New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-25
BRITISH EXPECTATIONS.
We print the following business circular of
q British iron house verbatim, and ask for it the
thoughtful attention of Americans of all parties

We print the following business cIcuiaI vi
a British iron house verbatim, and ask for 1t the
thoughtful attention of Americans of all parties
No So OLD BRoAD-sT, LONDON. Dec. 81, 1869.
SIR This has been prosperous year for the ronmas
ters Our monthly advice Of exports will have revealed
the cause Three countries aone-Russia India and the
United sates-have purchased tuns OF British rails
Under these unprecedented exports the price has ruled
very firm and good Erie rails now worth s6 1853 net
COAL AND PIG neutrality-suspicious. has kept down
the price, length the demand for pigs appears to
have overtaken theisuppy and they are rm al an al
vance Of S. upon the year.
OLD RAILS have been largely used by ramllis' ana
have advanced los. also during the year
WAGES have advanced over the whole mining district
At meeting London this week the Welsh ronmasters
voted an advance Of 10 per cent.
Cosr Of the finished rails TO the manufacturer IS thus
settled The buyer is however, more interested IN the
relation Of supply TO demand
THE SUPPLY Of railway bars has greatly increased
many merchant bar mills have taken to rails and all the
mills have increased their make This increased product
has however found ready sale, and will not probably
decrease
THE DEMAND for next year promises to be good Most
Of the mills have orders for three. and some for six
months. Home Railways must buy more largely thsn In
1862 India will also take Rails Russia is not so
eager buyer as at this time last year. The Government
however continues buid roads for commercial and
military purposes and while the English investors retain
their present Partially for Russian Securities there VIII
be no lack Of money Yet, with the present ouurn.
material reduction Of the American duty or something
equally significant necessary to adpdce the p'ce oo0re
Ct.
oUAL1rY-while English Companies only buy guaran-
teed Rails or those rolled from specified pile. the great
bulk Of American Rails in the contract phrase Ordin
airy Erie Rails" which have proved ordinary enough
besides the weight OF Rail commonly IN use IN America
compared with English Rails double heads average "a
per Yard is unfavorabe to durability as consequence
a call has arisen for better article We have been par
ticuarly concerned in answering this demand greatly 10
the consumers satisfaction.
We quote the closing prices of the year:
Eric FiSl-bar Rails, free on board, Wales or East
Special Qualities according 10 Contract
Steel Rails free on board, liverpool ...:.. 10 10
Old d. H. Rails. free on board, London or LIVER
Referring you to the inclosed tabulaed statistics We
remain, yours faithfully g. W. HOPKINS & Co.
Comments bD The Tribune.
There is much food for thought in this cir
cular; but we ask special attention to these
points:
l. The rails mainly exported to this country
are a very poor article, such as respectable
British roads will not use. They are, like
Peter Pindar's razOrs, "made to sell" to those
who don't care what sort of track they lay
down, so that it can be called railroad. They
are made to sell cheap; and that end is
achieved. No intelligent person supposes them
of equal value, tun for tan, with the rails
usually made in this country
II. The British iron-masters seek and hope
for "a material reduction of the American
"duty," not that they may supply US with more
rails at the present price, but that they may
obtain higher prices for all they send us. As
our duty goes down, they intend that their
price shall go up. We do not complain of this.
They have a right to sell for the best price
they can get. We only submit that it is not
our statesmen's business to help them raise
the price on us.