New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-12
IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES.
SOME HIGHLY INTERESTING AND I'M
PORTANr FACTS BROUGHT OUT.

PoRTANr FACTS BROUGHT OUT.
FREE TRADE Committeeman LISTEN TO ARGU-
MENTs FOR PROTECTIVE TARIFF WHICH
THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO GAIN
sAY-wHY BUSINESS Is DULL
AND MEN ARE IDLE.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BtNEI
Washington Sept. 11.-For six hours 'o'u's INC
Committee on Ways and Means listened TO fcpIe-
sentatves Of the iron and steel Industries Oh ''e
United States The time allowed was too st'rt 10
give all of the men who appeared an opportunity
~ be heard but the arguments submitted in oifo-
sition to the revision Of the tariit al this nv
and against a general and radical reducu'n 81 "
listing rates of duty, were unanswerapie' an"
supported by an array of facts mat was "'o'' ,'
midable. The men who spoke thoroughly rHdef-
stand the iron and steel business, IN "n''' H.
of them have been engaged for many years. 'hoy
renresent one of the most extensive, important
necessary and useful branches or 'nnuS-'F III wv
United States. which. as one 0i mem zap
it, is a fair and safe gauge OF the rondl'"n Vi ~"
country at any and all times. i"n l. IS ''os-
perous times are good and other forms OF h'uuS'''
are generally prosperous when it is depressed
times are bad and there Is general distress.
In respect to n number OF important ri'PoS'''""
all the men who addressed the commit" "'"'!
were unanimous They all agreed mat the p''f'"'
condition of the iron and steel IN iustr'"S ~ me
United States-whether in Alabtn,1 anu le"ieSH'''
IN Michigan Wisconsin and Mimi III HI o's
and Ohio or in Pennsy lvaha AMI west \hF" Ia
IL deplorable. and the prospect TOT 1T" w.
gloomy ana disheartenins. Nith)It rNceP''o" '"''
ascrbed the condition IF an1ltS mann! W ""'"''
OF a radical reduction OF the tara. ana I" the con-
senuent uncertainty. Th- )rtire whi'h ''cn 'hh"
drew OF the general paralysis OF n'i's'ry was n're-
Ieved by a single bright feature All ak" toif inc
same story OF thousands c. men brown oN' ~ ''"-
ployment OF other thousands who find work "lly
one two or three days IL week. OF o'hrr 'h'd
sands who will soon be forced into idlcn"Ss "
no relief comes OF mines closed. or snokelesS i"r
naces and silent mills Of lie sh;pp1g On the great
lakes and miles upon TftesFof railroad tracks hhed
with empty and idle freight cars. OF silent hnr
stone quarries and Of idle coke ovens anu All
alike declared that this condition had M zee"
solely or mainly produced by the currency panic
but by fear AMI uncertainty caused by threats OF
a reversal of the tariff policy Of the country They
also declared. unanimously and solemny' mat III
their judgment. the only way that confidence can
be restored business revived and prosperity re-
gained is through decision by Congress TO post
pone for a time at least a revision OF the tar
If and a speedy announcement Of that decision
With one voice these argued against ana
strongly opposed the proposition to admit ra"
material" free Of duty. and the suggestion TO ph'
iron ore on the free list was az earnestly coihpi''"n
b
facturers whose raw materials" are billets ana
wire rods as by the ore and pig iron producers OF
Alabama and Tennessee or the ore producers OF
Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota. They nnani-
mously declared. moreover. that domestic compeu-
ton cheapened the cost OF nearly every article
OF iron and steel manufacture, and that prices are
lower than they ever were before protective duties
were imposed and that the reduction OF prices since
that time has steadily continued. az the cost OF pro-
duction has been lowered by improved processes
and better machinery. All these propositions were
not only supported by arguments Of invincible
strength. but were supported by an array OF facts
that the Free Traders will find impossible TO break
down or weaken.
Several OF the Democratic Numbers Of the commit
tee had evidently taken good deal OF pains to pre-
pare themselves for to-days hearing. which they
realized would he an exceedingly important one.
and they had come primed with questions which
they hoped and believed the representatives Of the
iron and steel industries would find 1t Impossible
satisfactorily answer. They were doomed to dis
appointment. and they were also clearly over
matched in the arguments which they provoked by
assertions and statements some OF which were not
pertinent say the least. In fact. the result
such always follows when crude theories and
groundless Incorrect assertions are confronted
by facts and actual knowledge. coupled with the
ability To them.
AS usual. therefore several OF the Democratic
members attempted to entice the iron and steel
men from ground that thoroughly familiar
to them and where they were entirely al home
into strange fields but the latter steadily declined
to discuss the subject OF free wool and free hides,
or to venture opinions in regard TO other matters
which bore no relation TO the particular subject
which they were prepared to discuss. They were
willing to tell all they knew about wages and
prices in this country and Europe. or to discuss
the relative efficiency and produciiveness Of Amer
lean and European labor, whether inventive
genius is stimulated by the demand Of an industry
.ad. hath fpA
before being established until Inventive genius has
provided the best and most perfect machinery 20
carry it on or what measure OF protection against
the foreign manufacturer the American manufac-
turer Of iron and steel enjoys account Of the
ocean freigfis which the former is obliged to pay
on his finished wares, but beyond these modest
limits they firmly but cautiously declined to ven
ture. They were cautious in the extreme as mod
est they polite for none Of them questioned
any assertion Of any member Of the committee
when he said it was "a fact" not when Mr.
Bynum STATED fact that $50 will buy more
bushels of wheat In New-York to-day than sss
would buy in iss3-unless the fact" related to the
iron and steel industry. and they knew that It
not fact" For example Mr. Stirling Of the
Illinois steel Company. took occasion to deny that
there Is a combination OF American manufacturers
Of steel rails to limit production or fix prices.
Joseph Wharton. of Philadelphia. who is vice
president OF the American Iron and Steel Associa-
ton. opened the hearing with a statement show
ing the scope and nature OF that organization and
a general statement respecting the wide distri-
button and great number and magnitude OF the In
dusries /; represents. Iron and steel mining and
manufacturing are carried on In twenty-nine Of
the States and furnish directly employment to
about 10000 men, and means OF support to about
$4,000 people This does not include persons en-
ployed in the work Of distribution and transporta-
. incl no Of