Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-02-04

ton on iron II was intended only to circulate
among the iron masters of England. We hope
that its publication far and wide in this country
will have the effect of opening the eyes of Con-
eress, and thwart all Anti-American attempts
which have and are being made paralyze this
important branch of our industry:
TIE IRON AND COAL TRADES OF sTAFFoRDsHIRE.
From our correspondent in wolverhamptOnl
Nov. 2I--No change for the better can be re-
ported in the Iron Trade The close of the
Baltic ports has cut off for the present one OF
the chief sources whence orders have for some
time come, and, in consequence, the supply of
orders is very small and the works are, in
many cases, only in partial operation. The
prospect'fo for the ensuing winter is that the men
will be only partially employed, and that good
deal of distress WILL in consequence, be expert.
enceCl as there is no probability of an improved
demand before spring. The causes which have
led to this depression it is not difficult to 1ndi-
dictate In the year 1853, and the early part of
1854, an immense demand came from America,
which was concurrent with a very astonishing
increase in the import into that country of all
kinds of British produce, that the exports from
this country rose from elG,5ST,T3T, in 1852, to
e23, 65S, 427, in 1858.
Such sudden increase could hardly fail to be
followed by n reaction; and the deficient crop of
1854 rendered that reaction n commercial crisis,
which was most seriously felt in America, and
which was hardly less severely felt in this dis
trict The splendid crops in 1856, and this
year, with greatly diminished consumption of
our iron and reduction of stocks to tho lowest
point in the United States and Cannda, were eH-
pected to have brought extensive orders during
the present year, but this anticipation mas been
disappointed. This district has been largely
supplied with orders for war purposes as long as
the war lasted, and since that time for the Con-
tinent including the countries both in the Baltic
and the Mediterranean; considerable orders hay-
ing also been received for Indian railways
From America the orders have been scanty, and
the exports from the port of Liverpool, from
which all the produce Of this district for North
America is shipped, show that, in 1854, the ex-
port of all kinds of iron, pig and manufactured,
from that port for the United States and Cana
da, amounted to pa, l4S tons; in 1885, it fell to
l35, OG9 tons; and to the end of October, in the
present year, it was only 49, 800 tons, which,
adding the full proportion for the remaining two
winter months during which the exports are
likely to be less,) shows scarcely any increase
this year over the very reduced exports OF 1895.
During the present year the prices of iron in
America have been steadily declining; best
brands having fallen about So, and inferior quail
tiles from $73 to $40 during the year. In the
last three years tho make of iron in America
has very largely increased; from 1853 to 1850,
the annual production is believed to have been
doubled, or to have increased from 100000 tons
to 100000 tons, and that it is since increasing
at fully 300, 600 tons per annum. This increase
is ascribed to the high prices prevailing in this
country since 1858, which have admitted of the
the Americans, with their heavy duties, COM
peting with our iron in their own markets. In
fact so fur is this competition said to have gone,
that native made iron, which has hitherto been
confined to the region west of the AlleghnnieS,
is now making its way into the eastern states,
and even to the Atlantic ports.
These Tlct8 hare lei some interested IN the
trade to the conclusion that it aeoutd be sound
policy FOR the tStgLOr3sdire lT0nntdsters to re-
luce prices merit q'arter-d"y o. per ton, 'ot!A
DieLo to regain tile command or the Americ0n
market, and to get Ti9 cf those competitors schO
IRE supplanting English iron az the United
States. Doubtless, If the price Of iron could be
reduced to that erteRt for some considerable pc
TiOd, 1t aCould ruin many Of the AnsriclR man
utucturers, and tcOULd far time open the t1dy
to a large demand for English iron. The poll
cy, not to speak of the fairness, of such course,
however, appears open to grave question.
There appears little doubt that reduction of
H. per ton mnst be declared next quarter.day,
and as little that pTOportiOnate reduction must
be affected in the workmen's wages. Should
further reduction take place, still greater re-
duction in wages would be necessary; and this
is extremely undesirable, especially with the
probability of provisions remaining at high pri-
ccs; and it is hardly likely that it could be eff
fected as the general trade of the country, and
the prevalent nlRu wages III ulOSI OTauCueS1
would probably prevent the success of any at,
tempt to reduce wages to the extent such fall
of prices would render necessary Again, while
the exports to the west of the Atlantic from
Liverpool have been so small, it by no means
follows that thiSappies to the Scotch, the Welsh,
and the North of England ports; and if the
price of best quality of StafTordshire iron were
reduced, the result would be to give the produ
GERS of iron in those districts, aud the makers
of inferior iron here the rates of our best iron;
as the first class makers could not supply the
increased demand which such reduction would
probably lead to. The result would be if wa
yes were so reduced, that the first makers could
make iron at these rates at profit, and those
who produced an inferior article, which they
would be able to sell ut the same, or nearly the
same, rates, would realise still larger profits,
and great increase in the means of production
would be the consequence, new works would
spring up, new firms start, and thus the way
could be paved for another crash, when this ar
tificial stimulus ceased to operate. The apprOXi-
nation of the prices of inferior to those received
for firSt-class iron in times of great demand, is
a fact amply proved by past experience, and not
mere conjecture. 11
But there is another point to be looked at
Such an attempt to destroy the American manu-.
facturer would create much heartburning in the
States, and might lead to loud demand for an
increase of the present very heavy import du-
ties; which, if it did not prevail, would, at any
rate, operate powerfully to prevent the reduc-
ton of the present excessive duties on iron i'm
ported into that country. The true policy APP
pears to be to fix prices at such a point as will
secure steady demand, and not to attempt by
artificial combinations to crush rivals; for there
are laws which govern trade, and which will i'm
mediatelSs cause such attempts TO recOil upon
their authors
Same paper, Nov. goth.
Again, the figures gave last week show how
greatly the American dcmand-so important an
element in the trade of South Staffordshire-has
fallen off since 1854 These facts must prove
to the most obstinate that there is real depres-