New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-25
THOy ~ TTO COUNTRIES.

The contrast between the cOndition vi o"Hi
ness in this country and i'll treat britain
should surely be cnlightcning TO the people
of these two great English speaking nations
Alike in race alike in the enterprise which has
placed both of them in turn at the head OF inc
worlds iron manufacture. these nations are d.
rectly opposed in their policy toward industries.
Great Britain loudly invites and delies COM
petition refuses any defence by Governments
10 its host of wage-earners, ana stuDporh'y
asserts that it is better for them to starve IMAM
to be shielded by protection. The 'hi'ed
States has for tbity-two years protected ITS
labor and encouraged its industries.
The production of pig-iron in this country
last year according to the Bulletin OF the
Iron and Steel Association, was s,13',o00
gross tons The stocks in the hands Of makers
and in warrant storage were reduced from
627 o33 tons January to 535,6l6 tons De
cembcr 81. showing consumption OF 9l,Gl1
tons larger than the production. In addition
there were in eleven months Of the year net
imports Of pig iron amounting to 5l,G5I tons,
so that the apparent consumption for the year
was 9.3OO,2I4 gross tons. This is larger by
357.349 tons than the consumption in 1890,
hitherto the greatest ever known in this or any
the consumption seven years ago. aud about
four times the consumption in 1873, fourteen
wears ago. This is the more interesting be-
cause in other parts Of the world the same
great industry il remarkably depressed. Ger
many and France have both felt the depression
seriously, but the worst Of the blow has fallen
npon Great Britain which finds n large share
of It's works closed by the competition it has
challenged. Thus "The London Economist
said December 81
At the present time aud during probably the whole
VI 1892 the steel rail works are not employed TO the
extent ~ Third Of their capcliy while several OF
the Important works have been laid OH entirely
II Is not generally expected that this branch OF the
trade will recover s former bnoysncy ana vgor until
IN. cloud which settled South and Central Amrri
enterprise has rolled away and railway building In
those regions las again been resumed on large scale
During a great part of the year the distress
among the working population was such
that measures had to be organized for its re-
liefv and OF the general course OF the manu-
factnre 1.-THE Economist said:
The broad and general features OF the Iron and steel
industries during the past twelve months have been
continuous fall OF selling prices large reduction OF
ouput-due partly 10 the lesSencd demand from out
side sources and partly 10 the accidental circumstances.
such ~ the great strike OF miners In The county Of
| Durham which compelled II suspension OF productive
operations generally krener competition Oh the part OF
Continental countries. almost complete collapse Of
the demand for railroad iron and high cost OF
dnc,ion relatively TO the realized selling prices.
IL is not yet stated what the probable output
| in Great Britain was during tho last year, bnt
in the first half of 1892 it was only 2,79O,91s
tons. or about 900, 900 tons less than in the
same part Of the previous year As the exports
| OF iron and steel from Great Britain have
fallen short about half n million tons, it is
| probable that tho production has diminished
at least as much, and if so, the output will not
be more than 100000 tons. Even Of this
restricted supply the quantity OF pg-iron ex-
| ported in eleven months was 720,SGl tons so
that the consumption OF pig-iron in British
manufacture can hardly have reached 5000
900 tons, judging from present Indications or
less than tw0-thirds of the consumption in this
country. Only fourteen years ago, in 1873,
| the consumption in Great Britain was J,233.
43l tons, against 2,429.232 tons in this coun-
! try or more than double. and in 1871 it was
more than three times as large as in the United
States. British production was larger in 1892
| ten years ago, than il ever has been since but
| consumption of pig-iron in British manufact-
ure reached its highest figure in 1889, de.
| creased about 10000 tons in 1890. about
500, 600 more in 1891. and has probably de-
cncd another half million or more in 1892
A contrast such as this has painful interest
to the American who reflects that the people
of this country have now voted to adopt the
British policy. Ii the record of results at.
tanned under The two opposite policies does not
| Mi u,
nut their own theories to the test, Americans
may have very different contrast to consider
four years hence.