The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-08
IRON AND STEEL FACTS,
The Qualification ofihe Protective System
Rests on Its Achievements.

Rests on IL, Achievements.
New York Press: The justification Of
the protective system may safely be
permitted to rest upon Its achievements.
The dlstino. promise Of what It may do
can be diScerned in the demonstration
of what II has done. Fifty years ago
we held the third or fourth place among
the manufacturing nations. To-day
we stand incontesGbly first, and we
are so far In the advance that herd
seems small chance OF success for any
attempt TO overtnke us.
Thirty-fve years ago the production
OF pig iron in the United States was
only S2l.223 gross tons, Last year Il
was 6,657, 3ss tons. Meantime the product
OF Great Britain Just about doubled. In
1863 We produced SOB tons OF steel OF
all kinds In 1894 our product was
4.4l2,032 tons, Within the same period
the domestic output OF steel rails eN-
panded from SIC, a2i tons to 1921, Ii2 tons.
In pig iron Great Britain made as much
In 1860 as we made In 1850: but In 1880
we had run so far ahead that We pro-
duced more than Great Britain has
produced before or since that year. In
the race for supremacy In the making
OF steel rails we overlook Great Britain
in 1879. and We have remained in nd-
vance. with small fear that we shall
ever again take the second place,
In 1895 according to Mr. Swank. who
supplies these fgures) we made more
than nine million tons OF pig Iron and
more than 1--WE million tons OF steel
rails. or the worlds production OF piE
Iron 1873 per cent comes from American
furnaces. or the worlds production OF
steel rails 3L7 per cent are rolled In
American mills. Producing thus one
third OF the total pToduct Of iron mt
steel, the Indications are that we con-
sumo nearly onc-half. What a record
for nation whose population Is prob
ably not more than onc-twcnt!cth or
that Of the globe! What record Of the
results OF thlrty-hve years OF contlnu-
GUS tariff protection!
a country with such consuming ca
pncity has no need TO concern itself
greatly with the task Of seeking foreign
markets: and SO we find that the eN-
ports OF iron and steel In what may be
he called their frat forms is not large,
nor is Il fast Increasing. Our exports
Of iron md steel and manufactures
thereof. amounted in 1871 10 {N.lSj,S59.
In 1856 TO Si.SG5,OS1 In 1891 they reach
cd the sum OF $50. 7C3, 507, and In 1891 OF
ports Is composed of manufactured ar
ticlcs In making which We have pre-
eminent skill These include sewing
machines, agricultural machinery, loco
motives, hardware, saws, tools anu
wire. Tho Indications are that we shall
not ENntly expand the exports OF
wares OF this class until we Phnll have
returned to the reciprocity sygtcm,
Six years ago no tin plate was made
IN this country. The ATSt year 81 th"
Industry gave a product OF G,O22 tons,
Last year we produced SG,5iS tons Had
the duty Of the Mckinley act remained
In operation, and had the country ca.
capped the general depression produced
by Democratic IMPROVEMENT. the ilg-
urcs undoubtedly would he much .argcr.
1t Is beyond dispute that, with pro.
(cctlvc duties, tho American mnnufnc-
turerB would soon supply the total de-
mnnd OF market which takes about
three quarters OF all the tln-plato made
In the world.
These are a few figures representing
single American Industry. All the au-
thcntlc nBurea. representing all The pro-
tcCtcf indnBtrics, would tell tale Of
growth and development under the
operation Of that policy which would
SlrpnGs In its wonderful character any
other narrative Of the movement or
progressive civilization.