The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-04-19
TUESDAY. APRIL 10. 1912.
HOME INDUSTRY CONVENTION,
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consider The Interests of the several divisions oil
labor. Upon these committees were placed prac'
tical men, intimately connected with and vel in.
formed upon the various subjects committed TO
their charge. Their object is TO bring together and
embody n mass OF information in concise reports
upon the various sreat interests Of the country,
showing Their importance and extent, and The me-
cessiiy OF protection in order TO their successful
prosecution. The information Thus brought for.
ward, and the suggestions Of tho intelligent men
who etnbody It, cannot fail 10 have an important
influence upon public opinion in reference TO this
matter Of protection, and it is to be hoped upon
Congress. These reports all 10 be printed un-
dcI the direction OF a committee appointed for that
purpose, and vote passed by the Conven
ton, that after :hey have been printed the com
mittee shall, they deem it cxpedIcut proceed to
Washington, for the purpose of laying the several
matters treated upon, before the appropriate com
mitees in Congress-
The following briof notice rthe several Reports
we copy from The Tribune. intending hereafter to
publish some oil the reports complete when they
appear:
Mr.. ]. Nlapes, from The committee on Sugar
Refining, reported at length on that suhect, show
ing by staliics that The business of Sugar Refining
will be entirely destroyed if horizontal Tariff is
imposed, and urging the necessity of discrim ina
ton in favor of Domestic Refined Sugar. The
Report was accepted aud LAID on tho table for the
present.
MI j. Blunt from the Committee on that sub.
jcct, reported Memorial TO Congress, praying the
adoption of Preamble tn he Tariff Law about to
be enacted similar to that Of the first Tariff act un
der the Federal Constitution in 1852 ('Whereas,
il is necessary for the support of Government, the
payment or the debts Of The United States and the
Probation Of Domestic Manufactures, that duties
he laid on Foreign Goods, &c0 The Report
orcibly rectes the facts in regard 10 the preceding
condition Of the country, and to this action, in
which Washington, Madison, Hamilton, Franklin,
and the, comPatriots concurred, and asks that this
same preamble Of 1889 be Incorporated in tie new
Act.
Mrs Oakley, from he Committee on Iron, Coal,
and Manufactures of Iron reported that the subject
committed TO them had been divided into three
sub committees, which would report severaliy-
MIR. d. o. kellogg of Troy read the predatory
port, embracing general considerations, showing
The importance OF the Iron Trade to the lndepen>
dence Of the Country, she comfort and wealth OF
the People, and The progress of Civilization and
theArts
MIR. s. Oakley then reported Mt length on the
subject of the production of Iron, including Nails,
tracing the history and progress Of tho trade in this
country down to tho present time. The report
states that The business has been but indiferenty
profitable through the last fourteen years, and that
it must be entirely abandoned Eas. of the Allcghe-
MES if the duty is reduced to a horizontal standard
provided by existing laws. The difficulty has
as abundance Of capital in England where the
Mineral Coal used in smelling costs but s. per ton
while the Charcoal used in this country costs ten
times as much. But new processes and improve
ments the establishment of works where Iron On
and Coal beds are found in close proximity and es
peciay new discovery of a mode Of making bar
Iron with Anthracite alone. is fast reducing tho
cost of making Iron, 80 that it be produ.
ced here as it could in England fifteen years ago.
But the English cost has also been reduced; and
the Committee believe that duty of twenty five
dollars ton e.. Iron will now suffice, instead
ofthirty seven and half dollars levied in 1928
and of eight dollars on Pig Iron (insead OF twelve
in 1S2S) will be adequate TO sustain the business.
With sucha duty the Committee confident that
the cost of producing iron can be steadily reduced
year after years, as it has hitherto been, until it
shall be as low here ms in any part Of the world
The number Of persons dependent on the Iron
business for subsistence is two hundred
and fifty thousands; the wages paid them annually
over Eigteen Millions of Dollars; the amount OF
Agricultural productions consumed by them about
Eleven Millions per annum. The total annual
product of Iron is about Twenty two Millions; cap
ita employed about Twenty Millions; nclu
ding Mines and Woodlands, Thirty millions. This
capital will be almost destroyed by horizontal
Tariff
DR.. J. C. Fisher, from the same Committee,
ported on Coal. The amount of Anthracite Coal
produced in 1910 was $4,000 tons; of bituminous
81 O00, 900 bushels, (2S ton;) total value Cat So
per tony over $S,000,000. Number Of persons en-
pioyed in producing it is 23O0D including their ia.
cultural products over 81 100000. Coal abounds
throughout our Middle, Western and South West.
ern States; but its vast stores only be develop.
ed by adequate Protection to tho mining Of Iron,
&c. We do not need pound Of Iron or a bushel
of Coal from abroad; we have abundance at
home, and with steady policy of Protection, il
can be produced amply and cheaply.
The only direct compet,tion with our Coal is
from Nova Scotia. Our Coal is generally situated
a hundred miles from tide water; moi so
that of Pictou, which thus be thrown into us
cheaper than our I'm product. Why shonid we
build up the British Colonies at our own expense
and render them formidable and ourselves defence
less in case of War The Committee recon
mend specific duty SIX cents bushel on i'm
ported Coal believing that such duty will not add
materially to the cost, while il will give the whole
domestic market to our producers
Mr. Winsiow Of Troy reported on Nails, show
ing that the cost to our People had been greatly