New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-23
REPLYING TO SECRETARY MANNING.
\ IErTtR IRON THE IRON AND SIEEL ASSUtIAIIVN
FAVURING SPECIFIC DUTIES.

\ LETTER FROM THE IRON AND STEEL ASSOCIATION
FAvURING specific DUTIES.
PHILADELPHIA. Nov. 22.-Ihe reply OF the
Iron anG steel Association to Secretary MahhlngS CIR
cnl,r letter concerning customs duties ON IoIclBh
proluc,s IA. been printed and makes pamphlet with
an appendix, forty-tlree pagos Tue association
favnrs the substitution otspecc duties 50 Ear ~ pos
hc without detriment the revenues oi the Govern
mont or injury to domestic industries. Changes
in four OF the paragraphs Of the tarh la"
as iudoxeG by tine Treasury Dcpirtment-''l l3' =
and Is3 are recommended The other al vaIorein
duties on iron products deemed absolutely necessary
10 secure the Government the revenue TO when IL Is
entitled and to Guard the domestic manufacturer against
destrucuve foreign competition says the letter
Ipp.ragraph No. III the duty on common or black
sheet IRON thinner tHan No. 20 wire gauge, and on
,nn,' Or lacR taggrrs iron is stated to be 30 per
cent al VaiOren. Experience has shown mat thl1 GUY
is tJo Ow be protective OF our succt IRON manu-
acturers who prepared 10 manufacture the ilnrr
qualities OF sheet IRON anu la ~ ,h' 't ~
made The duty the thinHeSt forms OF sheet IRON mp
to Jaeger iron gau-es. which begin Win number o.
snonld ccrtainly be hign tuat on uunler - 10
nuuer % which is 10 cents per pound, While tdSgcrs
rGn should pay SUI iEacI G 9H c,,,ont,es s stated
70 bt 50 uer cent valOrcH ms duly has hcth oind
=" ie i,ndeauate for the protection Of cotlcuic
this country. Tie action OF Congrcs. III imposing an
nd yI.orcin rate which yields but little more than =
Oenf per pnnnd those obvious crTOrs In eSsl
lion which should be speedily corrected. Oh coutse
cost is underyaluel. The duty should be made
cifc. should be less Than
that which is charged the smallest sizes OF bar
iron namely, l-l0 ecns per pound: ,,.,,,cr,,o,
forms Of steel valued al cents per pound or Ies' Is
stated t. be 40 per al vaOreun. wand objection
TO this duty is that ii opens the door 10 AUTHORIZATIONS
upon "A large class OF miscellaneous steel pr"dnctN
There would appear to DC no Sufficient cheek upon me
ana cents pound at cent. or even l"s~ per pound
Apart from tins consideration III r. Is manifest ini.
ponnd ad vaIorem duly which i"anz only
about L. cent per pound. while steel valued above Gems
mud nd lt.-s 4
at cents per pound 1ro "A c rS nSoa " n
the 4-ccnt clause. which should be- inNoIced above
f9nr GEMS The - per cent ad vaOrcn duty Oh steel
valued al cents per pound less should br changer. II
nos Bile 10 a specific duty apprOSimatLg that winch Is
Imposed steel valued above cents Inns would nj
prevent frauds aud afford more adequate protection
10 domestic steel manufacturers. Ia paragraph NJ" %
the duty steel not specially enumerated OF PROVIDE
for is also gwen at 40 per cent Vaolcm me pr.
vision cannot objected TO Sc hut objection may
properly be made to It's eovrrinS "Ilre, when should
have been specially enumerated We mention one con
spcuOus Illustration namely, sleel WIRE iOd3 hghtcr
than No wire gauge .r anu 'aIn'o al "2 CENT ,u
vided for By name, but both iron md and
should the finer valuable prodnct be placcd III
al Omnibus clause and subjected to an al Ehoio" n'
Same article Carefully enumerated ana subjected u
specific ratet
The association that due consideration should
also be given to certain specific duties in tho meta
schenuIe which, while n0minay imposed for the pro
lection OF domestic mauufa really protect onlj
their foreign rivals duties those OF cent
and steel wire rods not lighter than No D. TINS country
does not manufacture tin plates. nor Iron rods ana lh'
steel wire rod industry is SUBJ ct To seV re- competition
from Germany aud Great Britain. No cOnsumnl
interest can suffer" continues the letter. "by th'
manufacture home Of all. or nearly al
these articles that needed to supply The
domestic eInd. such protection as has Dech gwen "a
cur steel wire rod Industry has certainly not Increased
the cost OF wire fencing 10 the American larher IL
never was cheap as II has been during the pdsi
twelve months"
the comparative cost OF production III Europe and In
this country. and tue Conclusion II reached th e price
sells for shipment the United States S several dollars
the labor OF OF lgrOL IN tls OuhrS
when the paid average Of those which pre-
vailed In SPA aud that slight advance III the price
of bar-irJn here, II accompanied by sighi
reduction OF the duty, would bring fOToign
bar iron into the markets OF the Unue States in large
oualtra Labor constitutes the princp element II
he cost of these products Wages arr higher muct
higher In thus country thhn IN competing European
co1ufrns and honce tlrii revenue but tarif
for protection needed 10 enable manu- actures TO pay
these higher wages.