The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-07-26
Congressional Record, July 1871
Speech of Hon. Jacob Yost,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
TUESDAY. JULY II. 1888.

TU ESDA I. UlI4 ~, 1909.
The House being in Committee on the
state of the Union. and having under CON
81 ierat ion the bill I'll. r. 905l) to reduce
Taxation and simplify the laws III relation
to the collection OF the Reyenue-
Mr.. ost said:
Mr. Chairman: The Beaureau of Stats
tics reports imports of iron ore for the
year 1887 at 1.l94 301 tons, valued at
s., 206. 95S. 1t also reports imports of
S5O,33l tons of bituminous coal, of the
value of s., 620, 975. Every dollar of this
$4, 927 1868 ought to have been paid to
American wOrkmen. and would have been
had there been adequate protection. 1t is
to prevent Il repetition of this report, to
pay this money into the pockets of the
laborers of this country, to develop the
resources which lie almost within the
shadow of this Capitol that | ask this
committee to put such duty on these So
called raw materials as will p actica!y ex
clude the product of an III paid labor
Each of the great political parties has
sOlemnly declared that in the adjustment
of import duties due regard should be had
to the interests of the working people. 1t
seems to me that no line of the tariff
schedule offers so fair an opportunity to
redeem this promise as thu one now nnder
consideration. From 80 to 80 per cent. of
the cost of these materials is of labor. The
importatiOns OF iron ore and coal during
1887 took dollar Il day from sixteen hons
and Americans for three hundred days of
the year Within three hundred miles of
the spot on which we now stand were mil
lions of tons of this material piled Mp in
the mountains and thousands of idle hands
who would have been glad of the chance to
dig it out at even dollar day. There
was not pound of this coal nor ton of
this ore that could not have been mined in
Virginia alone, to say nothing of the
other States. And it would have been
mined there had it not been cheaper to
employ the labor of Spain, of Cuba of.
Elba. and algeria.
A glance at the sta! istics for the past
eight years shows that Notwithstanding
an increase of the duty on iron ore the
average value of the lmportations has
gradually decreased from So so per ton in
1880 to $l.S4 per ton in 1887 Home COM
petition has brought about this reduction
but home competition has reached that
point now where it is no longer possible
to contemplate further reductions, and as
a result we are told that the year 1888
promises to witness a large increase of the
importations of Cuban ore.
Can this Congress refuse to interpose
here in behalf of American mines and
American miners? Why should we allow
a ton Of this material to enter our ports
when we know that it represents Just so
much taken from the pockets of our own
peOplep The theory that these ores are
required for mixing with our native ores
in the production of Bessemer steel has
| long been exploded. Bessemer ores of the
finest quality are known to exist in vast
quantities in various localities of this
country, at Marquette. Lake Superior,
New Iolk, and throughout the Southern
States | have here now a report from
Andrew McCreatn chemist to the geolog
| ical survey of Pennsylvania. an authority
| accepted by all whose opinion is wort h
anything. in which he mentions twenty
| five localities examined by him in Virginia
| alone, where the best of Bessemer ores are
found in quantity. The maximum of
phosphorus allowed in Bessemer ores is
fourteen one hundredths of per cent.
| Here he gives long liss of deposits the
analysis of the ores of which show from
IS to 65 per cent. of metallic iron, with
| from 053 to .050 of one per cent. of phns-
phnrns But it may be asked why these
valuable ores. so close to the market, are
not mined. | can answer that question
bv quoting from a statement made by Mr.
L
Company. He says:
In work by ]. l.. CampheIl LII u entitled
| Geology and Mineral Resources of the James
| River Valley he entersinto a long and accu-
! on page 30 he says "Heyond the southwest
/! limit of the James River district, but within
| the same broad belt ores have been extensively
mined in Franklin County and the north invest
portion of Pittsylvania, and shipped north ward
| for the manufacture of Ressemer steel"
| am familiar with the operations of the
| Pennsylvania steel Company in that locality,
| and state that they took from there and used
GU, 600 tons of as rich and good a Bessainer ore as
can be found in the world Why, then, do you
| say. did they cease operations? Because the
| time when they ceasee mining and shipping
| ores from Virginia was the same time that they
| invested largely in mines in Cuba, and they
abandoned the source of supplies in Virginia
and Insignificant duties. enabled them to pro
! cure these foreign ores cheaper than they could
mine IN Virginia and transport by rail TO Penn
| sylYanin.
Some one may again say There was no more
ore there's the deposits have been worked out.
| have been assured by gentleman who knows
OF the operations of the Pennsylvania Steel
Company in those mines that the amount they
| took away was Insignificant compared to VIII at
| was lefti and further state that within The
last two weeks ! made a contract for the
Bessemer ore from the same place, guaranteed
TO run % per cent. metallic IRON, and had to
limit the quantity l would take for tear the
contractor would send me more Than could
use Does this indicate that The supply Is ex-
hausteda
That explains the whole trouble. The
| virginia mines are closed. and the output
| of the Cuban mines is pouring in upon us,
| because the Virginia miner can not work
for the Starvat Oh wages paid his Cuban
competitor. 1t is Il simple qlts ion of
wages. for. as l said before. the cost OF
| iron ore, Whet er domtsi ic Or imported.
represents practically nothing but the cost
| of labor.
1t lies within the power of this House
to remedy this wrong-tO throw ito he
homes of the poor OF this land this IS 900,
600 annually. BY increasing the duty TN
iron ore and coal you restore TO he A mer :
lean miner that which rightfully belont g
to him, and do injustice TO none Such HI
! increase will not seriously affect the man
! ufacturer.
He will get his material just as low as it
can be produced under our system of labor.
With millions of tons of ore swelling the
sides of our mountains and tens of thou
sands of eager hands waiting chance to
work, competition will limit the cost to
a reasonable profit to the employer and a
decent living for the employe. No MAJ,
who IS an American should object to this,
| for no American should want to see the
day come when an honest. Industrious
workman of this country Can not make a
decent living.
The following proceedings should have
been attached to the speech of Mr.. Yost as
published on the 1st page of the VIRGIN
IAN to-day. We overlook them, as they
appeared in the record, at the time his
remarks " ere taken out:
The Chairman. Debate on the amend
nent is exhausted.
The question is on agreeing to the amend
ment proposed by the gentleman from
Virginia Mr.. Yosl
Mr.. Mills. If there is to be no further
debate, ask a vote. If there is. | move
the committee rise. Cries of "Vote!"
The question was taken on the amend
ment to the amendment submitted by Mr.
Yost: and there was division-ayes 6S
noes 81.
Mr.. Yost. l ask for tellers.
| Tellers were ordered.
Mr.. Yost and Mr.. Mills were appointed
! tellers.
Tie committee again divided; and the
tellers reported-ayes ga, noes IS.
Tariff ON Clay Pipes.
The clerk read as follows:
| Pipes, pipe bowls, and all smokers arti.
Giles Whatsoever, not specially enumerated OIL