Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1870-04-23
ARGUMENT OF HON J. B. PACKER

serting "9," the rate under the present
law
Mr.. Chairman, the proposed reduction
of the duty upon pig iron from 50 to 81
per ton looks like ain abandonment OF. the
general principle which is understood to
have been recognized in the preparation of
this bill, and would, I beg leave to say,
with all Difference to the honorable chair
man of the COMMITTED Of Ways and Means,
be q most tnwise and ih;udicious with
drawal of the fostering care Of the Govern
ment from dhe Of the great Industrial in
terests of the conntry, toward which, in
the present state of the trade itself and in
view of the peculiar condition Of or finan-
cial affairs, sound and enlightened policy
would dictate an extension of increased
protection and more liberal encourage
ment, rather than deserti)n to the inevi-
table consequence of direct.and unjust COM
petition with the productions of the cheap
and poorS-paid labor of Europe. For a
number of years there has been large,
and for the last four years, with higher
rates of duty than now proposed, an alarm
ing increase in the importations of iron of
all kinds. But in the few minutes allowed
nie under the rules 1 will confne my at
tention strictly to the item Of pig iron, now
Immediately before the committee. The
official returns from our own customhouses,
as compiled from the officicial data in the
Bureau of Statistics, show that we imported
foreign pig iron during the fiscal year end
ing June 30, 1853, stated at the very low
valuation Of The crston house, III gold, at
S739, 949: ia 1859, al 81 i,049, 200; in 1860,
/ st 81 ,005 ,eG5, under an dd ualor en- duty
of "a per cent. in 1861, at S9S7, ,9lG; in
1862, at $685., 1928; in 1868, at S435, 1874; in
| 1864, at 81 ,2S6, ,424, under specific duty
of Sc per ton. In 1865, at SS06, ,552; in
/ 1866, at 81 $50, 1885, in 1867, at 81, ,S31, ,465;
in 1868, at Sl,77S,977; in 1860, at 2,13S,-
$50, Under . specific duty Of 50 per ton.
Official returns published by Authority
of the House of Commons show The follow
! ing shipments Of pig iron from Great Bri-
tain to the United States during the year
ending December 81, 1867, 1885 tons
during the year ending the year ending
December 81, 1868, S6,20l tons; during
The year ending December 81, 1869, 1872
4S5 tons; iii the Month Of January, 1868,
Great Britain sent US / 700 tons Of pig iron;
in the month Of January, i6G9, 4 ,G21 tons
and in the month Of January, 1870 G,659
tons. Showing an increase in the number
of tons received by us in 1869 over the
-vantity received from that source of sup
~ I.eGS Of over 80 per cent, and an in
Least ~ LII first month of this year OF
nearly loo pet cert.- over the correspond
ing month Of last year.
r'Jttrtes for each fiscal
year ending on the 50th day of June was
by this same custom-housc valuation in
1858 valued in gold at 81, 9S7, $40; in 1859,
S2;274, OBJ; in 1860, S3,7O9, 376; in 1861,
81, l62, ,6o5, under ar I'D raIorcnt duty of
24 pei ccht. In 1862, 1922, ,9G7, under a
specific duty. of Sl2 per ton. In 1868,
SJ4O, O,49l In 1864, S3,90i,O17, under a
specific duty of $13 50 per ton In 1865
So, ,lli,2l3. In 1860, S2,9G2, ,416, under
an cd ralorcm duty of 60 cents per hun
dred weight. In 1867, SO, 4O3, 7l5; 1868,
Si,373, 1872; 1869, s7,3o5, SIS, Under an
ad raIorcm duty of 10 cents per hundred
Weight.
From compilation of official returns
lately published by authority of the House
of Commons it appears that Great Britain
sent to the United States during the last
three years the following quantities of rail-
road iron year ending December 81, 1867.
l65,oi6 tons year cnairg December 81,
lSj0, 2G0;OOO tons; year eudiug December
81, 1869, 300;i46 tons. In the month of
January, 1863, England cent u5 1890
tons of rails; in th6 Month of January,
1869, 2O,i2 tons Of rails; in the month of
January, 1870, "a, $40 tons of rails.
The average premium upon gold during
the fiscal year ending June 80 1866, add
ed TO the 80 gold ddty upon pig iron, un-
der the present law, gave 70 oIt, home pro-
duction practically protection of sl3 ~ ::
in 1867 of Sl2 GO N fSGe Of sI2 Il; and in
the fiscal year OF 1864, Ct sf2 "a per ton.
With these rates of import luties. Mr
Chairman, the importation Of pig iron in
1866 more than doubled that of1SC5, Jthen
'he average premium on gold ran above SO
Pc- cent In 1867 We imported ll6,jl9-
1890 tons; in 1868, 2,24G,9ll hundred
weight, rrG in 1861 speak of course Of
the fiscal year ending on the Both Of June
We imported 2,GG6, l39 hundred weight;
and yet, in the presence of such facts as
these, exhibiting 50 large an importation,
and showing that the foreigR manufactures,
even with the higher rate Of daty, aug
by the premium upon gold, could
and did successfully compete with our own
people N our own markets 10 the eNtcLt .
by tho figures have given, /
VIC are asked to -eduso the duty to 81 per .
ton, with the premi'Ea upon gold down to .
day 10 IL per ceut, and reducing the rate
Of duty 10 81 ~ per ton in currency
EfIr4at nritf., .g,fd EaH tft r..fft.I