No. 151.] 181 



Of the amount of the production of iron of that description in 

 this country, it may be remarked that within the space of three 

 years, fifteen rolling mills, for the manufacture of railroad bai;^, have 

 been erected; of these, eight are located in Pennsylvania, two in each 

 of the States of Massachusetts, Maryland and New-Jersey, and one 

 in Rhode Island. 



The aggregate production of these mills in 1846, was about 

 75,000 tons, of the value of $5,760,000; the estimated produce of 

 1847, is 100,000 tons, of the value of $7,600,000, and $10,000,000 

 in value, is estimated for 1848, from the production of these works 

 already built and in progress of being built. 



The beneficial results of producing 10 millions of dollars worth 

 of railroad iron per annum, in this country, "can hardly be calculat- 

 ed. It will have a tv\'o fold advantage to the public generally, be- 

 yond the pecuniary advantages which may enure to the makers of it. 

 For while this amount may in ordinary cases, keep the balance of the 

 trade in our favor, it will at the same time, make an increased market for 

 our great agricultural products, which otherwise would not be real- 

 ized. This remark is true as it relates to all manufactories and the 

 general use and advantage of machinery in this country; but so large 

 an amount as 10 millions superadded to all others, is an important 

 item. 



If this quantity of iron were produced in a foreign country and im- 

 ported into this, it does not follow that the operatives who produce 

 it would require a single barrel of flour, beef or pork in exchano-e 

 for it while engaged in its manufacture; on the contrary, (with the 

 exception of years of scarcity by short crops, like the present,) this 

 large sum would be distributed to various interests in Europe; mostly 

 in England. 



But produce it here, and nine-tenths of it will go to the miners of 

 coal and iron in Pennsylvania; to the inland carrying trade by rivers, 

 canals and railroad^s; to the forge and furnace men at t.'ie works; to 

 the beef growers in Kentucky and elsewhere; to the pork raisers 

 in Ohio; to the wheat growing States of the w^est, and to a variety 

 of trades which supply the comforts and wants of the laborious pro- 

 ducer of this article; while no other branch will suffer by it except- 

 ing our shipping interest, which to a very great extent will be com- 

 pensated by an increased carrying trade in coals coastwise. 



