The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-02-17
Two POWRR PRFSGEa.
Taxation on Tron.

The cost of iron is in some way or other
part OF the price of nearly all we use
Manufacturers beginning with the rolling
mill interest down to stove-makers and the
smallest establishment using machinery in
any form) consumer Cfrom the richest rail-
road company to the man who uses nail
or digs with spade) have an interest in
having cheap iron. But the prosperity of
all is checked by the high price they are
forced by partial legislation 10 pay for iron.
A ton OF il can be made for $24 in furnaces
well situated as to coal and ore, and certain
ly need not cost more than $26. The duty
is $12, currency, per ton, and under this
advantage to the makers the American pub
he has for the last year been compelled TO
pay from $97 to $42 per ton.
The profits thus made by the manufac.
turers at the expense of the public have
been enormous. The returns of one set of
furnaces in one of the middle States, com
municsted to Commissioners Wells. showed
a yearly product of 35, 600 tons on capital
/ of $450. 900. The iron was sold at profit
of from $40 to SI3 per ton. Taking An
average OF $l1.5O per ton, $4O2, 600, or
nearly the whole amount of the capital in
vested, was annually repaid to the manufac-
turers, who, as MI. WELLS Justly remarks.
thaEe realized continual profits having hard.
| y any parallel in the history of IegitimateC)
industry. g Reviewing the subject compre.
hensively, it is clear that ssif the community
at large has been compelled to pay an un-
necessary profit of from 81 to $40 per ton
ON present annual product of ], 800, 600
tons, and has therefore been subjected dur
| ing the past year to tax of from 80 O00
0 90 to Sl5, zoo, goo, the prosperity of the
| pig-iron manufacturers has cost more than
it is worth; and further, it is only necessary
that few more such waves of commercial
prosperity should sweep over the land in or
der to necessitate the enactment Of an aver.
age tariff of 100 per cent GoLU0lOrens to en-
able the great mass of the less favored pro.
ducers TO effect the sale OF any product even
in their own markets."
Are we, then, 70 relinquish the mauufae-
ture OF ironl This is 70 many of our fellow
citizens the only evident alternative. and it
| IS not agreeable. They, OF course, regard
the friends OF our own people, as being to
some extent their enemies. We, therefore,
once more present view of the case which
we laid before our readers some years ago,
We compared the actual cost of iron in cer-
tain regions of WISCONSIN, with thst in the
| best reproducing regions of Europe, and
demonstrated that, for the supply of the irs
terror of this continent, our own manufac-
turers need fear no foreign competition,
Mr.. WELLS carries the point further, end
shows that the average market price of iron
last year in Great Britain was "a As. Cd,
($20.36 in gold. He ascertained, as we
have already stated, that the present aver
age cost of producing iron, under favorable
| conditions and good management land un-
| der no other circumstances has any man in
business right to expect success), il not
more than $26 per ton in currency. As
Commissioner he was assured that in some
! OF the furnaces of Pennsylvania and Mary
land, the cost of production is little more
than $2S in currency, or S16.9l in gold, be-
ing ''S3. At less than the market price of the
cheapest and standard supply of this article
in the markets of Europe"
'1t is, }" says the Commissioner of Inter
nal Revenue, evident. therefore, that il is
possible for the United States at tine present
| time at least, to compete on terms Of equal
advantage IN the markets of the world for
the partial supply of an article that is even
more essential TO civilization than cotton;
AMI this advantage. which, has accrued to
| the county under the most unfaYorable cir
cumstances, is capable of being rendered
still greater and more pre- eminent by the
| attainment through legislation of results
which, by increasing the purchasing power
of wages, shall render labor less costly and
more available, and thus decrease the pres
ent cost or production and transportation.
And il the representatives of the industrial
Interests of Pennsylvania and Maryland, in
stead of interesting themselves to prevent
natural distribution of cheap coal, would
devote themselves to the full solution of the
problem referred to, ten furnaces would
speedily spring up within their territories
where one now exists, and the commerce of
the world would become tributary 10 their
products" ~
Thus, in adopting different policy, we
may expect the products of the American
laborer to be sought, not only within the
narrow limits of our own markets, but
throughout the civilized world certainly in
q very large portion of it. At the same
time, We expect his condition to be very
much improved, not only by the increased
demand for his labor, but by the decreased
price of nearly all he would have to buy,
this being fhe inevitable result of a wise !
and liberal system of political economy.
N. Y. WORLD.