The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-16
The British Mineral Products Coal
and Iron

The British Mineral Products Coal
and Iron.
The mineral products of Great Britain and
Ireland in 1867, as recently ascertaned by
careful inquiry from the proprietors of mines,
manufacturers, and railway managers, were
valued at E43 4S0, ,O92, or $217, 600, 900 in gold
The principal items consisted OF coal and iron.
The product OF coal reached the enormous
aggregate of 104, 500, ,4S0 tons, valued at
f26, 125, las, and this is the leading source of
British mineral wealth. The product of the
United States scarcely reaches Is, ,000,0 900
tons, but as our mines are infinitely more
numerous and intrinsicslly more valuable
than those of Great Britain, the day cannot
be far distant when her present product will
be greatly exceeded by the product of the
An erican oollieries The British product of
iron ore in 1867 consisted of 1902, ,05S tons,
valued at f3, 30, ,09S, from which 4,761, 1923
tons of pig iron, valued at Ell, 902, ,557, were
manufactured. The American product
Of pig iron during the same period
was 1,461,626 tons, or little
more than one-fourth Of the British
product. In the two leading sources of British
wealth Pennsylvania is especially prolific,
and the coal and iron mines of this State are
capable of providing an annual yield equal
in value to the large sum obtained from the
collieries and furnaces of Great Britain. This
fact is well understood by the foreign anita
gopists of American industry, and they watch
with the most intense interest the proceed
inss of Congress in reference to the tariff, on
account Of their perpetual fear that under
thoroughly protective system Pennsylvania
would speedily be enabled to supply the
entire American demand for iron. The United
States have continuously afforded to the
British iron manufacturers their largest and
best foreign market, and they are
10th to lose their profitable Yankee
customers. The elements of mineral wealth
SO richly abound in this country, and so much
practical experience in developing them has
keen acquired, that it is the height of folly for
our citizens to continue sending millions of
dollars annually abroad to purchase British
iron; and if the question was thoroughly ur-
derstood in all its bearings, the people would
speedily demand ample protection to American
industry. Congress, however, is besieged
dilhe Ny Iue dBcuVS VI DltIioh hahuioOIuiohS
and by the propiietors of railway enterprises,
who are anxious to obtain cheap British rail
way iron, despite its acknowledged inferiority;
and it is always difficult and generally impos
sible, at critical periods, to obtain the legsla-
tion necessary to establish the American iron
interests on an impregnable footing. AT the
best, they only obtain opportunities to supply
o portion of the American market, and mean
while the untold treasures of inuumerable
mines remain undeveloped at time when
the financial condition of the nation impera-
lively requires that every source of wealth
should be rendered productive. While many
portions of the Union would be directly bene-
fitted by efficient protection on iron, Pennsylva-
mia has q vital interest in this question, and
her citizens should at all times strive earn
estly and energetically to promote her momen-
tous mineral interests.
Modern inventions having greatly improved
the old processes for making steel, AMI exten
sive arrangements having recently been
made for manufacturing steel in this State,
the British manufacturers are especially
jealous Of these enterprises, and their battle
for success must be fought not only in the
workshops but in Congress.