Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-11-30
tcoMNUEtcATHo.i
The Cost of IsfI Iron.

The WHO ard Register enlightens the coun-
Try With regard 10 this matter as follows:
II has been demonstrated that the best quality
Of charcoal pig iron can be prohtabiy produced
| in Tennessee and Georgia for less than 80 per
ton. These people want no protection, ana ask
none When the revenue laws shall be reform
cd and taxation reduced TO q purely revenue
standard. the South, in common with the whole
country, will share the prosperity that Will t'l-
low that relief
Those VIII, have the hes: chance TO know
what it costs to make iron know very well that
there is very little truth in the above statement
and those who don't know anything about IT
ought not to make such careless assertions We
have before had occasion 60 call in question the
sincerity Of these frec-traders who demonstrate
that iron can be probably produced in Tonnes
see for les, than so per ton, and thus prove
that manufacturers are pocketing bonus OF
$500 per ton in gold through u nigh protee-
ton tariff. from the fac, that not Il man OF them
can be induced to invest dollar in business
The WHO 5Ty gqys 20 to ioO per cent PROM;
r.atanew impetus will be given To manuIac-
tu.cs IN the South when the revenue laws shall
be reformed and taxation reduced 20 % purely
revenue standard
& few months ago the question was put 30 the
Wig, tG'' duty on iron should BE taken off
,puId !. not b. likely to stop the building OF
hcE furnaces in tennessee and break up many
now engaged in business ?" To which /. made
reply, that, by taking Of the present duty the
building Of new furnaces would stop and many
would break, Is s. truism. But what Of It
Had not these furnaces better stop than that
the people should be compelled to keep their
noses 70 the grind stones interminably for the
benefit OF these manufacturers? Wethink 60"
The late editors Of the Fhig AID Register
seems, however, to go back on this view Of
the Wig, as to the effect Of repeating the tariff
l: holds out the promise that with the revenue
Law. reformed manufactures Of every descrp-
tio1 will ut once spring up.
j. is { fact 50 plain that a blind man can see
it-that We can't build ~ rnsnufac.ories in the
United Siat-- competing with the cheap cspi-
tal and labor Of Europe-without protection
We cAal.OL.a the Wig Gaa Register 10 the
p-oa- ,hs. any party manufacturing iron in
Tennessee or Geo-gia 0sk 10 protection because
!, onA De probably produced for les. than $50
per ton. Although but little iron is now being
produced ia these States, u portion Of this iron
must be sent u the Eastern sea,ho9s to ind
Inarket-costug more per ton for freight than
it costs TO freight iron from England to the same
market. The price realized on such shipments
tends to establish price on the entire product
Thus the iron manufacturers in Tennessee and
Georgia are brought face TO fsce with those Of
England. Where the former pay Sl.G0 per day
for labor, the latter pay fifty cent5-Gnd when
capital costs IS TO "A per cent in these States it
cal be had in England for 5per cent. Without
protective tariff TO compensate for this di7ad-
vantage, not a ton of iron would be made in the
South, except the little produced In the old
fashion barbar0us way TO barter and trade be-
cause there Is uy money IN the country We
have been working since the war under q tariff
that gives SO to Si2 per ton currency pro.ec-
ton, aud ye- the prOgres5 thar Tennessee mas
made in manufacturing iron is not extraordi-
nary. Ifthere we're any stability in the policy
Of oar country with regard to this question, We
might look for & future condition Of prosperity
satisfactory u all parties and to every intent
But TO talk about the South having its Lowells
aud Pittsburghs rs we'll as the North" and at
tanning to high degree Of prosperity Is il re-
suit Of reducing the tariht1 purely revenue
standard which means free trade--is simply
absurd. i Is absurd to expect any man If good
sense and judgment ~ put 500 90 good money
into "a bia-. furnace in Tennessee while these
Revenue Rcformers" are even thgsGts1iaq 10
adopt = policy which, if put in force would at
once render such Investment entirely worthless.
II capitalists can be induced - engage in the
manufacture utlIpl with protective tariff of
$500 per ton gold IN their favor, on what prin-
cip,a Of political economy are We Competition
/ 90 inye-. and make such wonderful develop
mont, when this tariff shall be swept away