New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-20

since the Ist 81 January there has necn an advance ia
,h b,yr iir.ccs und 10 nas been uniform. We inny re-
mara however that the price 81 Besecncr pg IRON i
now 50 ION. vIich Is - ion HIGHER than the price
Tnc prc OF English strc rails advanced steadily from
$40 ton last mmcr to so ton 20 The close 81 INC
car .xa.ii, 100 per cent This advance was caused
il, fine improved demand. At Tho middle Of January oi
tnls ne price had adyanrs9 ~ 'ln i '"U ,l0
i,t to thlgc Free Irnde friends ~ cilffhg iutsc
ru sh ndvaucrs 10 the perncious ELECTS of TIE Blls
tarin. but restrained 10y tho I"ot tht ''t
ann Inros,s duy on steel or on any DINER rams We
piy tho poor English consumer, Of Ensilsn f"s VINO do
,',t have "a tari n that they can hud fault with.
Nor have our farmers suffered hl tue revived pros
our eve that the Department 81 Agriculture has JuH
nubishcd a table which shows that TN ranle crop oi
more than those of the year before. Inc gen-
eral revival OF prosperity IN ths country ana tr gen
r advance IN prices have enhanced the value at West
eru farms and have furnished market Tor millions oil
acres OF Western lands held by and-grani railroads.
The railroads OF the country have been very greatly
identified by improvement IN the iron trade when
mas taken place during the past YER Inc Ieig r
industries dependent upon the iron industry mas been
increased millions While seceiying THIS beneht
Tho r1road companies have advanced their tpusporta
tton charges coal coke iron ore, iron ana steer ras
and ON freight all classes. thus proing twice by the
rviyal I'm thc iron trade. We have not heard Of any
bndy who has proposed In Congress or elsewhere 10
oSosn The railroads because they are now being com
nDnsned for the losses which they incurred during the
P,~d times OF 10 drive Mr. Vanderbilt Mr. Gould. or
MIR Sage out ~ the country because they are railroad
r. NAV moi be known to many Congressman that. next
"a agriculture the iron and steel industries Of tins conn
% upnIy tho railroads with their heaviest tonnage.
~ llrn from Mr.. Potter President OF the North chi
caeo Rolling MIL Company, that the payments OF his com
| nany 10 Ihe Puts urgh Fort Wayne and Chicago Rail
rav for freight average ~ 900 day during the whole
yea zee aud Northwestern Railway for freight average
~ 400 a day during six months OF the year. The total
n,ymenis o. company To two western railroads
:, Ss lie seem aggregate almost half million dollars
| annually. The Cambria Iron COMPANY pays even a
| Larger SUN annually for freight CHARGES IL recently
mad SsI 900 In one month forfreight alone TO one
| lroad. -. ,,os have hoon scllors "a VOL
a huyers OF rails do not learn that they have
ever offered sell their old rails at less than highest
| ,,rLct mutations. la the tabo which gave neal
The brgnnlng OF these remarks the price OF old Iron
rails on the lst of January 1879 was so tom and on
the ST January, 1880 Il was $50 ton showing an
ADVANCE of 50 per cent. In the same period see
rails advanced only 81 per cent The railroads, there
fore obtained mucn more proportiohSley iOr the Ole
rails they sold In 1S79-and they sold great many
than the steel ra obtained FOR heIr pro
in this country for the renewal or betermept OF the
tracks OF roadsan old iron rail being taken fo
every steel rail that laid down. II WILDE seen AT
GLANCE that railroads which exchan old rails Tor new
ones are injured by the high of steel rails The
writer Of the petition, who 10 wise man. has heard o
nm exchange OF old iron rails for new steel rails III
dntS yas the recent purchase OF some 10000 tons
steel rails in England by the Illinois Central Rallroa'
~ Least nv sale of old WORKOUT iron rails for S35 3,
the ton" The Illinois Central Railroad is largely owne'
Generous recognition OF the liborality OF the American
Congress In endowlngit with magnificent land grant
are three essemer steel works in its own State OF III
nos But TO whom did 1t sell its old rails Not t
Fnglishmen but 10 Americans. The makers OF the Eng
lish steel rails which IL purchased wanted the price
the rails IN cash, and we suppose obtained ii the Amer
cans no bought the ola iron rails must also have pan
cash. sharp business transaction all aronnd-IOr Ene
rate of duty" on steel rails which enabled the llnoi
Central Railroad to obtain such high price for ITS OF
iron ra II the duty steel rails had not Duilt up on
American steelra mills, would the Illinois Central Raj
| rond ever have been able TO sell It's old iro
rails al S35 so a ton and buy English stot
rails at $24 10 toni We think not:
the history OF steel rail industry OF this countr
since IFS establishment dozen years ago shows that
has given 10 our railroads cheap rails and that II ha
| been their friend aud not their enemy.