The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-30
puoFrssoa WILSON L, LEARNING.


PRoFEssOn WILSON l. LEARNING.
The hammerng which Professor VIII
sons compound Of Republicanism and
doctrinaire theories has received has pro-
duced a small effect at any rate on the
cornnounder. On Saturday last, on his
motion. the duty on steel rails was re-
auced from twenty-five to twenty per
cent. ad valorem. This will make the
tax something like 81 per ton, instead oil
what he started out with, about 80 per
ION. still. this is nothing but that much
forced out Of all railroads, in the first
place, and out of those who ride on ana
ship by the railroads. ultin ately, Tor the
benefit Of the pool which has the monop-
oily of manufacturing steel rails
we have looked into this matter with
good deal Of care and we are satisfied
that steel rails can he manufactured In
this country as cheap and possibly cheap
or than they can be made in Europe. If
this be true. every dollar of tax put upon
them is in the nature of prohibition
against their importation and is conse-
auently a dollar which the pool control
ling the matter is able to extort from
the Americans who buy steel rails.
We have had the benefit Of the views
OF an expert iron man, who differs with
us. and we have also read what the
Iron Age, Of January 18th, quotes APP
prcvingly from the speech which Mr..
Dalzen delivered IN the House Of Repre-
selltatives week before last. Nevertheless
we adhere to our opinion and the reasons
for it appear overwhelming.
,rhc plants which now make steel rails
in the United States are equipped with
such powerful machinery that they make
the rails directly from the ore. The ore
is put into the cupola and comes out 10
the rolls in an irgot, hot and ready for
rolling. 1t is then rolled out into whatever
shape the machinery is prepared for. You
may roll it into steel billets or steel rails
accordingly as your machinery is ready
for the one or the other. 1t is obvious
then that the only difference in the cost
of rail and the cost Of a billet is the
labor put upon the ingot after it comes
from the furnace. and the di;fcrehce be-
tween the capital invested in preparing
for rolling billets and that invested in
preparing for rolling rails. We have look
ed into the difference between the labor
in the two cases, ana into the capital
also, and we 90 not think there is any
difference which makes a serious differ
ence between the cost of billets and rails.
Now steel billets have been offered in
America within the past two weeks as
low as $3.50 per ton. The lowest that steel
rails have ever sold at in London Is e. l2s.
3D., or about SIS. We can then make
rails, we feel confident, at SIS If not less.
Professor Wilson stated in the House
OF Representatives, on the 18th Of Ian
uary, that he got his information con-
corning the manufacture of steel rails
ana their cost from the United States
College of Politicians called the Depart
ment Of Labor. which is about as trust
worthy as the Census Bureau or the Blu
reau or Appraise In = New York Gus
tom House. and then fooled him into be-
neving that it cost s. more to make a
ton OF rails in this country than i'm
Europe, as he then stated. But IL Pro-
lessor Wilson had been animated with
the spirit of that good old Latin caution
'Melus est petere fontes. guam sectari
riyuloS"-
he would have gone TO manufacturer
not Of steel raiis-but OF steel bnlets, and
he could have learned that there was
very little difference between the cost
OF the two and that no revenue could con-
sequenly be raised from tariff on rails
and that such an one would, therefore,
be nothing but contribution to monopo-
lists.
But it is gratifying TO know that he
has been taught something, even If not
enough.