Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-05-25
REV. DR.. HAMLiN ON STEEL RAILS.

that place. Yours truly, ID. IL. u.
Rev. DR.. HAMLlN ON STEEL RAILS.
LEXINGTON, MASS, May 81, lsSs,
Editor Register Your correspondent, Mr.
eek, is quite ingenious, not to say amusing,
his criticism upon my letter on the tariff
steel rails. He turns attention to points
ich have nothing to do with our present
Eat national conflict between the English
Il American systems OF industry and com
roe. He asks, in innocent and childlike
nder il ! have been asleep thirty years
t don't know what inventive genius has
ne. etc?
Impose | have, Mr. Editor, what has that to
with the definite and simple question, what
the effect of the tariff of S2S per ton on
ssemer steel rails in calling forth the inven.
n, skill, capital and home competition OF
few well-known facts OF history will de.
e this question.
h lS65 the Baltimore and Pennsylvania rail.
DIS could buy in England, and they bought,
el rails at $50 gold. A special agent could
get them for less, even tor the sake OF in
ducing them to the great American rail.
Il market. The English "lron Lords" had
ut their mercy. But we had three establish
nts already in possession OF the Bessemer
ent. They saw Il good profit in the work
went in for it. The English price imme-
tely tell to SIP and finally to 500. Our
n would have been content with that, but
V knew the English policy OF crushing out
9ign industries. 1t had been openly stat
in parliament, as Il Justification of low
yes, that English capitalists sometimes
ried on a foreign trade at IA loss OF three or
hundred thousand pounds, Il million and
ali to two millions OF dollars, in order to
q possession of the market and drive out
home industry. Our men therefore came
he government and said "Give us n protec.
tariff and we can make our own rails"
1870, fifteen years after the Bessemer pro-
had come into use, our government put
the tariff OF SIS per ton. The English iron
the effect on prices: According to Presi-
It CleYeland's statement in his message
at the tariff is always added to the price
eel rails must have risen to Sl2S mt least.
thirteen American establishments, under
wing OF that protection, Immediately
hing into existence. In lS14 the price per
OF far better rails than the English gave us
S94. In 20 ii was SIS; in rs it was S59 in
t was SO, and so on down to S31 and even
81. | leave out the exceptional boom OF
ow as to the quantity produced. In lSSl
iron men produced 1912 tons OF Besse.
rails and in four years they produced
2.9i6 tons, surprising the entire product OF
gland by l,22l, 59i tons.
ut for the protective tariff no American
nuiacturer would nave made n thousand
in all those years. England would have
the industry and the market III her own
DIS charging up AT the highest till compe-
IN shows its head and then falling to the
mt, whatever il may be, to kill the rising
lpetitor. | have seen her playing this re.
'seiesS game forty years. The skill, the
ital, the labor, the invention, the home
lpettlon would have remained dormant
tor the tariff.
e can compete with England only on one
dltlon, that we pay as low wages rs she
and reduce the great mass of our work
to paupers, as she does. She ships of to us
east 100000 paupers, lunatics and Grimm.
every year to what country could we
off ours when, like England, we should
luce them? Has Mr.. Peck ever been in
egow, the center OF the iron products of
land: There, II anywhere, we may look tor
most satisfactory demonstration OF the
ehcence of free trade. John Bright, in
OF his great speeches, affirmed thai in
egow 5000 families have one room only to
fmily. The London spectator justly called
dwellings ''piggerics." Glasgow pa
corrected Mr. Bright and affirmed the
lber to be 5000 by II careful census. If we
pt tree trade we must compete with this
of things. Science, skill, invention, vast
lth, have done nothing to relieve it. Eng.
Is desparing hope Is TO throw ii upon us,
z the Democratic party tor this end. We
amazed that President Cleveland should
himself to this British plot. We are al.
ening of the brain.
to the possible price OF Bessemer steel
being nearly the same with 'pig" Mr..
was certainly dreaming and of course
sleeping | refer to many weekly reports
'rices from London. They will average
tour pounds per ton-S20 That is the
ist price ut which Bessemer steel rails can
rouuceu' II solu NJ lower price, II l. to
L OFF stock. This is from five to nine dol
IA ton higher than English pig. Mr.. Peck 5
e OF making Bes>emcr steel | canaOt un.
tand. But rs II is Is months since have
ched the process from beginning to end,
e may have been great changes willie |
been sleeping. ] have seen, not Grade
but pig iron melted, and thoroughly puri.
from ctrbon, by forcing air through II to
the carbon all Out-a process that must
watched by IA skilled workman; then Il
mite portion OF spiegeleisen, another pig
ed bringing the exact portion OF carbon
lei TO change the iron to steel, is poured
ND thoroughly mixed by the airdraft
ed through. Ii is a scientific ana delicate
ess, in all RESPECTS; tar different from
ing pig iron.
teel rails ready for use at nearly the price
iron, lsayssl2 to SO, says Mr.. Peck. Now
be run direct from "crLdc ore" into steel
II ought to be no dearer than pig. II
stop to be even pig 1t pursues its bril-
way from crude ore to steel without Il
t. How well Mr.. Peck explains the re
<able difference which actually and ev
here exists between the pig and steel
process cannot yet be known. | marvel
ecOnomiZing OF heat from the finished
to help melt the crude ore. The crude
bi the mines must all be brought close tC
Olliny millsl Furnaces to receive the hot
and give the heat to the crude ore! The
e ore needs about 3OOOo OF heat. the fin
rails will not have 500o and they cannot
pnnnicate that to the ore. | give il up.
Peck would do well, think, to notice
: IA little He speaks OF "high war taxes
proper designation of the tariff on steel
The tariff was imposed in 1870, five years
the war, and tor the protection OF q
etul industry, and revised in 1884, years
the close OF the war lately heard al
resting lecturer say that the very young
the very old do not remember time
es between events. very Intelligent
pr nine years,a great reader OF history fol
pr his age, was delighted TO meet with on,
heroes OF our late war; he wanted to ash
questions about his battles, and amone
rs he asked him II he was in the battle OF
<er Hill. He had the time spaces of the
es OF the Revolution reduced to our late
Now II had made the mistake of con
ing our tariff OF 1870 and S3 "a high wal
| might plead old age and entreat YOU
ncy. But Mr.. Peck is in the prime o
With all his powers fresh about him. 1t i,
trade that plays the mischief with my
q ana confuses his clear intellect He i,
ght so soon as he will let the British de