Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-05-11
teoNyUSicATEn.l
The Tariff on Steel Rails.

Free traders are making great complaint be
cause of TIE duty on steel rails See Press oat
Heraid Of the 7th inst l-of the monopoly Civ
en- to certain manufacture, the high price o
rails, the increased cost Of building railroads
and the consequent heavy charges made upor
the dear people for freight and fare; all the re
suit of this high protective tariff.
The duty Of forty-fve per cent al roiorc1
has recently been changed by the House to $50
per ton specific, whereat il is charged that the
members Of the present House are part owners
of an improved Bessemer process" and that this
duty viii put one and half million dollars
into the pockets Of their pet manufacturers. "
They don't except any of the members but we
may infer that only the protectionists are inter
ested in the monopoly, as Fernando Wood
offered 100000 to the gentlemen owning the
| Bessemer patent for their privileges, but the
offer was not accepted
Now let us look at the facts, and see the effect
of a duty in reducing the price. In 1864 there
we're no steel rails made in the United States
The price in England at that time was $50 per
ton. The agents of several of our railroads
went over TO make purchases, and were assured
by the manufacturers that this was the lowest
dollar at which they could be produced So
they had to pay the price Now if there had
been no duty imposed, and free traders had had
their way no attempt would have been made
at manufacturing in this country, and conse-
quently the English sellers would have contn-
ued to realize their own prices. But duty
iras established, which induced some enterpris-
ing manufacturers TO engage in the business,
and as soor as two establishments were put in
operation the English manufacturers were at
once brought TO our chores offering their
rails at a reduction of twenty dollars per ton
But the business continued TO grow in this coun-
try. Rail mills were erected in New York
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Our work.
men become so skilled in the process and the
production of steel-rails so great as to render us
so nearly independent of England, that her
manufacturers were finally brought to offer their
rails at $50 per ton. The same quality of rail
which few years ago they'asserted could not be
made for less than $50
The unfairness of free traders is seen in their
persistent assertions that all duties are Il tax on
the people. The real truth is that with regard TO
many articles, the country is benefited in sever
al ways. One, in the benefit arising from bull
ing up home manufacturer and keeping the
money at home which is otherwise sent abroad
Another in the amount of money paid into the
Treasury by foreign manufacturers, for the
privilege of selling their goods in our country.
And still another, by putting the American and
foreign manufactures in active competition, the
price is reduced to- lower figure than would
have been current if no duty had been imposed
Steel rails is an example An example where
tariff has resulted in reducing the price of En-
glish rails, from $50 to $50 per ton in less than
seven years.
Let free-traders state all the facts in the case,
if they are really honest in securing the best
interests of the country and people H. C