifty aud prudent capitalists, and auring others
only to Iuin them. The Embargo and the War
helped it little, and might have helped it more
could one have counted on their duratnn In 1910
We produced $4,000 tuDs (all charcOal;) and in
1920, when the enormous imporIa!ions which had
followed the peace of 1915 had done their perfect
work, the American produc. of iron had sunk to
go, OC0 tuns-not four pounds per head of oar pop.
ulaton. Prac cdcally this, like most other branches
of manufacture was then extinct among US, and
the conseque Mt low prices and unsalsble condition
of agricultural products, the stagnatlon OF bust.
ness, desrth of employment, deprivation or nom
existence of currency, and universal embarra.s-
meDt, can hardly be realized by those who do not
reme mber them. Probably One-half the fixed
property in the country changed hands, at serious
loss to the sellers, between 1919 and l522-often
through the instrumentality Of the sheriff.
S,rong efforts were made in 1o?O aud III lc'2 to
revise The tariff in the interest Of our prosrate
manufactures Some improvement vas effected IN
Is2O but the bill failed in 1o22-encountering an
adverse majority in the Sehate. In 1924 further
improyenent was effected, under which orr iron
product grew steadily until, in lS2s, it amounted
TO I30. 600 tuns. The famous " Black Tariff -
"The Manufacturers Tariff was then enacted,
and iron continued to thrive under it, the Ameri-
con product being stated as follows:
le2a. $50 0C0 tuns. ls3l......l .l91, 900 tuns.
1929. ..... lac OcO tuH. Ia32..... 200, 900 tun'.
iss0..... les 900 tuas. lao. .3l5,O 900 tuns.
In AZ the production fell of to less than 230 900
tune, which Mr.. Hewitt truly a,cribes to I" the
mission of duties under the Compromise Tariff" of
80, (which" he says, drought ruin again to our
domestic production, DO longer having any de-
feDse under the Compromise Tariff Of Mr.. CLAY"
This is not just. The surgeon who takes Of
shattered leg to save the rest Of the body might az
well be accused of mayhem as Mr.. Clay of re-
ducDg the protection on iron by bis tariff Of 1884.
What he did, being in beaten minority and strug-
sliDg against an overwhelming majority flushed
With their signal victory Of 1882, was to save all
that was possible of the Protective Systemic
staye off the medtaed Iuin-tO soften the blow
which be could not avert But for Mr.. Clay and
lis Conpr,mise the sweeping Free Trade blll o.