Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-06-19

In the incipiency of railroad enterprises
in this country, We depended almost en-
tirely on Europe to furnish the iron nee
essary to build and equip our American
roads. or late years, however, there has
been decided change in this respect, and
we have relied to q considerable extent
upon the production of our own rolling
mills for the material used to build tracks.
We long since made considerable progress
in the manufacture of locomotive engines,
and have at length arrived at such de-
gree of perfection as to challenge the adj
miration Of other countries. The London
Esqinesy acknowledges that our locomo-
tives are greatly ahead Of the English, both
in symmetry Of form and the amount Of
work they are capable of performing. 1t
Is also admitted that they cost less money
than Europeanbuilt engines.
The falling off in the importations Of
railroad iron from Great Britain has been
very marked for two years past, and arises
from various causes, the principal Of
which are the serious strikes that have
taken place in the mining regions, and the
greatly enhanced cost of material. 1t is
true the strikes are now over, but the
scarcity of coal in England keeps the
iron almost at prohibitive rates, and thus
seriously curtails their consumption in
America. This, of course, is q gain TO
our domestic industry, causing the expen-
diture Of large amounts ofcapital and labor
In the development of our immense fields
of mineral wealth.
1t is said that the decrease in the de-
mand for foreign railroad iron thus far the
present year is nearly equal to fifty per
cent over that of the previous year. The
CoHiery GUARDIAN, of April 18th, gives
the exports of railroad iron from the
United Kingdom for the first three months
of 1873, as compared with corresponding
periods in 1871 and 1872, as follows:
Month. ls7l-Tons. 1s72-Tons. 1s1s-Tons.
January. -. .4O5O2 59S4s 30 233
February - 52223 1851 Abs
March ,754 701l2 1884
Total. ). .174,47a aol 1921 1s4,5l5
The larger share of the above de-
crease in exports is on American account,
we receiving from England, in the first
quarter of 1872, 129,605 tons, and only
90, 453 tons for the same time in 1878.
The enhanced cost Of iron is also best
shown by comparison. In 1871, 74,479
tons Of iron, as given above, was worth
FL ,341 no, while In the present year the
134,515 tons Of iron sent here is valued at
81 ,776, 314.
The growth of the American railway
system is rapidly extending itself, and
immense qan.ities of iron will be needed
to fill the requirements of both the old
and new roads. The time has come,
therefore, when we must look to our own
domestic resources to supply most of our
wants. 1t will not do TO put the embargo
of foreign dependence on the healthy
development Of our railroads. 1t may be
some years yet before we are entirely re-
lieved from such dependence on British
rolling mills; but we are fast approach
ing the time when our own productions
will overtake the consumption. The ag-
gregate of net tons of rails made in the
United States in 1872, as reported by the
American Iron and Steel Association,
reached GAL ,992 tons, divided among the
several States, and compared with the
wear 1871 as follows: