New-York tribune., 1886-08-14

last year, exclusive of exports, more tiE'n
21s.36 pounds per capita, Of which, as before,
1876 pounds were of domestic producuoil' iui"
1896 pounds imported. The imports ilIse
been much larger, especially IN the years 1ooo'
1881, 1882 and 1883. But so greatly mas uie
home production increased that the aggiega1e
consumption is undoubtedly greater than it has
been in any previous fiscal year. In looZ"oo
the aggregate of domestic production ana
known imports amounted to l3,l3Z,ooo'oV'
pounds but there was an increase In tile stocks
of pig iron on hand from the beginning OF 1857
to the close of 1888, the amount Oh WHICH lor
the fiscal year l. not precisely known, Dut plop-
ably exceeded 100000 tons. This would re-
duce the actual consumption, exclusive ol eA-
ports, to about II ,933 100000 pounds In tilat
fiscal year, while in 1SS5'S6 the aggregate,
including decrease Of stocks, was l3,Iol,'oo'
337 pound. And as to the exports 1t Is enough
TO say that the officially reported quantity III
1888 amounted to only II ,932,936 pounds, and
in 1856. morcarticles being reported by weight,
to 47,477,921 pounds, while the value OF all
iron and steel exported in 1888 was $l6,o92,-
353, and in 1856 only 1915, 500. The guam
titles are evidently 50 insignificant in comparison
WIFI ulc ulIltlcIct Ill cOHSulph"H '"'' ~ -
not worth while to be more particular.
With the largest consumption OF Iron ana
steel in any year of its history, the counry I'M
ported remarkably small quantities OF man
ulactured iron and steel excepting in two forms,
tin plates and wire rOds of which the import,
were the largest ever known. OF raw ana scrap
iron and steel, the imports were 4o@,ooo net
tons, against 81 ,517 in 1SS2-S3, so that the
proportion of raw iron drawn from foreign
sources of supply has q eatly decreased. VI I'M
ported rails only lO,507 tons came IN last year,
against $4,000 in 1888 and over 100000 In
each of the years 1881 and 1882. Or manufact-
ured iron in other forms, exclusive OF TN plates
the imports last year were about 0S9,OOo,ooo
pounds, including 3O3,OOO,OOO pounds wire
rods, but in 1883 they were abont 9SS,ooo,ooo
pounds. The imports OF tin plates, however,
were larger than ever before, amounting to more
than 572,0OO,OOO pounds.
If seems not out of place to contrast the effect
of two distinct national policies, as tested IN
the treatment of two branches OF industry.
Twenty wears ago this count imported / lle,OOo
tons of rails and II ,OOOOOO pounds tin plate.
At that time practically all the tin plates u-ed
were imported, but there were made IN this
couutry .l3l 900 tons of rails. The imports
RAPIDLY increased for time, reaching $4,000
tons of ral- in 1S72, against l,OOo,OoO OF
home production. 80 that over third OF the sup
ply w;ls imported. The import, OF TIN plates
i'm that year reached Isl ,OOo,O pounds. Pres
emily steady and continued protection for rail-
makers bcgan to have an effect. Last year
there were produced in this country l,329,6OH
tons of Bcs>cmcr steel rails, beside, some open
hearth and some ilon rails, whlc thee were I'M
ported only lO,jO7 tons But the production
Of tin plate, was not potcctcd, and the country
produce, not a single pound, while it imports
$1,000, 900 pounds. The country has dchb-
cratcly chosen Ia he dependent upon foreigner,
for the supply OF tin plate- into which more
than $4,000 tons of iron are manufactured
With a sufficient protective duty, this country
could as readily and surely make every pound
Of tin plates and wire rods it now supplies
substantially it, entire consumption OF railroad
non.