New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-04
Comments bu The Tribune.

The duties now levied Oh COdl Ny OuI picSchI
Tariff are as follows:
"on bitumuous Coal and shac, dollar and twenty
five cens per tun; all other Coal forty cents per tun
on Coke chin Of coal twenty-five per cent ad VaOfem
We are very happy to find The World COM
hitting itself to the principle of Discriminating
Duties Under an Ad Yalorem, horizontal,
Revenue Tariff, Coal would be charged quite
as much as it now is ; but The World insists
that this article shall be admitted free OF duty,
and of course that something else shall be
charged ADORE the Revenue standard. So, from
one side or the other, we come together on the
policy of Discrimination, which is another name
for Protection.
We are in entire accord with The World in
fs-.c.ing the free importation of Coal. 1t Is
one of the rudest, bulkest of raw materials,
like Iron Ore, and enters into tho production
of almost every species of manufacture.
Publicly and privately, we have urged It's
admission free of duty, and expect to do 80 at
every good opportunity.
But we do this in full view of the truth that
| the assertions wherein The World and Its
school habtually indulge on this subject are
| fallacious and absurd. 1t is an insult TO the
popular intelligence to assert that Coal ought
| to be sold in this City at s. and IN Boston at
| S. so (greenback) per tun. No city on earth
situated so far from coal-mines is or has been
| habitually supplied on such terms-ayeraging
less than 81 in gold per tun for the two cities.
| 1t is monstrous that demagogucs who must
know better should misead and nhame the
ignorant by such outrageous assertions.
| We presume Coal will usually be lower here
than it now is, as it has been lower in the
past. Yet we saw it rise suddenly TO SIC
(gold) per tun in the Winter of 1912 because
of q sudden close of navigation by frost) and
to $11 (gold) in the Winter Of 1867. The
Tariff had nothing to do with this rise nor
has it now. We hope Congress will take of
the duty; but we do not believe that one
fourth Of the Coal consumed in the United
States will be two per cent. cheaper in conse-
quence.
Tho World affects great horror of the Eek
tortion," "plunder," &c, &c, of the wealthy
monopolists who control the Coal market; but
this is all sham. The head center" of these
smart fellows is Mr.. Asa Packer of Carbonate,
Pa. He has made some Twenty Millions of
Dollars in buying and selling cOal-mines, con-
structing and operating coal canals, railroads,
&C., and is in fair way to make a great deal
more. No one else has ever made half so
much money out of coal-consumers as he has.
We do not assail him for this-he has genius
for money-makiDg, and Coal is his profit. He
would have made it, we presume, if tariff
had never been heard of. Our Coal men are
too near their custOmcrs-they will buy out or
conspire with the Nova Scotia men if the duty
is taken off while they would soon use mp any
one who attempted to beat them by importing
Coal from Europe. The duty is simply bug
bear; but we hope it will be taken of, so as to
show how empty a scarecrOw it is
p. San English friend, in reply to our in
quiry, has just informed us that Coal (Bitumi-
nous, not nearly equal in heating power or en-
DURANGO to our Anthracitc) usually sells i'll
London by retail at 90 shilings, or sc 90 (gOld),
per tun, equal to IS IS in greenbacks. This is
worse than we average here, though Great
Britain is full of Coal and railroads, while there
is marine transit from the best COal-mincS to
her docks We can't help thinking this too
high, but that is not the fault of our Tariff,
nor of any Tariff.