Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-12-22
THE TARIFF ON COAL.
Facts and Figures From Senator Davis
speech Before the Finance Com
mitIee.

mItIee.
Special Dispatch to the Register.
WASHINGTON, December III sent you
the main points of Senator Davis address
on the subject Of the proposed reductions
in the tariff on bituminous coal, yester-
day, but some Of the figures on the subject
quoted by him may be of additional inter
est. His argument, which also covered the
views of his colleague, Senator Camden,
and Of Senators Groom and German, of
Maryland, was made before the Senate
Committee on Finance, which corresponds
to the Committee on Ways and Means
of the House, and will have charge of tariff
amendments for the consideration of the
Senate. Davis has grown to be one of the
largest operators in bituminous COL in the
country, and is fully able to look after the
interests of that class OF producers.
There has been no duty on anthracite,
and the Commission therefore pSid no at
tentlon to that class Of product, but they
got after
The BitRmjn0us Article,
reducing the duty on lump from 75 to so
cents on each long ton imported and de-
creasing the duty on fine or slack coal
from 40 to 30 cents. There was dispo-
sition on the part of some of the Commits
Sioners to go still farther, and Commits
sioner B oseler told, Just after the report
was submitted. that at one time it was pro-
posed TO recommend tn at all duties on for
eign coal should be removed.
1t has been generally supposed that very
little coal is brought in from abroad but
Senator Davis showed from the census re-
port of 1882 that the foreign coal imported
during the census year amounted to $751;
1856 tons, valued at 50, 1S9, 296, and that the
revenue derived from it by the Govern
ment was $685. ,79l. The report further
shows that the
Capital Invested
in bituminous coal mining in this country
is $93, ,5l7, ,49i and of this SIS, ,165, 557 is in
vested in Maryland s5,75O674 in West Vir-
ginia. The number of persons therein
employed is put down as 96,475, OF whom
in round numbers 5000 are employed in
Pennsylvania, $1,000 in Illinois, 5000 IN
Ohio, 5000 in Iowa, 1900 in Indiana, 4,5OO
in West Virginia, 5000 IN Maryland and
5000 in Kentucky.
The duty on foreign coal dates back
nearly to the foundation of the government
and has never been as low as Is now recon-
mended by the Commission. In 1883 it
was So cents; in 1890, S4 cents; in 1872,
8. .25; in 1872, 81. 50; in 1916, $40; in 1924,
81. .6S; in 1888, $l.iO; in 1912, Sl.75; in 1864.
81 10; in 1865, Sl.25; in 1878, and since that
time seventy-tiye cents,
Senator Davis argued that the value OF
coal produced in this country is nearly all
represented in the labor OF mining and
handling, the coal in the ground being
held at a comparatively nominal figure
until taken out ready for market, that
anthracite vas the only coal used at tide
water for domestic purposes and that btu
minous coal was
Mainly Employed
there for steam and gas manufacturing
purposes: that, whereas, in the United
States the average length of the haul OF
bituminous coal to the seaboard was 80
miles, in England it was only 40 miles, and
in Nova Scotia and other provinces of the
Dominion, il was even less. He argued
fur, her that the labor employed in mining
here was higher than in any Of the coun-
tries abroad against whore product protec-
ton was asked and urged that the duty on
such foreign prodHct be at least retained
az the old figure. The balance Of mis- argu-
mCnt have already sent You. Ian.