Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-05
Tho Duty on Iron Ore.

On the Ist Of March last the House oil
Delegates OF Virginia passed by vote oil
ALTO IS the following resolution, which
was also posed BY the Senate on the same
day-yote not stated. We quote:
"ResoIped, That 1t is the sense OF THIS
House that the proposition now pending IN
the Congress OF the United States 10 place
soreirp ores on the free list Is unwise, and,
N adopted, will greatly injure the iron In
tercsts OF this state, and retard the develop
meDt OF the same"
IL has been claimed that there were seve-
raj Democrats elected TO Congress In Mas
sscbusetts o, the recent elections who owed
their success to the fact that they had come
out against the doctrine OF protection to
American industries; but we are inclined
TO the belief iha. the extent to which those
Massachusetts, Democratic congressman are
willing to 90 Is Indicated In the measure
condemned In the resolution above quoted.
This, too, is, we think, . feature OF Mr..
HgwrTr's bill, which contains some good
provisions.
We notice that the Staunton Pindicafor
and the Neus and the Virqin'an Of Lynch
burg have lately bad articles on this sub.
ject Of the reduction Of the tariff on iron
ores as involved in recent decision made
BY the Assistant Secretary OF the Treasury,
Mr. FAIRcBILD, that iron ore, subjected to
a drying process, by which all moisture
mechanically combined with 1t Is excluded
from 1t, is the "iron ore" OF commerce.
The effect Of that decision Is Of course to
reduce the tariff on foreign ores and bring
them into competition with the Virginia
ores to greater extent than before. That
decision has been re6pened, and rehear-
ing will be had in Washington day after
tomorrow.
The resolution quoted above speaks, We
doubt not, the views OF the people OF Viz
GINA on this subject, in a general sense.
On the particular proposition involved in
the decision OF Mr.. FAIRcHn.D the Stsunton
Vindicator says:
"The object OF the duty was to fix an
amount sufficient TO put native ore on at
least an equality with foreign ore; but II
this ruling Is enforced the object OF the law
Is defeated TO that extent. The commercial
significance OF iron ore In the United
States Is gross weight, and IL Is by
that that all ore is sold, and there
Is no good reason yet cited Tor
changing the custom. Indeed, II IL were
changed and after sold in the dry, the
foreign ore importers would no longer be
DESTROYS for the new ruling Of the Urea.
sury Department complained Of. 1t IS
simply q dodge Of the foreign ore import
ers TO get cut under the native ores, by
changing practice which kept them both
on the same footing. In the interest OF
Virginian and all American ores, we trust
tine Treasury Department will further in-
yestigate the situation and change its
ruling"
The Lynchburg Ne,cs says:
GA ton OF iron ore Is ton OF raw ma.
terial mined by .hc producer and purchased
by the consumer with all the water and
moisture incident TO Its surroundings and
exposures included In its weight and nc.
cepted without question. When submitted
to any artificial process by which its weight
Ia reduced IL ceases to be 'iron-ore,' as
that material Is known commercially, and
becomes-whatf Dried irOn-ore,' or
some other article that has been increased
in value and facility for manufacture by
artificial means"