London, 4 May 1868.

Dear Fred,

This morning I receive the enclosed letter and cutting from Schweitzer. Since he addresses me as a workers’ representative of one of the most industrial districts, I must of course reply. My view is that the Germans can bear a reduction of the protective duty on pig-iron and that the manufacturers are also exaggerating the howl over the other articles. This opinion rests on a comparison of English and German exports in neutral markets. Enclosed, for example, a slip about it // on exports to Belgium. But at the same time my view is that the absolute // now also consists in exploiting this question in the party interest, and at the same time not procuring any new relief of any kind for the English. My proposal would therefore be: 1) No tariff reduction before a parliamentary inquiry into the condition of German iron-mining production and manufacture. But this inquiry should not be confined, as the bourgeois gentlemen wish, merely to chambers of commerce and “experts”, but should at the same time be extended to the labour conditions in the said branches, the more so as the manufacturers only “demand” the protective tariffs “for the protection” of the workers and have moreover discovered that “the value of iron” consists only “of wages and freight”. 2) No tariff reduction before inquiry into the manner and way in which the railways misuse their monopoly and before their freight (and passenger) tariffs are regulated by legal provisions. I should now like your view by return, likewise return of the enclosures by return. Very nice that your native chamber of commerce is lamenting the growing power and dangerousness of the international working men’s association.

Salut
D KM

Imports into Belgium for the years 1865, 1866, 1867 (year ended 31 Dec.)
Kilogs. Kilogs.
                                                                   1865        1866        1867
Iron, Ore and Filings { From Zollverein              161,496,808 155,584,195 213,049,319
                       France                       138,370,214 130,382,679  96,761,074
Pig and old Iron.    { Total                         24,864,110. 32,508,242  56,233,219
                       From Un. Kingdom.             23,421,806. 28,450,976  50,722,330
Iron rails, sheet, etc. Total.                        1,555,576   1,579,999   2,136,652
                       { Un. Kingdom.                  668,140     698,984   1,008,674
                       Holland.                        312,984     237,241     403,468
Iron Wire Total                                         501,380     710,335   1,108,038
 From:                 { Zollverein                     32,631     226,993     472,714 +
                         U. Kingdom                    442,107     445,265     350,064 –
                         France                         26,979      36,075     284,348
Steel, Bars, Sheets and Wire Total                    4,320,429   2,484,240
 From                  { U. Kingd.                    3,468,280   1,453,007 –
                         Zollverein                     697,295     905,108 +
Steel wrought Total                                   1,257,973     914,633
 From                  { Un. Kingd.                     761,234     548,396
Metal Wares of wrought iron Total                      940,763     993,581   1,307,407
                         Zollverein                     256,138     305,909     385,148 +
                         Un. Kingdom                    283,164     285,001     331,732 –
Metal Wares of Cast iron Total                         299,715     274,784     385,325
                         Zollverein                      18,931      13,901      26,145 ✖
                         Un. Kingd.                      37,853      45,239      59,946
Machines and Machinery Total.                         4,908,078   5,437,599   5,114,905
                         U. Kingd.                    3,081,942   3,888,891   2,859,729 –
                         France                       1,322,155   1,052,857   1,699,102 +

✖ To the category Metalwares of Cast Iron insert France:
1865 238,905 | 1866 205,964 | 1867 247,527