The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-22
JACKASS DINGLEY.

| (F'rom the .Evening Post" of yesterday0
AS bearing upon the great strike OF the
| English engineers, the editor of the Lon
don Iron and Coal Trades Review" Mr..
j. s. Jeans, published a remarkable let
ter in the London "Times" arguing that
Great Britain can no longer compete with
the United States in the production of
either pig iron or finished steel His
point was, of course, that the engineers
could not afford to demand too much Of
trade which was Bound in any event to
decline. But for readers on this side the
Atlantic the following is the notable part
of his letter.
ST know a good deal of the conditions in
Great Britain. l thought | had ascer-
tanned something of the conditions in the
United States, as the result of several Wis,
its to that country, and of having had
large and perhaps unexcelled opportuni-
ties of seeing the progress there made IN
manufacturing industry. But l confess |
was totally unprepared for the hgures
which large American manufacturers
have placed before me as to the cost of
production at their numerous and colossal
establishments. | cannot of course, sub
nit these figures to your readers, nor IS 1t
necessary in this connection even II 1t
were expedient, to refer to the details OF
particular firms. Those who are really
concerned to know the truth can convince
themselves without much difficulty OF the
superior economic situation enjoyed by
the United States. The cost of producing
Bessemer pig iron in the most favorable
circumstances is now in that country los.
to 15s. per ton less than the corresp ponding
cost in Great Britain. The difference in
the cost of producing a ton of steel is at
least as much, and in the majority OF
cases is likely to be good deal more.
know of cases where the labor cost on
ton of billets and rails is 25 to 55 per cent.
less than the lowest labor cost l have ever
heard of in this country, although the rate
of wages paid in America is materially
higher. Quite number of iron works in
this country pay from 15s. to It's. Cd. per
ton for their coke, which in the neighbor-
hood of Pittsburg is delivered at works
for IS. to Is. per ton"
In view of these facts, which the sue
cess of American firms in outbidding En-
glish manufacturers on contracts for
steel rails in India and Japan amply con-
firms, what are we to say of the iron and
steel schedules of the "fairest" and most
scientific" tariff ever framed? American
pig iron is cheaper by from $3.50 to S5.75
a ton than English, yet the fair and
scientific DIngley writes down protection
of 81 q ton for the American article. With
steel rails made in this country at from
25 to So per cent. less cost than in
England they had to be protected py
Dingley at 81 a ton, or their manufacture
would cease. What is the real reason
for duties so demenstrably needless? We
may get light from the action Of the
glass manufacturers. They got their
needless duties out of Dingiey, and then.
in spite of the appeals and warnings of
the Tribune formed a Trust, at once
advanced the price of glass ) per cent,
and say it will be increased another 5
in November. That is the only remain
ing reason for whole line Of Dingley
duties-they are put on, not to protect
the manufacturer against competitors
whom he is actually beating in foreign
markets, but to enable him to enter into
a Trust and exact a higher price from the
American consumer than the foreign con-
stlmer has to pay for the same article,
This may be fair and this may be scientific
but if so it is only because it is a fair and
scientific way of cheating.