New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-11
THE IRON TRADE.
DOES PROTECTION PROTECTS
ANOTHER SERMON TO FREE TRADERS FROM THE
LONDON TIiEs-A DISMAL HOROSCOPE

appeared yesterday Ia American correspondence
letter. are follows: Tho American ronmasers have
long enjoyed the advantages OF protective stem,
established in order TO enable them TO compete on equal
terms with the foreigner England mas the ready
means OF manufacturing iron aud steel much more
ceIpIy than America, aud could AFFORD to send them
across the Atlantic and, WIN he Irelgnt .
thus added to nBdersell her American rival; and
even when TO the cost OF carriage was added
fIrther neavy duty on importation the native nanu-
fieuref, whO was subcc ed 10 no such disadvantage
did not had the tables I'll, med altogether III his favor
lie was enabled to put lnto MS poeAc. b9iDe prQhIs
which otherwise would have gone abroad Engsn hon
made DEAR but 1t was not excluded Ine Pfoiee-
i've tarn, IL had Del hoped, Wouu prove III ine sVeht
prohnitlve. But ElSllsh manufacturers were found
able III spite undersel the American on his own
ground. or the cOnln0hef kHus ol Hoh winch were
usea the UnIted States the English sent about one
ha and Of the more hnlshed prOduc's VI skilled LABOR
about iCuI-nf,hs lIhls 10 a. eIS1s oitoI; VIC hpoI
iron England oehy IN the shape OF pigs ana rail-
road bars. o. the finished products we nanufac-
lure at least fouI-hiths Tor ohfse'VeS;-ha'I UP
10 1871 this proportion continued Dut IrOm
that date onward tue change has been remark
able step by step the Americans have ooaned posses
lion OF lneir market In 1872 We were actually UNI
dersOd, and an Immense Impulse was gwen 10 the
American native industry. All over tine Pennsylvania
ron districts there were signs OF newiy-cieaed me-
Furnaces knded, ran mills ana rolling mills were
eycrywlCTc erected. new prospect Whicn ne MAD
never dreamt OF. seemed opening out 10 inc American
manufacturer. II be were now to make vigorous
effort ne might dslOdge his English riv and the hopes
thus formed not destined 10 Do disappointed oLe
OF finest markets We ever possessed mas Deen grad
nal closed To goods. The demand for our iron has
greatly decreased aud Americans are found 10 BUY only
DIV themselves with at home. Tao statistics
Of the year 1873 tell their own tate. In
eued we still found sale IN Anerca 1Or $4,000 tons VI
iron In the period of 1913 We sent Oniy 24oCOJ
tonsas nearly possible onehali OF the year previous
Rut tine price We obtained for the entire amount i'm
ported was reduced only by One-thrd We hdd
charged 1872 about 20 ton Tor lroH IN Amercd; ia
ls73 We charged e2. aud the result Is that Americans
eau produce tner ron more cheapy az home Bu5 this
iIrers have carried the still furtner and without
inc aid any Protective tarr, aro competing witn u
successfully in the Canadian aud south American aud
West Indian markets. change may come before long,
uut in the meantime We nave been losing our cusOmers
lstaf "a are
What mas happened already in the case OF iron may
soon happen, the III Otucr aud equally
importa indus ries. Oar trade la iron Is only tn trst
affected It's price depends very materially on the price
coal Anything that raises coal viii Raise iron, tOO
and OF iron must mean IN the ehd rise or every
thing for which IRON Is In any way n.y. ana en
he excluded from lis operation. Non, without pro-
nounclng JUDGMENT the disputed question whether
strikes the exclusive cause Oh tbs late rise OF
coal IN Eu gland, may lake IL as grained that they
have beeA Vef principal cause and that they are now
exercising controlling influence IL keeping up the
admittedly excessive price. III the opinion OF The
mine laborers hlGn prices mean hlgh wages, and
they are delermnnd, accordingly that prices, at any
cost. shall be kept The owners are not 10 be per-
mItted to accumulate large stocks. ana the amount
produced is always be kept jIst below tue demand
so that further contraction Of supply may 9e at any
moment possible aud effective. In ths way the result
desired is brought Coal continues 10 be- dear
iron espOndlngy aId everything else tends
10 rise IN price ana to be grown manufactured with
Increasing difficulty aud expens The rise of coal has
tbus commenced by driving away our !Fa1e wlth lpe
Tinted states and il will end hs7Iui out of every
market in the world, and will leave us stranded aG
bOule IL the eauses which have produced II continue
still to operate. Higher wages AMI less work must, II
Quences. We cannot idle, ana Sleep ana waste money
and compete with other nations when are thrifty ana
active and intelligent. The Americans have mad 70 con-
tend with under immense natural disadvantages; nut
they have beaten III nevertheless ahd We nave no one
but ourselves tnauk for it, Ii Is rot 0uly high wages
that have Increased cost OF production; we nave
10 take further the loss OF time tie uucer
tainty and the general Reorganization which continued
strikes necessarily entail VIC nave great natural
y,taees on our side but have lost great part OF
tho auei uf
sO-called working classes
yle lesson this should teach us is not obscure. bnt
there s danger nevertheless that all rs teaching win
he thrown away. Experience has shown how very diff
cult It Is 60 deal win Does OF wOrkmen IL is not only
that they Ignorant, aud selfish, aud suspicious, and
inclined suppose faIlacy III ANY argument mat does
NOT appeal directly 10 their lower nsncts this would
already ma Ike enough to induce them ~ abandon
their career mischief. But what was hard becomes
absolutely Impossible when they are no longer Tree
agents-when they nave surrendered tler Individual
responsibility, aud are acting under the control OF the
worst class professional agators To neither the
nor their leaders should yen ure " speak OF rght
duty or prosperity OF the cOustry, or regard for
Others even OF their own Class For al TINS they have,
and they profess TO have, cynical Disregard They
have made up their minds 10 do what tuey believe
others are doing ANA To consult only WHAT seems 10
them their own interest IL suits them That prices
should be high, ana hsn, aecoruingy tney are deter
tiers ruined, men IN their own class OF lite may he
pinched for OF fuel but II they can keep mp tine
value OF coal and the wages OF eoollHgers they care,
aud they profess TO care for nothing else To these men
there is but one appeal possible-the appeal 10
they consumers OF so things and producers
against them all round II viii be OF little that the
amount their has been increased. IL il On,y
when brisk that strikes likely TO be success
full and their direct result has been the pros
perIty which alone has made them possible WOrkmen
know well the ruin entaed upon them when trade
really fais-tne starvation OF East London when tncy
had at last succeeded In driving away iron ship
building IRON the Thames-the widespread misery
themselves that waits upon commercial crisis. WHAT
would their position II entire trade could be
red on only at u disadyantage-f were to raise
prices all round aud TO lose our foreign narketsf the
laDonng nad pay for hs clothes and food
firing aud could earn less money because there
were fewer customers for his productions dismal
prospect 1t tins that Trades Unions are lead
ing some must be founl for the evil before
they have made all cure impossible. II the
neither free To do what they think right, Intelligent
enough 10 perceive what 10 for their good remedy
must sought In the concerted OF the masters
TIE state Is OF aud it must be met and dealt
with accordingly. Pablo opinion, too, declare IL
self with due aud pubic opinion impOr
tant Influence In England for the side
CARES itself. strAes must continue permitted BY
the law. but IL must be forgotten that they are
vicious themselves aud ruInous In their results aud
this view OF them must DC seadY maintained speech
and action legislation. the teaching oar iron
trade with America Is too valuable ana too costly
thrown away.