Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-03-06
DAILY POST.INTELueENcE


lrMEEK AND COAL.
The Posr. IxTKLLisEsCKa has airsany
referred TO the efforts being made 30 re-
move the tariff on coal and lumber.
The Morrison bin, now pending before
the House of Representatives, places
the former on She free iiss and redsoeS
the tariff on the latter TO merely nom
inaI figure. II 10 scarcely necessary 20
point out the effect which the enact
meat Of such q measure would have
UPON Western Washington. IL vosld
be death blow 10 cur rsost important
fndustries-to industries upon which a
large PROPORTION Of our population Dc
pend directly or indirectly for sappor''
The tariff upon coal and lnrnser IL loT
snooah already-too lov, In fact Tor the
proper development Of the resources OF
the North Pacific Coast. The most stu
pid can readily see the disastrous effects
which any farther reduction would
hays. and the most learned free trade
thseris, could not adducs arguments 70
change Tn the slightest degree conVio-
ton thus founded upon facts. what
ever q MAS opinion may be as to the
wisdom OF eIpediesoy Of tariff laws Id
general, be cannot question tbs Utility
Of sueh Laws n applied 10 country IKE
Western Washington At the present
time. Oar Industries are In such q con
ditiou that tariff reduction would be
ruinous TO them and TO the thousands
Who depead upon them fer support. 10
one sense General Hancock was rieht
when be declared the tariff TO be local
question, for a. applied TO this locality
a this sims II must be discussed In an
entirely different manner from that In
which theorists and political econo-
misss, In and out of Congress, are &C
oussomed 70 disouss 10.
It 10 no exagaeration 10 say that the
placing Of coal upon the free list would
have the effect of shutting down almost
Immediately every coal mine In Wash
inetsn Territory. San Francisco 10 our
only considerable coal market, and even
With the present tariff Of seventy Ave
cents per ten. the product Of our mines
ID barely able 10 compete with foreign
Goals. Vessels must 90 TO San Fran
sisce for wheat, and many Of them
mast 20 without cargo. The most con-
vsniens ballast 10 ssal, and immense
qusnti.iss of foreign coal are thus
thrown upon the California market.
There are really no freight charges upon
Il, for vessels must have ballast. and
Why not coal an veil a. anything else
The foreign Goals are thus able 10 com
psss With American coal even after pay
ing the duty Of seventy five cents per
ton. II that tariff we're abolished, the
immediate and unavoidable result woald
b TO drive American GOAL from the mar
ket. How disastrous that would DO TO
Washington Territory can readily be
seen.
The case with lumber IL but little diff
ferent. The removal or the reduction
Of the tariff upon foreign lumber would
result In Cutting the market, and fully
one half of our saw mills would be rem
dered unnecessary, and would be per
msnsntly shut down or abandoned. A
stagnation would fall upon the country
which would last so long as the present
Industrial conditions continue, or, until
Congress, in It's wisdom, should once
more decide to extend protection TO
our important industries.
The people OF Washington Territory
should loss no time in expressing to
Congress their views upon this subject.
The Chamber OF Commerce. Of Tacoma,
has already taken action In the matter,
and the Chamber of Commerce and
Board Of Trade, Of Seattle, should lose
no time In 90 doing. Memorials should
ct snce be adopted and dispatched to
Washington urging Congress not TO re
duss the tariff on either coal or lumber.
The certain disastrous effects of such a
seduction should be clearly stated. and
Congress shsuld be petitioned 10 in
GREASE rather than decrease the tariff.