Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-09
Plc.IRON.
The Effect of the Wilson Bill on Manufsc-
tures of II In Virginia and the South.

lures OF III In virginia ana the south.
TO tho Editor OF the Dispatch:
The proposed duty of % IL per cent. ad
vaiorem on pig-iron imported into the
United States will enable English and
this country at price that will prac-
tically exclude southern irons from the
Atlantic Coast and New England trade,
which are the principal markets that
Virginia irons now have.
The value OF ton OF English pig In
England Is about .......................$o W
To this add the duty OF 2l-2 per
cent. ad valorem. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. "
The vessel freight from England to
America, say from 80 cents TO 81,
allowing the maximum cost........ i %
Making English pig delivered at the
Atlantic seaboard cost about. $40 70
IL costs southern and Virginia furnaces
about 80 q ton and over TO ship their IRON
from their furnaces to New YORK or Ne"
England markets. II these furnaces are
required 10 meet foreign competition In
pig-iron, after deducting the cost OF snip
ping the iron to their trade. IL wouiu
leave a balance OF $3.50 a ton. when the
iron would net at the furnace. less COM
mission and other incidental ana neees-
sary expenses. Under these circum-
stances can Virginia furnaces remain In
the market? l should say, no.
VALUE OF A FURNACE TO A CoMMU-
NIFTY.
The consequences Of stopping furnace
of 900 TO 900 tons capacity per week
would be somewhat as follows: Inc
freight receipts inward and outward
amount to not less than $4,000 to $D,Vo
Der month. which Is about equal TO the
average revenue TO railroad derived
from a city Of 10000 people. This gives
one some idea of the enormous amount
of business set in motion by large
furnace in operation. In addition 10 the
direct loss TO the railroad in the failng
off Of its business, the employees OF sNe
railroad and those dependent upon them
would suffer corresponding hardships ana
losses. There would also be cut OH IN
wages to furnace employees N5,WV 10 @io,-
900 per month. The farmers In the VI
cinity who sell their farm products hour'
bacon. corn, hay, potatoes, butter esEs,
chickens. fruits, and livestock would
lose ready, profitable. nome maThe
and would soon be made to feel the haru
times incident TO stopping the furnace
The coal miner would also have 10
stand his share Of the burden, as 1t re-
ouires from 800 to $50 tons of coal per
dav 10 nroduce coke for such furnace
as named This would cut of about sio,
900 monthly at the coal mines ana result
I'm preventing 10 TO 200 miners from earn
ing their daily bread.
Following In the track of depression ana
losses our wholesale merchants at nome
would suffer a monthly loss OF thou-
sands of dollars Of trade.
PAINFUL FACTS.
have a letter from the owner OF one
Of the largest and most advantageously-
located furnaces In Virginia. man
whose life has been spent In making pig
iron in VirsinIa-wheren II Is stated That
~ the Wilson bill be passed reducing the
duty on pig-iron to % l-2 per cent. al
valorem. even with additional reduction
OF the wages now being paid TO laporers
in the mines and furnaces, virginia pig
would cost $3.50 per ton more than IL
could be sold for in competition with tnat
OF Great Britain.
These are the painful facts that must
stare a thinking man in the face when
no contemplates the effects of the wilson
tariff bill upon the great mining ana
iron Industries OF Virginia and the south
In the face of such figures, which are
not based upon fiction, 1t seems 10 me
that Congress should feel the great re-
sponsibility Of enacting any law when
would make II possible for English iron
masters TO supply the needs OF this coun-
try with iron. and in doing so throw idle
the mines and furnaces Of Virginia and
the South. These are the results when
those engaged in the coal and iron IN
dustrles can only see I'm the Wilson Dill
IL passed. And yet a tax Is levied on
manufactured products which gives mel
dentally So to Is per cent incidental pro-
lection TO New England. which VIII ne
allowed to buy coal and iron from Tor
eign countries with which TO make her
chen wlirS to supply our home people,
and in doing so shut up American mines
and furnaces.
is 1T BUSINESS?
Is this wisdom? Is this patriotic? is
II Democratic? Is 1t in accordance with
the Chicago platform? Is 1t common
sense? Is il good business? In my hum
BILE opinion | should say no to all OF these
questions, and in speaking from Demo-
cratic standpoint" l think there Is poll
tics enough in a question OF such practi-
cal force to make those who regard the
future Of the party pause and reconsider
before II Is too late.
NJ. ERSKINE MILLER.