The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-02-15
Tariff on Ores.

One of the most important questions for the
iron ore producing States of the South to
consider is the proposition OF Gen. Malone to
fix specific tax of So per ton on all foreign
Ores The representatives in Congress of the
people of the south seem'd to be blinded to
the interests of their section. With the tariff
on iron and steel reduced and substantially
free entry for the non phosphoretic ores of
Algiers and Spain the phosphoretic ores of
Virginia and other States, would have their
values greatly diminished, if not destroyed
The Bessemer steel manufacturers of the
North can well afford to consent to reduc-
ton of the tariff on steel, if they can secure
practical free trade on foreign ores. The Bes-
semer interests would then control the steel
manufacture of the country, for the basic
process, designed to utilize the phosphoretic
ores in the manufacture of steel, could not
compete, and the result would be that the
phosphoretic ore districts, such as we have
in Virginia, would speedily pass out Of con-
sideration as valuable mineral properties
With nominal tariff on ores, the iron plants
of the hematite ore sections in Virginia, Ohio,
and other Western and Southern States,
would soon have to be, in great measure,
abandoned, for the reason that the seat of the
steel and iron manufactures would be trans
ferred to the coast to save transportation on
the foreign ores to the interior by rail. In
the light of the recent vote in the Senate on
Gen. Mahones proposition t o fix specific
tariff on foreign ores Of So per ton, when it
received only fifteen ayes, capitalists have
already largely invested in Cuban mines,
whence the non-phosphoretic ores can be
brought to our coast as ballast. and where it
is mined by convict labor at comparatively
infnitessimal cost.
The tendency of the temper manifested on
the proposition to fix adequate specific rates
on foreign ores is to injure the value of the
Virginia ores, destroy the basic process entire
ly, give the Bessemer process a perpetual
monopoly, transfer the manufacture of steel
to the coast, and paralyze the iron industries
of the South and West, especially.
With this vital interest at stake, we cannot
understand why the representatives of the
w
not see the far-reaching effect of failure to
protect the ore interest of this country against
the products of the mines of foreign coun-
tries. 1t would be better for the South that
there should be no rey ision of the tariff, than
that the ore interest should be neglected and
such modification in the tariff on iron and
steel effected as with free foreign ores. would
substantially destroy the whole iron interests
of our section. While the proposition of
Gen. Malone might be modified, in the tars
i'll suggested, yet the spirit and purpose
it should be preserved and insisted upon a
Southern members as a sine qua non to-
support of ANY tariff bill that may b. |
tured. We have conversed with inke:
and well-informed gentlemen on this
who have no sympathy with: Gen. a
recent political views. as to ST po.e'
who very freeyEgive it as their n'on - ' SaS
unless he is sustain ed in the - I'll, !
presented, the iron interests O. s
be greatly damaged. They -, - W. :
say that the number:.of hi enu' - 80
ginia will be largely incr' w !o.'Son . " 6
presenting as it does s0 srking contrast to
the theorizlng and re6h of some of our re- a
representatives., who SCI ino'pao'o u oop-
hending the wants 'nelr oonss''uen'o "N1
the influences thu are essential to the oevel-
opment and rc5erity of the State. With
ores properly detected. and the basic pro-
cess ~ ~ anufacture of steel |. in opera F
ton. viroir. would soon become an iron o
centro 80. few years hence advanced 20 one e
of the lgest manufacturing States in the b
Union