New-York tribune., 1872-02-14
COPPER AND THE TARIFF.

| We stated on the 9Th inst. the fact that three
or four companies were making money by
mining Copper on Lake Superior, and that
these facts have OF late turned attention to
COpper-mning :" which, as is well known,
has not generally proved profitable. or
all the Copper mines yet opened in this
J country, at least nine -tcnths have involved
their owners in losses, though the One-tenth
has resulted in gain. We hope and trust
that, with a ripper experience, fuller
knowledge of the laws of mineral formation
and greatly improved facilities of intcrcom-
munication, this proportion will gradually be
reversed, so that profit in COpper-mining will
be the rule, loss the exception, and that (as
we said before) In time, Lake Superior will
"lead the Copper product Of the world"
| The World, concealing from its readers all
the facts but those which set forth the excep-
tiOnal successes in Copper mining, says:
"Wh these facts before us, IL isony necessary to
the tariff charges duty OF cents per pound
ngot Copper Tho present price of ingot Copper in
London is about cents. gold per pound Were Copper
Free IL could be laid down in New York and sold at
profit for M to 25 cents currency Yet our importation
of ingOt Copper last year only 1916 pounds
valued at A9l. from which derived s1G5 80 rev
enue This fact proves that the Copper duty is
not revenue measure. while THE TRIBUNE proves that
Copper monopoliss make l6 cents per pound profit
their product We therefore ask upon what grounds
The TRIBUNE uphold the present Copper duty espe-
caly when that journal asserts that Copper which costs
IN England 2 cents gold can he produced at IL cents.
currency. pound in the United States Not the
General Order monopoists, nor yet the Custom-house
Spies have forciby convicted themselves out of
their own mouths than has THE TRIBUNE shown itself
guilty OF folly knavery, both, for uphoding the
Copper duty"
Answer by The Tribune.
We uphold the Copper duty because we
would encourage and incte moro and more
of our countrymen-Republican or Democrats,
PrOtectionists or Free-Traders, we care not
which-to engage in mining Copper, until our
mines shall have been SO developed, our
knowledge of the business so enlarged, and
our processes so perfected that we shall niue
all the Copper we need, and mine it cheaper
from our own soil than we can buy it from
abroad That is our policy, as The World
ought by this time to know Our former
statement set forth the fact that the profits
realized by few exceptionally fortunate COM
panies had attracted attention and melted a
new and lively interest in Copper mining, in
spite of by-gone disappointments and losses.
This is just what we sought when wo
supported the Copper Tariff. The fact that
One-tenth of those hitherto engaged in Copper
mining have made money by it is of public
Importance only as it attracts others to en-
bark in that field, by affording reason n for
hope that they may succeed in it. We heart
lily wish that one hundred Copper mining
companies might before the close of this year.
achieve success equal to that of tho com
panies we haze named; for wo should recos-
nize in that success an assurance of cheap
Copper at hand and an important addition to
our National sources of wealth.
And now will The World be equally frlnl;
with us' Copper. it says. is worth 81 cents
per pound in England (whcro it is mainly
smelIed from ths oTel. cur duty on il is 5 cents