New-York tribune., 1886-03-07
INDUSTRIES IN DANGER.
PROTEST OF IRON MANUFACTURERS.
wu.r THE MORRISON TARIFF SCHEDULE Would DO
TO CRlPrLr THEM.
tn 1uK TRI3UyK.


TO CRIPPLr THEM.
wv TELEGRAPH TIE TRIBUNE.
yy,suvcroS. March 6-F0r hours to-day
.,n roon OF the Ways and Means committee WAS
bronced with the representatives oil the lrou Ole anu 1
ton industrcs OF Michigan, Alabama, NeW'lOrA lon"
.ss.e PENNSYLVANIA, Virginia, Ohio Maryland ana NA-
60, other States Among these men were George H.
.v OF OHIO and II. A. Burt, Of Michigan. representing
,he vast iron producing region Lakes Superior aHd
michigan with its 500 100000 OF invested capital ls
10000 men engaged III the mines, and supporting
n,rsoos; A. b. Waldo. the personal representative VI
Smith NJ Weed, and Il. S. Witherbee, representns INC
i,on Industries Of the Lake Cbampiain region; William
A. Insham chairman OF the Eastern zig lrou AeSoo"
trn General E. t. Grubb and W. H. Patterson' repre-
scn,iur the newly established and rapidly de'eiopD
iron and coke Industries OF virginia. E A. hi'onooo'
representing the iron ore ana hon .T
OF Missouri S. F. Tyler repes'".'"s ~
iro, industries OF Alabama; and Colonel George d.
ri,,, chairman of the Association of Charcoal Iron
rors NJ the United States accompanied by represent
atiyes Of the same industry from iehhs!Nnui"' D0a
ware Maryland and several other states iheso ni
had come 70 sneak in behalf not only OF the American
,riners and furnace workers. but OF the army OF men OH
gagged in the transportation OF the Prouuoe VI M
,ahor They had come, 100. speak for huhdreds oi
,nuuors of dollars OF American capital placed IN peril
by The proposed bill, aud well did they SPEAK.
The hall was opened by Mr.. Ingham. OF the Eastern
Pig Iron Association who read printed protest setting
forth the depresse condition OF the pig iron huus!
ircent to the reduction OF the tariff in 1888 ana the
inevitable disasters which would attend the proposed
reduction slight though II may seem to De- Inc protest
concluded as follows:
The makers OF pig iron, so far as we represent tnGm
are utterly weary OF tins continual hus5InS
al the tariff We have invested money III our business
cnnetitlon which warranted to expect fair onsi-
ness profit The perpetual uhIerng ~ tho Iain Paa
lyzes business demOralzrs trade, ana mas IenooG .,
ot us TO snch state OF mind that we would DC gau 70
get back fifty cents on the dollar Ol our mUnv, 30 M
.oaH farIH and
duties on pig have choice In fact we wouu
@ a,ieye that the stronge the the rapid will
be the recovery of the patient
There was an interesting cOoquy between Mr. lnGham
md Mr. Hewitt on the subject OF free ore. Mr. Hewitt
asked: "lf had free ore could not we make beSSe
mer pig in the Lehigh Valley"
"Oh yes and so We could If we had cheaper labor.
Mr. Hewitt pressed his questions with view 10 sho"
that to reopen Lehgh furnaces would De 10 revive
business and Improve present condition OF affairs
Mr. Ingham showed that while This might Deneht lew
furnace owners it would result In great loss to Amer
can labor and a prostration Of many industries.
Mr. Reed tnen took hand. lie wanted to know
whether an increase of the duty would Dot SUIT the mh
ors as well the furnace owners The reply was III inc
affirmative Mr. Ingham said he could frame tarih
that would benefit his business very we'll Ho gave
the committee interesting facts among whieh was
tins
We have gentlemen to-day who are using foreign
ore and they not want the duty taken on.
whose concern imports than 1ne'eshth OF oil the
foreign ore consumed in the United States
Colonel Weistling made powerful argument
in which he set forth the depressed condition
OF the charcoal iron manufactures consequent upon
the tariff act of ss3 and the Interpretation gwen to
ertain narts OF that act by Treasury Department
The charcoal iron industry exists in twenty three states
and more labor directly employed in 1t thsn any o'ner
single branch of tue iron business Colonel "elslNhg
argued that Instead of reduction there should oe an
increase III duty and that such duties on TN plates
should be imposed will restore tu plate manufacture
10 the list of American industries. Chairman Morrison
remarked: 1t seems that the only free thing IN
this iron business is The air used in the furnaces
"Yes," responded Colonel Weistliug, and wodd
tax that If il came from Europe"
Mr. Hewitt observed: "How do you know that the az
we are breathing now did not find its way from Eng
land r.
"Iam not sure to the contrary; it seems to have
British smell" retorted Weistng, and everybody
roared.
Mr. Ely. who represented the Lake Superior iron
mining interest delivered long and interesting argu-
meut in opposition the proposed re uctlon His de-
scrpton Of new enterprise which has been established
WAS a he needed to have said In that case in three
years new mining district was Opened IN ,Ih n unh,
1niIes Of railroad built. and village OF Loo
Inhabitants sprung up. Last year the output Gi
ore was a quarter million tons and the monthly payroll
of laOorers, not Including salaries OIL Supern'ehuehs'
officers. etc. amounts to S3oooo' ..,.rs Wit, Mr.
Hewitt whether or not enough B"ssencr ore can nc
found in United states In the course Oi Whch INC
latter became heated aud supposed case somewhat as
follows: am unfortunately compelled TO Duy span
ish ores TO mix with the nave ore In order TO produce
Bcssemer steel. Now, II | have mine pr0ducinS an
ore lust shade rich in phosphorus To make IL sutt-
bic Tor use ia making Bessemer steel, VIII IL not DC Dct
ter for TO have free iron ore ~ -,
or course, there could be only one reply 10 Such
question: Probably Mr. Hewitt dd not mean IT, bat he
certainly created the impression in the minds OF those
who heard MIN that his anxiety TO have iron ore aced
on the list is not uDn1ed with sohcude Tor ,he
welfaIe the masters and furnace OWAcFs III lhe
yciuty OF the Atlantic sea board. -, ,,
General Grubb. of Virginia, declared that II PenDsy
yania ever needed tariff his state needs one iOuay
Six Years ago only Scotch iron used IL Virginia TO-
day NOT ton of foreign IL imported. or coke alone
10000 tons a year are now produced lie estimated
fho annual value the coke aud iron Industry TO the
STATE now at than -, 2,OOO,OoO ms u WHOLLY
due to the protective tariff. Remove the duty ana
the mines will be abandoned and the furnaces closed.
a. b. Waldo spoke IN behalf OF the IRON Industries OF
York, which would be greatly injured II
not completely ruined, by the proposed action As Mr.
Waldo prominent Democrat Is barely possible lIdt
his arguments may be Influential than those which