The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-02-01

$l7.9 Surely, the iron and steel manufac-
turers VINO insist upon ample protection for
their product will not urge high rate ofduty
upon what they sell and nominal duty upon
what they buy
Taking the prices of October, steel rails
are projected at the rate OF 90 per cent, bar
iron 4O, and iron ores 10 per cent, while labor
bears larger proportion to the value of the
product in the matter of ores than in pig
| iron or steel rails.
The labor employed in the manufacture
of steel rails is given by the census reports
of 1880 at 1904. That required to convert
ore INTO ton of pig iron, including char
coal (plg), by the same authority is put at
$3.50.
"The labor required to mine a ton of iron
ore, as given in the Mining Journal, was in
New Jersey $2.46
Here we find that in railway bars one
eighth of the cost is labor, and in pig iron
about the came, while in ores tive-sixths OF
the mine value is labor That is, where labor
forms one-eighth the cost you give "A per
cent. protection, and where labor forms five
sixths the cost, you give about 16 per cent.
"A per cent. to the forgeman and IS per
cent. to the miner.
THAT is, while the labor employed in The
manufacture of Bessemer steel and bar iron
is thus justly enabled to compete with the
belt paid labor of England, you leave that
| employed IN our iron ore mines to contend
with the cheap labor of Spain and Africa.
You protect all earths and cIays unwrought
$3.50 per ton; coal at the rate of SO per cent.
upon cost at the mines, and iron ores at Ii
cents.
Let us have some reciprocity in our efforts
to foster American labor and promote her
Industries. Let the theory be evenly applied
to all everywhere. Give to this vast resource
of mineral wealth these exceptional ores,
necessary in the manufacture OF steel, to be
found in so many of the States, the vital
izing care you extend TO the manufactured
product.
II need not tell the Senate that such ex-
ceptional ores are found in unlimited guam
tity, OF varied degrees OF excellence, in the
States of Michigan, New York, New JERSEY,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Ten
nessee, Alabama, Georgia and Missouri, and
then we should not forget we have American
labor quite as worthy of the benefcent pol
4 icy of protection as that to be found in our
manufacturing establishments.
1T is not our policy to create dependency
upon foreign supply of the raw material for
the maintenance OF our manufacturing inter-
ests, which must come OF Discrimination like
that proposed in this case and relation.
Il do not, therefore, Mr. President concur in
the amendment proposed by the Senator from
New York. 1t does not fill the measure OF
equitable protection to this vast resource of
our country 1t does not give to American
labor, the miner, the security which the Amer.
lean theory of protection promises. To do
this the rate should not be less than So per
ton, and therefore propose to amend the
proposition of the Senator from New York
to strike out one and substitute two dollars
per ton"
The Augusta, Georgia, Chronicle in its issue
Of the 26th, publishes statistics showing the
miraculous agricultural growth of Georgia,
and contrasting the products of 1870 with
those Of 1882. The State shows over 200 per
cent. increase in corn, 900 per cent. in oats.
200 in wheat, rs in rye, 100 in Irish potatoes,
$40 in cane and sorghum, 400 in sweet pota-
toes, and similar increase in the yield of
other farm and garden products. In 1870
Georgia raised 473,934 bales of cotton In
1880 the State raised 814 Al bales, nearly 100
per cent. increase, ranking as the second cot
ton-producing State. In 1882 the cotton pro-
duction grew to 925, 443 bales, the increase be-
ing accomplished with diminished acreage;
The crop OF 1880 was raised on 2 ,6l7, 1873 acres,
while that Of 1882 was raised on 1856, 1926
! acres. Horses have increased 90 per cent
mules, 81 per cent; milk cows, So; other cat
tie, 81 sheep 26, and swine, 40 per cent. In
1870 Georgia had 10000. In 1880 she had
10000 The estimated value of farm pro-
ducts in 1870 was $80,000,000 In 1880 it
swelled to 25,0O0,0O0.