New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-25
THE AGE OF IRON.

THE AGE OF IRON.
INFLUENCE OF THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM
NAMERICA
GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES AS
FRIENDLY RIVALS, WITH THE FORMER
NOW IN SECOND PLACE.
TO the Editor OF The Tribuns.
OH 1hfee important and related circumstance
occurring almost simultaneously and all having COM
mon ana extraordinary interest for the two greas
nstons most conoerned-Great britain and the on'eo
ess1es-constitute toxt for sundry remarks nas may
nave proper place In Tho Tribune at the present ome
Inesefsfe the passage Of the new Tariff bill the super
SECURE by the United States of Great Britain a tnc
leading Manufacturer Of iron and steel among the
nsuons OF the globe, and the Joint convention Id Ss
country OF the men who furnish Britain, both larger ana
lesser. Germany and the United States with that
esSenuai material basis and most exact gauge on INC
progress OF nations in the arts and in tho material ad
vance OF civilizatonron, In its various forms ana
uses.
In letter to The Tribune which appeared November
~, 1887, Immediately after the appearance OF tho
famous letter of President Cleveland making the tariff
an issue, and committing an unwilling party to the
SIDE OF nee trade with the world, irrespective OF al
advantages Of capital established manufactures ana
cheap labor on the part of principal competitors,
remarked that the then Presidents message would 90
no ultimate injury, and that It was "more probable
that 1t and Mr.. Baines prompt rjoinder, BY stimu'
lstng discussion and thought among the people, Will
lead 10 50 thorough understanding Of the re ssue
the real bearing Of the question upon the best interests
Of the nation that the matter will be settled Tor
all time" That fight has been fought and the result
has boom that the small proportion Of quiet but indie
pendent voters who constitute the court OF appeal ana
who make the balance between the two great masses OF
immovsble political partissns, have been sumcienuy
sffected to secure from them . verdict in favor OF
policy which has proved safe by the results OF
the quarter Of a century Of trial Just passed; which
policy those who would @let well enough alone" sus
tain; and which, being held as permanent system OF
economy Is admitted to DO safest by those who
would nevertheless urge 10 try the experiment OF
Its oveturn The result has also been the production
Of tariff which is distinctly protective. That the
bin Is the best possible one pretends that 1t may
not be improved in many Of Its parts is sdmted but
1t represents the principle at stake and details may 90
subject to further consideration at leisure. The main
provisions Of the bill may probably be taken as repre-
senting the economical policy Of this Nation for many
years to como. The results Of trial Of twenty-five
years have proved encouraging and the country has
SO prospect I'd under its operation that we may feel con-
Hdent that the hazardous experiment Of its serious or
80
to come
STRENGTHENED BY FREETRADE ATTACKS.
The discussion, once so well under way, is not
likely to be very soon brought to On end: especially
the dev0tees OF free trade, irrespective OF real
facts and conditions still pursue their ideal as per-
sistently ever. No harm Is likely to come OF II,
however, and the more their wheat Is sought for
among the chat, the better for ALL We shall have
more exact knowledge Of the magnitude and value
Of the grain, and better understanding Of the light
ness and mnutritve quality Of the chat in which IL
Is so deeply imbedded. Let take up the subject,
then, TO which tho visit Of the foreign makers Of
modern civilization, so far as 1t is material, gives
peculiar interest, the iron and steel manufacture.
One of the fsvorte notions Of economists, Of whatever
stripe, ideal real, in their tendencies practical
impractical IN their methods Of application Is
that there exists better gaugD Of the progress Of
o nation, and no better indication Of Its growth
In wealth and solid Independence among nations
than the rate ct which II consume iron and steel
In It's constructions. and the magnitude Of Its own
production. Perhaps we may be able to ascertain
what has been the relative progress Of the country
In the production and manufacture Of iron, and the
standing Of the United States beside the European
nations and even the effect Of tariff in promoting this
essential branch Of industry.
No nation be politically Independent and alb
solutely safe unless industrisy Independent in Its
Iron and steel manufactures. its production Of cloth
Ing materials and the essentials Of life In all directions
II may safely depend upon other nations for It's
Injuries, II the economic conditions are such as to
make that desirable financially, and II It can find
products to exchange for them, either directly or
through indirect transactions. as can almost every
civilized country. Maximum prosperity Is added to
industrial independence political independence and
safety when the industries Of the country Is greatly
diversified az Its natural resources permit Our
tariffs have brought now into . condition which
approxmates that universally admitted TO be de-
sirabe. Yet, has been remarked by more than one
great master Of nancepactlcal, not ideal purely-it
requires great moral and intellectual power, excep
tlonal courage and good judgment to make oneself
financially Independent and prosperous: but It de-
mands vastly of wisdom, skill, courage and in
dusry to preserve that independence and insure tho
permanence Of that prosperity. Assuming that we
may gauge advance In material prosperity in all
that makes 1t possible to gain Intellectually and
morally, to measure our opportunities Of doing good
as well as Of selfpeservation and permanent indie
pendence by our development and use Of the Iron
and steel manufactures let what is their history
find in Q recent number Of "The Engineering
News" MAY 10Y method OF stating the facts that
are here sought which answers well the purpose In
hand In a letter from Mr.. Edward P. North sp-
pears little chart which that able writer and en-
edneer has made by plotting the iron production Of
Great Britain, Germany and the United States since
1910. Inc zig-ZdB Hiros vi thc Cut hofo gwen ioP-
resent the fluctuations Of the pgiron production, the
gauge substantially Of the facts to be studied, dur
ing the intermediate period TO $50. Ny friend and
colleague Professor Williams, has kindly introduced
for me the curves shown this treatise In a nut
SHE'LL extending the line Of averages In each case. in
such manner as to show we'll how the productions
have on the whole increased, what Is the general
law Of growth, and almost certainly, what is to
be the Immediate future On my own enlarged chart
have tie curves extended TO 1000 and beyond.
Let US see what we have here:
I~EEEEEEEEEEEEEE Ess]iEEEkE
i1aa3It++++A+t+tttttt+ttttttthtt7