Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-03
shipping Iron 10 England.

is not long since 1t was believed
that sending Goals TO Newcastle :
was q probability so remote as TO bt
unworthy Of serious thought. Yet
Goals have, during the past year.
been shipped from the United States
on the orders Of British dealers, not
only to England but in large quaDti'
ties to other sections Of the globe on
British account. And, now, a tele-
gram from England informs us that
There IS quite demand in England
for American ir0n," and one OF the
largest iron manufacturers in Penn
sylvania says the shipment of iron
from this country to England has be.
come profitable branch OF trade.
II we inquire for the cause Of this
remarkable change in the usual course
Of trade, it will be found to proceed
directly from the system OF "pr0tec'
ton 10 home industries" BY this
the importation Of iron was checked,
and the investment Of capital in our
own iron industries made profitable.
Developments followed with rapid
ity of progress never before know n.
Millions Of capital were employed in
building new furnaces in Pennsylva
mia, Michigan, Missouri, and other
States. The aggregate product OF
iron was, in consequence, largely In
creased, while at the same time prices
were reduced, until competition In
the English markets has been made
profitable.
As asingle, but at the same time
most fOrcible illustration Of the re-
suits Of protection, take the arti.
Gle Of teel-faced rails. Formerly
the tracks on our railroads were laid
with iron rails. In 1853 to 1860 the
superiority and the economy Of steel
rails were established. Just then
Professor Bessemer had completed,
most successfully, his method Of con.
verting iron into steel by new and
rapid process, and at a much less cost
than was formerly required. Eng
land reaped the benefit Of the discov-
cry and went largely into the manu-
facture Of steel rails, not only for her
own railroads, but for shipment to
the United States. But British steel
rails cost $500 per ton; yet one OF the
great railroad men OF this country
remarked that che would rather pay
that price for steel rails than use iron
ones if they cost him nothing"
In 1862 and 1868 capitalists in the
United States purchased the right OF
using the Bessemer patents, and i'm
mediately commenced the erection
of establishments for the manufacture
Of steel rails. Congress put duty OF
one cent per pound on imported rails,
and in 1863 rails of American manu-
facture were supplied in limited
quantities ut $175 per ton. The price
of English rails was Immediately re-
dnced with the view Of continuing
the monopoly Of the American mar
kcts. But our product Of steel rails
had increased in "a and '65 and the
price was further reduced to $3.50 per
ton. The English competitors fell
even below that figure in the price OF
their rails, and the competition con.
tinueu till our manufacturers reduced
the cost Of rails to 800 per ton fOr
large contracts, and $l12 for small
lots.
Yet at that price they assert that
the business under the present tariff
can be made entirely successful.
Without the cent a pound duty, nc
American capitalist could have beer
found to invest In an enterprise thai
could not possibly have succeeded
in its infancy against British compe
titiOn.