New-York tribune., 1870-08-08
STEEL RAILS AND PROTECTION.

TO the EdttOr OF Ihc IrtGuHe'
SIR: The discussion of this subject by the
organs of Free Trade characterized by obvious unfair
ness Not only are commercial statistics garbled, but
be sco and value of the patents and the technical char
seter and difficulties Of the process Of manufacture are
misreprescnted For instance. Mr. Brooks Of NewYork,
having stated 10 the House the imaginary offer OF some
unknown capitalist 10 pay several millions for the
likely To he worth thOusandsthe Free Trade press WITH
out any other Information hoWls AT he geeu ol !nc
the public under their enormous royalties nave the as-
surance petition Congress for increased proecuoh
Now the facts these: lst The Besseinef patents
have not paid back half the money expended In purchas
ing them, and in adapting the process 10 amer amer
of January last the Bessemer process patent expired
and the royalties on the Teinalmg EatehS t, mI 10 & pv
De estimated from the fact that under IT, one pound steI
ling WAS easily collected az royaHH !. hgna' m 'hd Niad
under the remaining patents 1et, win tnese Ieisa M
Ing patents only, the American mon9p3s5 p @ nus. Ee d
back II al all the enormous sum when they nave lsht
develop this great industry in TINS country An eHori
made 10 get an extension of the pIhcll"l
patent here and although the Patent Otcc authorities
admitted that il had 20 far been worked at loss, ana
that h ought also 10 be extended technical grounds,
they refused ii on the ground OF "publc policy In
other words the Patent Office refuses protection because
Congress las already protected the manufacture as much
as public policy will admit; and Congress is asked 10 re-
fuse reasonable protection because the Paht once mas
already protected the interest until II is All odlous
Agsin-according to one of the free traders 1t
costs to-day convert pig iron into refined bar
THAN does 70 convert by the new method IRON dIecty
Into steel and on this partially incorrect and Ger
talny lnappCabe text the free traders consider SlO
Tor steel rails when iron rails cOstng just as
uuch sell for So The fact s that the Increased cost
vi seel fals Is very nearly In proportion 10 these com
Parauve prices 1t made up follows: Pig iron at
- S5 Instead OF so to SIS pig used for iron ralls
40 pr cent absolute and remediess loss OF IRON IN
,esseshtnLng" against similar loss made good IN
the pudding process by the cheap fettDg all new
ala FURNISHED In steel rails against SO To 70 per cent
" olu tals III iron rails The rolling or laInlnerng OF
vsef ihgOts into blooms for rails, the rcheang ana
IOlnE .hese IhtO rails by more passes" and heavier
dcDe ana the loss in oxidation and flag ends OF this
InOfe Sosty material add 10 the expense much more
thn tne otpOhdng processes and losses in the iron
rl especially when, is often the case,
oid Iais aLe SIMPLY cut up piled together with new
LOp anu yotVVm pH and rolled Bt heat into rail.
The renhed Dar, which costs more, but nearly
much as steel rails Is unfairly put forward by this free
trader 10 represent iron rails The fact is that
heated or rennol bar Is put into iron ras AT d
lees price than that Of steel rails
Of the most absurd arguments against such pro-
lection a. shall establish home supply and home cope-
ttiOn Ia steel rail making II the assumption that the
steel rails II borne directly by the people i'm tho shape
Of high fares and reghs. Abolish the duty ON steel Tor
Commodore VandeTbilt-enabe him 10 reduce his per
uaueut way expenses 70 per centand then ne will re-
duce the fafes 10 the West In that proportion When
recently by stopping the leaks in the Central he made
An earn more money than safe policy allowed II 10 divide
did he reduce the fares He watered the stOck precsy
A. any Company will do il its earnings from usinv see
rails should exceed the legal DIVIDEND IL would NOT
divide with the public in the shape Of cheap
ton but would double-up the stock. There ia nothing
IN tie nature OF steel rails that reveses the policy of
Wallet.
Rai iacts have peyerse Of reversing the prophe