The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-02-02
Operation ofli,e Protective Tar, n

economical principles, Works mischief in il
application to natural industry, perverts tE
desires, cripples the efforts, and,,plunders th
satisfaction: of society. Aud to illustrate this
he points out the iron interest.
We choose the manufacture OF iron for 81,
reasons:
First-Becausc it may be produced il
great amount in our own country, and i
found in almost all others. There is. there
fore, nothing III the nature of monopol,
about If.
Second-Beeause it enjoy. the larg EST nat
ural protection arising from weight anC
4 bulk
Thrd--Becarse it is one ofthe slmplest o
ali man .factures.
Fourih-Because it has been tried or 4
large ssale, affording materials for great in
ductions, and fresins tie results ofanv impu,
tation from accident
Fifth--Becauss the public attention has
been turned to j; for long time, and it is
sbettcr understood than any otherw could
, name.
: Sixth -Becatsc a stronger argum, ,nt can
be made in favor ofits receiving government
al protection han any other.
5 What is the Fact in regard to ti,e mauu~
= facturc so described? At present iron cannot
/ be 50 cheaply and extensively produced in
the United States as to exclude the foreign
article. Why Is this ?r1iYe answer negatively:
first-Not that we do not know how to
make It, Being as has been said, the most
inapl: 0f all manufactures. we have had, from
the earliest settlement Of the colonies, the
necessary knowledge, and have produced it
from our colonial days
Second Not that we have not sufficient
capital. No branch of busines, is more ac>
cessible than iron making. or requires less
capital propcrtionaly. As matter Of fact,
the business was commenced with litl1 diiii
:ul,y, and W su:cee.'el Hp to a car,a.t, point.
Had it been as profitable aS other branches
Of industry. It would, Ike The manufacture Of
boots aud shoes. have been eytende to the
fu!! demands oi the country. Yet lhp latter
industry has been carrel seatly to the full
dessnl. TIE 'ormcr ha9 stopped far shor
of it,
1t is to be Observed, in this connection.
that "A successful blsincss once started, Gre
atcs lis own capital. Labor no more seeks
assistance from capital, than capital employ
ment by labor Every wear of profitable
enterprise a.tO-l. surplus which can be
applied 10 thH increase of busin tss more .ili-
cicntly than twice the amount Of new -lpit.l
coming in he lump. The daily or monthly
Increment. are applied with an aptness and
:, prom ptncss thai make them far more useful
tEan Wholesale occasional acces ssiOus o! cap
itsI from abroad
Thiri-N Ut that we have not the best nat
ural facilities for the manufacture.
Five great conditions of success ar. found
most remarkably III the United S:atci. t,I
Our ore Is not only pi excellent gu lit and
most abuu liant, bu; o. Is found very gener>
z!lv on the surttc' AMI (c) in proximity to
the best river navigation. AMI ;llmos; always
in clos" iuXJapos t. (l) cJa for sme.ln-,.
and (r) limestone for huX. lcrhrps in no
other country Of the world are those requis,
lies 50 fully secured. The absence Of a single
oae OF them M Oh be sufficient to DESTROY the
prospect Of pro iuction.
FOurth-Not that the manufacturer here
lacks 4 good natural projection. Amsriel
has been pu, a, = yea, distance from EIrope.
The effect OF such =. protection We have at
ready seen, The foreign prolnc, j., in this
cas-, charged with freight and INSURANCE for
! VOYAGE OF three thln aud miles. IAis with
articles having It'll. bulk or weight for &c
value, might not serve a a src-; encourage
ment 70 the home product but with IcOu a
is very considerable item.
Why then, With all these facilities, 10 We
not proJuce a. oar iron withoE, government.
al protection There i, but our reason.
i've can d. better W. ca7 obtlIn our iron
with less labor than by making it.
How can this b.? Because though W
have facilities i,r making iron greater. PER
maps than ANY other p.op.e--.ye have sill
gre,...r iacilric5 for rai5ln. arr .i.urai
prouucts.
We can raise forty bu,.cls of wheat wi.h;
say, twenty days labor, that viii purchase :,
ton OF iroa, to proluc. which wu"ld cpst
twenty-five days labor; net saviu9, five DAYS
or - pr cent. Oh all Dur irJn
Whit is the explanation Of this state Of
things?
Land i, an instrument, anal ihs creates,
of all ia producing agricultural vhiucs. Good
arabl. liant. On which wheat /. raised ia
England, i worth, say, i've hunlr;i dollar, .
Al acre.
500. 1hcI with or price OF land. we have .
thc Advantage, 50 far, over In Europeans L.
the production of crops. of nine -tci.ths, or .
ninriy per cent. Our capital IN land Is ten .
tines =, Vrodu tive Il, .hat of England o. +
the 1th.g hand ". lave not an equal ulvaa~
tagc over ih2 European III making iron :
for, although it costs him more labor land ,
labor is. as We have said, the chief item IA
making iron.) tIls, Labor costs him much less
yer dar than It costs Us; SAY. At least fifty .
per cent. less 81 that, if 1t Il estimated II +
est him IS much labor to make iron, still .
Ia Jor costs him "a more IN money han ours /
costs Us. In respect o! labor, then. we are on
u level.
So far as mpnay /, coacerne,l the EIrop- :
can again ha7 the advantage of II. by % per .
cent. since money Is a well w nth eigh; per .
cent. here As toHr per cent there.
Now, these facilities which the European .
has from the chcapness of labor AMI capital.
cnun;erb4 'ancc. 10 Il great extent, 1t not fully,
the advantages which We have from tn. ease !
with which We can get the mltcr!a!s of which .
IRON is mall.
50, in Getting our Iron by raising wheat, .
We have the net advantage of til. European ,
Of ninety per cent IN the !anl, which is il
gre t item of expense in suclj produces SO
much So, IA le-d, thas ne pure rent OF farms
in En- gland is estlmItcl to equai the entire .
wages Of the agricultural l,b ,rers.
THUS it is that our unequal natural adyan>
taEes, arising from cheap virgin la Ids, rcn
der II unprJftabIe TOR Us to make iron, or
engage in many other kinds of manufactures.
III III is the situation. We will now apply .
pro.cc;ion. GJvcrnment. in lSl6 lIil duty /
OF $50 per on on bar iron equal TO about 30 /
per cent. on the cost Of the foreign article.
Let us inquire into the effect of ;his policy.
First-lron was produced. labor and |
capital were AT once Withdrawn from other ,
and invested i'll furnaces amd .
iron making. We undertook TO make iron I
ourselves, und,r the belief that with 4 pro-
tec!ioa OF $50 per ton, tue NJ Manufacture /
would be found very profitable. 30 far, the /
great object of the duty was accom- mPlished, (
Second-A great loss WAS used to the |
general production Of tbs county. Labor
ard capital were withdrawn from pursuits OF
ordinary proG,abeness and invested IN GUS
!ness that required 80 per cent. protection to
make it profitable a; al. If the duty was /