The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-05

the railroad companies are paying an ex'
ceSsiye price Tor their use. /,
That The railroad interest Of the eoun-
try IL still In very depressed condition,
the Total investment in It yielding only
about 4 per cent annually; that, conse.
auently, Il should not be excessively
taxed 10 add 10 profits Of another industry
now prosperous beyond all precedent.
The undersigned, therefore, would re-
specially request your honorable body TO
enact law that the duty hereafter i'm;
posed upon imported steel rails shall be
specific at rate not exceeding $40 to the
ton.
Accompanying the above memorial Is a
memorandum giving great deal OF intoF-
nation regarding the duty on steel rails
1t is claimed that since the passage OF the
act OF 1870 there has been an enormous
and unexpected decline in the cost oil the
manufacture OF steel rails. They have
been purchased In England, the last year,
in large quantities for American roads at
$40 the ton. The dd rdlOrem rate oil pro-
lection increased, consequently, within
the period named, from 40 to l2I per cent.
The price Of rails has advanced somewhat
II is stated, in England, but steel rails
with guarantee OF ten years wear, have
been recently purchased there in large
quantities for American roads at s24 the
ton. At such price the rate Of protection
afforded by the present duty equals
fl2o per cent. To the specific protection
the charges OF importation, say 81 W
per ton, have to be added, increasing the
ad raIOrm protection to l$l per cent
With rails at s9S the ton abroad-a price
higher than they are likely to reach-the
rate OF protection equals the first cost;
and, adding charges Of importation, equals
ll3 per cent. OF their cost. The memo
randum states that striking illustration
of the excessive rate OF duty was the re-
cent purchase OF some ten thousand tons
Of steel rails, in England, by the Illinois
Central Railroad Company, for S24.lO the
ton, which were paid for, in part at least,
by sale OF old WORKOUT iron rails for
$3.50 the ton.
I It Ia stated further, that the use OF steel
rails on a large scale, on railroads, was the
result OF the invention OF the Bessemer
, process. The manufacture OF the Besse'
: mer rails began in this country in 1876
|. In that year $500 tons were made. The
tota! product In this country up 10 Jan. ]
1870. edualed 2,145,540 tons. The total
amount manufactured in the country and
import (assuming that 10000 tons were
imported previous to 1871 has equaled
, . 7S2, I3S tons, sufficient, with renewals
10 Law $4,000 miles OF line. The total ex'
tent OF railroad mileage in operation In
the United States on January l, 1879
3 eoualel 81, 84l miles. Assuming 3.l50 "a
have been opened since Jan. l, 1870, the
total mileage in the United States at the
present time equals, in round mum,
beers, $1,000 miles. The amount o.
double track and sidings will
equal, say, $4,000 miles-making Q
total length OF track now laid Of 10000
miles, At an estimate OF one hundred
tons to the mile, the total humber OF rails
now laid upon American roads equal
II .0OO, 600. 0tthis mileage 5000 miles
are, Il il stated, laid with steel and 5000
with iron. The latter will have to be re-
laid ct the rate OF ut least IL per cent an
nually. At least 100000 tons annually
. will be required for new lines. The guam
tity OF new rails, consequently, annually
|. required for new and old rails will equal
, at least 1,500,000 tons-a quantity twice
! greater than the capacity Of all the domes-
! lie steel.rail mills. With the present du.
ties, It is argued, very large extent oil
, line must continue 10 be laid with Iron,
, unless the railroad companies are pre-
pared to pay in duties sum considerably
greater than the first cost OF the steel rails.
The memorandum also sets forth the
advantages resulting from the use OF steel
, over iron rails. The saving to the former,
1t is claimed, in reduced rates, is enor'
nous. The argument Is that steel rails
could be brought Immediately within
reach OF all roads by the adoption OF rate
OF duty far below the present one-a rate
which, ut the same time, would afford pro-
, lection to the domestic manufacturer.
, The railroad presidents with whom this
originated declare that It is not dictated by
i any desire, nor will 1t have any effect, II
, successful, to withhold from the manuiac.
turer protection to which he is justly en-
titled. They say that their only desire is
10 render the rate OF protection uniform to
all industries equally needing and deserv'
ing it,