New-York tribune., 1869-05-26
HODGSKIN ON IRON.

Next to man who is thoroughly and intelli-
gently right, we like one who is earnestly, con-
sistently wrong. There is always hope that
such man may come right; there is at all
events good ground for trust that he will pro-
pound his views honestly and candidly, so that
the clear-seeing may perceive their drift and
govern themselves accordingly. Next to an
earnest ProtectiOnist commend us to O thorough
Free Trader The guerrillas and twaddlers,
who hover about the outposts of either camp,
protesting a mild devotion TO this or that flag
according to circumstances, have our firm aver
sion. They serve to befog and muddle the
public mind, and to induce irresolution and
vaciation, when the public welfare impera-
lively demands decision and straightforward
action.
Mr. James b. Hodgsllin of this City Is nm
Engishman and Free Trader who knows
what Free Trade means, and verify believes
in it. In his essay read at the Free Trade
meeting in Brooklyn, on tho 2ith, lie is re-
ported by The World as follows:
let me tell you what Proectoni is can but illus
stone and coal the three principal Of the
manufacture found together in such large
would think that iron could be manufactured there
cheaper aud better than anywhere else In the World YET
when the Pennsylvania irOn-maker has made his iron
and offers IL for sale he nds that NewIork iron mer'
chant bring similar iron all the way from England,
and pay freight on II and commissions AID make
profit on M aud then pay the freight on IL an th9 way
from New York the very door OF the Pcnnsylyania
foundery, aud sell IL cheaper than tho Ponnsylyanan
can. What Is the causei There are several but tho
principal Is this: In order to make ron It takes
little ronOre little limestone. little coal and pro-
dgous amount Of labor The three hrs ingredients are
as cheap Pennsylvania anywhere but the last aud
principal One Labor is 80 much dearer In Pennsyyana
aud In the whole OF the United states than IN England
that in spite Of tho cheapness OF The other ngredens
the iron much moro TO make than the Englsh
iron that tho Engiah pay all the expense OF bring
ing here, and yet sell it cheaper than wo
can ours"
Compare this true explanation by sincere,
honest Free Trader with the stuff put forth by
Wells, designed to prove that the price of Iron
is high here only because the duty enables the
iron masters 10 realize exOrbitant profits. Mr..
Hodgskin touches the core of the matter and
exposes it to the whole world. There is still
much to be done here in the way of connecting
our iron-mines and coal-beds by special links of
railroad and, under tho impulse given by
good market for Iron, we are rapidly doing it.
A soyen-mile railroad will soon connect Lake
Champlain at Moriah with large body Of the
rich ore Of that region the new Fishkill road,
with its Dutchess County extension, is about to
bring the ore Of the COpake region cheaply to
tide-water; so we hope to see tho iron product
Of the Hudson River valley cheapened and
vastly extended within the next ten years.
But the fact remains that Labor is three times
as dear in this country as in Great Britain,
four times as dear as in France and five times
as dear as in Belgium; and this is grave OBJ
stacle to making cheap Iron in tho United
States. Iron is simply Labor in q compact
form; and there is no other country on earth
where n hundred average days labor will buy
so much Iron as in this. We shall soon make
Iron cheaper than we now do yet wo shall
not, in all human probability, soon SEQ the day
when tun of Iron will be produced here for
so few shilings sterling as will buy that Iron
in Great Britain or Belgium, simply because
Labor is so much cheaper there than here.
Then, says Mr. Hodgskin, let us buy our Iron
Of Europe, and pay for it with Grain and Meat.
money cost would thus be reduced, its real
or labor cost would be vastly enhanced. We
might buy our Iron abroad for fewer pounds
sterling but the fewer pounds sterling would
cost us far more Grain and Meat than they
now d0,-lleTe we are at irrecOncilable odds
with Mr. Hodgskin and his school, from
whom we part with sincere respect. They are
gravcly in error, We are confident; but they
are neither tricky nor insincere We shall fight
out our controversy with them deliberately
meantime. we would fix attention on Mr.. IIodg-
skins statement of tho real cause of the rela-
tive dearness Gn money! of American Iron
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