, 1888-06-07
IN A NUTSHELL.

OF the measure affecting the lead in
dustry. The REVIEW has more than
once discussed this pernicious scheme,
and its destructive power is already
seen in the downward price of lead
The provisions OF this BILL and its eff
feet upon the lead industry, is of vital
importance to this city and the min
ing camps by which she is surrounded.
Every man who strikes drill, or holds
a drill; every man who owns min
ing prospect, or q dollars worth Of
mining stock in our mines; every man
interested in the profits of transporta-
ton by rail or by wagon: every man
who has dollars worth of produce to
sell every man who owns n foot OF
real estate to be enhanced in value by
the growth and development of city
and country, is deeply and vitality in
terested in this uncalled for attack
upon the industries OF the northwest.
Yesterday we were sailing along at the
Hood tide of success and prosperity
and the future seemed inadequate to
contain our boundless possibilities.
To-day our mining interests are
threatened with destruction, and every
business, trade and profession in the
nation feels the effect of the threat.
In fine, our entire industrial region
actually staggers under the simple
threat contained in the MILLS bill. 1t
that bill we're to become law, the
consequences can be easily foreseen.
If the wordy statesmen at st. Louis
would talk less abont "bandanas," and
"Old Romans" and ascer tain the effect
upon the people of their fool legisla-
ton, the prospects of success would
be much brighter for them. Follow
ing is JUDGE SYMEs spesch, and it
contains so much useful information
that we take pleasure in presenting it
to our readers:
"The lead mining industry furnishes
another strong illustration that the
protection which builds up and pros
pers important industries, at the same
time creates II competition with the
foreign articles, which reduces the
price to consumers.
H
IL will be seen from the table that
that the production was unimportant
for many years. II was only loo
tons in 1925. 1t only reached 2j,SOO
tons in 1872, and it increased to 81,
800 tons in 1880, and to l3j,GOO tons
in 1886. This wonderful increase in
the production of lead caused by the
great development Of the mining and
smelling industries in tho Rocky
Mountain states and territories re-
suited in great reduction in the price
to consumers. Although the con-
sumption has increased 300 p9r cent
in the past fifteen years, and although
Il very large proportion of the price
paid by consumers is absorbed by the
railroad and transportation companies,
the price has been reduced to the con-
sumer 80 per cent.
X II
From this it will be seen that in
1870, when the country only produced
1880 tons of lead, the price was
SI.25 per hundred in New York. and
1884. when the production was 1885,
s97 tons, the average price in New
York was from S3Gj TO S357 per hun
dred. The consumption OF lead has
almost kept pace with the great in
crease in production. With the ex-
ccption OF 1879 and 1879, when CON
siderable quantities OF lead were sent
to China. the export Of lead has been
small as compared with the home
consumption.
The tariff ON lead since the last act
of March 3, 1888, has been T2per hun.
dred on lead in pigs, bars and blocks
By the Mills tariff bill this is reduc-
ed TO one and one-quarter cents per
pound or T125 per hundred. The
margin of profit on lead ore and
smelling, and partic ularly on lead and
silver ore which produces silverized
lead. is very small This reduction
OF three quarters OF a cent per pound,
SIS per ton. would enable the Span.
iards, with their cheap labor and
cheap mining and smelling OF lead, /,
to glut the American market and
creatly cripple, if not practically de-
stroy the great lead industry Of the
United States.
The value of the lead production OF
the United States has increased from
about $3 900 900 in 1872 to about $l2,-
GOO, ,OOe in 1887 This industry has
been built up in part OF the United
States that before was almost desert.
1t has quickened and vitalized the ag-
ricultural, commercial, transportation,
and otherk kindred industrieio of perm :
nent nature in the western and Rocky
Mountain country. Vast regions of
tho puhlic domain would have re-