The Portland daily press., 1897-02-03

1OuS
Du., Tho oar ,sao 165, 006
il,,rir,o the ysar isaO 315, 600
During the year 1850, o oo4' aoo
During the year 1850, c ocl' S SS
During the year 1870, w. oo1 o a5o
During the year 1880, o oH 's s,1
During the year 1890, o. So@' ~
(The production of $50 being more
than one third of the product OF the en-
tire world)-and now 1T is safe to say the
production If iron in 1.-The United States
up to the present time exceeds the enor-
nous samount Of $50. 900, 900 long tons.
In order to form some idea of this vast
quantity let us notice that it would. De
sufficient to load ten million frelght
cars (l5 long tons each, y and these cars
(were such number possiblel would
make a train equal in length TO three
times the circumference of the earth.
Considering thess results We m1ght
naturally ask: What would De the con-
diticn of the worlds supply OF iron, or
what W you'd be the price of iron in the
markets Of the world, but for the foster
ing care of protection without which THIS
immense amount of iron would not have
been produced?
As We glance at the map of our coun-
TRY covered by it's net work of railroads,
we fell to appreciate the value to inter-
state commerce of steel rails and iron
bridges. AS we contemplate the make
m of orr ships upon the sea, the vast
amount OF iron used for building pur-
poses, for motor lines, for maohl merry ana
domestic utensils, we are profoundly I'm
pressed with the great value TO the worid
ody,r of tho Urand-
est material element of civilization, and
ws cannot fail TO understand that this
vast production is a matter OF national
inheritance, well worth the cost Of TO-
duojpe il and moreover the cost OF pro-
secting the enterprising manufacturers
who have produced it.
There is no mystery concerning the ad-
vantage that Great Britain possessed 10
the struggle for the supremacy in this
business. len we consider their cheap
labor. the efficient forces carrying on the
business, the we'll established plants, and
the cheap transportation to foreign couI-
tries, it is easy to understand that but
for the duties placed upon their product
by the Republican party, aided by such
Democrats as Samuel j. Randall anC
others. they would have been able to I'm.
dersell our manufacturers ana coulo
have put out our furnace fires long ago.
AS conclusive evidence of this state.
ment we refer TO the fact'that all through
the years of protection, sincegthe wal
the foreign producers have been able to
climb over our wall of protection, as il
shown by the fact that during the twenty
five years previous to 1893, there was I'M
ported into the United States iron and
steel amounting in value to the enormous
sum of
ONE BILLION AND SIXTY THREE
MILLION DOLLARS.
The ct that this great industry had
become SO prosperous before the free
traders came into power, ought 10 be wei
understood when we find 1T producing
fully 85 per cent of the worlds output
While under the Wilson bill it finds itseli
in q Furnishing condition it is because
it had under protection grown to be sucl
giant it needed no protection. AS
child Of our own, it Is entitled to the
privileges of our home market, and sc
much protection as will secure the home
lnarkst, especially in our Atlantic ports
where British ships coming for return
oargoes, find it convenient to bring iron
for ballast, or at a merely nominal COST
of freight, nor is it unreasonable, even
if the foreign producers can land then
iron at these same ports, at the same
price, that they who give employment TIC
our own people, and pay taxes in oui
own country, should have the benefit OF
our home market.
CANADA AS AN OBJECT LESSON.
Whoever has had opportunity to OBJ.
serve the vast amount Of iron and manu-
features of iron brought across the ocean
from Great Britain to the ST. Lawrence
in sum mer, and the Atlantic ports IN
winter, will be surprised at the amount
of such merchandise supplied to the peo-
pie of the Dominion.
:. In reply to our inquiry, Why do the
Canadian people with resources of iron
and coal allow Great Britain to monOpo-
lie this businessp we were told by an
intelligent Canadian: We can get oul
iron. from Glasgow at less cost than We
can manufacture 1T. This, as matter OF
economy Eseented fair answer to our
inquiry. but when we consider the Ques-
ton as /. matter of national interest. we
understand there are concerns OF greater
importance than the narrow minded
1lOiioy that leaves a nations available
resources undeveloped, especially when
those resources are the material elements
that may be needed for this protection oil
it's life Us a nation, and more especially
when the employment and welfare OF It's
people might depend in large measure
upon the development of such resources.
In some FEARS previous to 1898 the Cana
dian people seeking employment em:ni
grated from the Dominion to the United
States by thousands. So extensive was
the exodus that at times the chief article
of exports from that country to she
United States were the household goods
Of the emigrants. Ip;this we have an OBJ.
ject lesson teaching the practical differ
ence between a country that deyelopes 1tt
resources, that protects its industries and
country that depends upon another
people for nearly all Its manufactured
articles In this also we have sugges-
tion of the probable condition of what
this industry would have Eesn in the
UnitedtStates had we like Canada re-
manned dependency of Great britain.
While at peace with all the world we
might have submitted to the ext1nguish-
ment of our furnace fires and obtained
our iron from Great Britain cheaper than