New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-15

Mr. Wells dispute none OF the facts asserted III INC
foregoing extract which prove that prior To the close OF
1867 highly protective duties on steel had not Doen TAX
but boon to the consumer 80 great BOON fu
they had far reduced the price OF steer tl 70 qU.o
gained more than sufficient 20 connterbalanee lhe YAK
levied as protection for the American steel nanuac
Mr.. WELLS AN ENEMY TO AMERICAN RAILROADS
You Mr. Chairman and many Of colaborers on this
floor are interested the extension and Improvement OF
our magnificent railroad SYSTEM and propose TO illus
trse the treachery OF the Commissioner by briefly refer
ring to the effect Of high productive duties on Besemer
United States for the manufacture of such rails The
lowest price at which an american company could 4ny
freight to NewYorE Philadelphia The duty was then
ad valOrem duty Of As per cent which ut that
price equivalent to about three cents per pound
Gold was then above BOO and each tun or rails had cost
view Of these facts several emtcrpsng railroad Sn de-
termned TO establish Bessemer rail works TINS was not
to be done in day. It required the selection OF a
iudcious site, the erection OF extensive buildings
the construction 81 large a09ps Of aS95&eb wSS
ali 5s time Shs pce Of E ET r" reaned S
cash. gold per tun delivered on the wharf ~ America
sylvania called IN cOmnenOratOn OF our partial en-
reimbursement from the grasp Of foreign nonopollsts
their production erecting at Troy NewYork when o
the same English manufacturers, who had been unable
to sell at less than $3.50 per un canvaSed our market TO
fluid buyers at $50. What wrought this great changes
Had the Commissioners English friends been making
profits of our railroads greater than ho ascDes TO o
producers OF salt, pig rOn lunber and other things es
sential TO national independence or were hey Wiling 10
sacrifice the pfoht on small part OF ther ahua. pro
duet in order to crush an infant ve whose development
they feared BE this may In less than three years
competition has brought the price of Besscer rails down
SO rapidly that orders are now taken IN England a Al
sterling about $50 deliverable at Liverpool or HUI
Meanwhile the mills for their production at Troy, New
York, and others at Chester Pennsylvania, Cleveland
the plans have been ADOPTED for others at Mott Haven
New-Iork; Pittsburgh Johnstown, ana BetIehem
Pennsylvania: Baltimore, Cincinnati, ana ST. Louis
but their construction awaits aud IS dependent
on the action OF Congress on the Iaiia
deavOrs TO persuade the country that q protective
duty Is always tax on the consumer and abors ~ IN
3 cents to u cent per pounds change which he wei
knows would close all our Besscmer rail works, and rs
to his English friends the monopoly OF our market
What can have brought him to such conclusions what
is TO be the reward for such consummationf
The COMMISSIONERS coNyERsIoS.
II gentlemen will turn page 1875 OF the report they
will find a schedule presenting a classification OF steel
and proposed rates of duty each class 1t purpors TO
De Mr.. Wels's suggestion and ia submitted with oil
tho emphasis that the abundant resort TO italics can give
For nearly quarter OF century our duties on cast
steel have been assessed upon the value Of the com
modify, al rdo'em and recent Investigations ny an
agent OF the Government have shown that throughout the
whole the period the stcelnIakers Of Sheffield by
fusing 20 sell directly 20 American purchasers ana con
signing their goods 10 their agents IN tms country lor
sale by which cunning afian cement ey coli success
fully practice system of underyaluaton have been de-
IaudnG the government Oh large portion. Vi 4ss uu
The Sheffield steclmakerS men Of wealth and social
position. and this discovery Of their lOnXcOnilnued ana
systematic fraud upon our Government mas nor beeh
pleasant thing for them. The charge is dstasteul 10
a
sound They SquiIm under 1t aud admit that steel has
been nvOced to the United States a lower rates than
the Continent hut that low the invoice prices
they the prcesa when they sell i'll THIS country
Good, kuGheartcd, benevolent people! How they do
love the Yankees 10 be willing 10 soil them their wares
cheaper than they VII TO infT owl @ or ,o 70
doing 50, or do they pretend to have any Yes they
are not without show Of reason They say-and their
letters file III the Treasury Department. and their
agents have appeared there TO enforce the state net
that market essential to the maintenance OF Their
from steemaker that they are forced 10 sei TO us
pie In letter 10 cur consul thar city, dated July 10,
1852 Thomas Firth Son, Of Sheffield. say:
proportion ~ business, market there from
q. .1 %" Ps la i a '%0 satisfied 5
smaller oa ere than We have realized % the average il our
TIE vU1TrEg's PROTECTION OF TIE DOVE.
said that the discovery Of their systematic frauds
not pleasant thing TO the English steelmakers and was
proceeding say that forseoiuc would probably lead
the abandonment OF dd r0l0rem and the evng Of spec
dc duties on Steel they have overwhelmed the Secretary
of the Treasury uud other official prrsODages with u-
solicited and Of course dsnt rested advice That we
should not suffer for want OF their experience inc draIt
Of bill providing scale Of duties on steel was prepared,
am Informed aud verify believe. 10y or IN consultation
with IA member of one Of the leading firms OF eemakers
Of Sheffield, and sent over 70 gentleman specially con
urcted with legislation on financial subjects nave eK-
amined the original draft as came IRON shered ana
have "a copy of IT before me. IL is proposition by the
ensscatian IL Would, had it been honestly named,
have entitled bill to prohibit the Manufacture OF
d
m 20 amend act entitled An act to increase duties
on Imports and for other purposes approved June 30,
1854 II furnished Mr. Wells his schedule II Is perhaps,
due TO Mr. Wells. in this connection. that should men
the fact that he so far exercised his own Judgment IN
making this recommendation as 10 modify two or three
umpOrtant and TO change the order from that IN
which the items stand in the bill; and that TO make tho
comparison easy for the readers or me G0b nave ar
ranged them III the order chosen by MI Wells;
Usls's schedule. ShlFddbHL
pound. On cent pound
blister e 10 bars broken
for mefug pound ior .nR y cehs per p"uld
steel bars cents On German Steel u Das Genus
per polnd per pound.
on sbsar e IL bars ?. cents steel 10 bars q cents
per pound q, per pouLu' 49,, t-.... go, 90.
esstee ngots and all On csststeel hsot ceat per
rough unfinished castings in pound
on csstugs IN steel drilled casinsn 81 st.el with holes
lored or Hammered cents drilled bored, hammered
| p.r rouud turned or UlaBel 10 bot ti no
r1se Hammered OF U0rked hot, u
cents per pound
On q cents % east steel II bars q cents per
| pouud. pound
On cas-. a, German steel in paes On steel in sheets
IN 6 wire gauge inclusive ps No - gauge \
| pound: from II 10 p pound.
| per pound; above ~, cents per
in IN q steel 10 form
~ yir