New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-16

Iron, manufactured by rolling or otherwise, for
the same five years. amounted to 43o, S87 tuns;
the Custom. House valuation wss 264
Average, $5l IS per tun. which, at ~ per
cent, the duty under tho tariff Of l846, would DO
SIS 37A per tun. The tariff of 1861 charges $40
The pig iron imported during the five years
ending lst July, 1857, amounted to 45l, AL tuns'
Custem.House valuation, S9,573,SO4, equal 70
ST. 20 per tun, which at 80 per cent, under the
tariff of 1886, would be S. 81 per tun. The
tariff of 1861 charges $6-an increase OF 69
cents per tun which Pennsylvania neither asked
nor wished for herself but was willing to carry
for the sake of Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, and
the South. Western States which cannot yet iairly
compete with either the foreign or Atlantic manu-
facture, and withal an increase 30 trivial upon
the universally admitted moderate rates OF the
tariff of 1916, that it is much more toan COM
pensated TO the consumers Of iron, manufactured
iron. by the reduction on bars and rails. 1t Is
question for manufacturers only, as it is only
raw material for them, while all its products are
put under low duties to the consumer. linus
yanishea under the touch Of investigation, all the
alarm raised by interested people about the
enormous" rates of the new tariff.
We have not the least doubt that similar
investigation of the other details of the law
would result in the same conclusion. Generally
stated, the new duties do not exceed those of
the free. trade" Walker, Southern tariff of 1916,
either in the aggregate or in particulars.
A source of errsr in the general compare
son of these two tariffs which we give is that
the imports of 1859 are of course not identical
with those of 1856, nor with those Of any other
YEAR under the tariff of 1916. We use the only
authoritative estimate made upon the provisions
of the new law which we can commend to pub
lie acceptance. Another source OF error Is In
| the multitude of calculations which the Clerk OF
the Treasury Department had to make, and the
difficulty of identifying the varied qualities Of
some classes of goods under the new law, with the
invoice descriptions Of those not similarly deslg-
mated in the Custom. House returns. Whether
the necessary corrections would 60 for or against
the tariff of 1861, We do not pretend to decide.
We only offer it as good, nay, overwhelming,
against the hue and cry Of inexpert and interest.
ed compliments.
In looking over the statistics which we derive
from the annual reports of the Treasury, We are
struck with tho fact that the largest imports OF
foreign iron were made when the prices were
above the average, and the smallest when prices
were below it-a fact not hard to account for,
and one that tells forcibly for the consumer in
favor of specific duties which do not vary with
prices. 1t will be observed that our iron quotations
are made for the period preceding the revulsion Of
1857. We have chosen them because the disturb
ance of prices since the date Of that commercial
catastrophe allow US no fair average for calcula-
ton. Rails have varied since the beginning OF
1851 from Sal IS (Which is quite close To the
average of the five preceding years. to S32 40 in
1859, and bar iron from S5l 02, its usual aver.
age, to $40 "a. The prices of period Of great
depression and disturbance are not of any use in
calculating the operation of q tariff intended for,
and designed to restore, the regular procedure
Of business. Statistics are constantly abused, and
often misunderstood we have used ours in good
faith, and offer them as Trustworthy in the applica.
ton we give them.