Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-27

WASHINGTON, December z6.-The hrst
series Of the tariff hearings mapped out BY
the House Committee on Ways and Means
was held to-day, gentlemen interested in
metals, ores and coal being permitted to
give their views ~
George H. Ely, President of the Western
Iron Ore Association, which was organized
eight years ago, spoke in favor of the re-
tention of duty on irOnore. The duty of 70
cents ton had been .benefcent and salts.
factory. 1t had promoted the iron and steel
interests of the United States in a remark
able degree. As an instance of this Sene-
icent effect, Mr.. Ely cited the production
of the Gogebic district, which had increased
from 200 tons in 1884 to Il, 900 tons during
ten months of 1889, and of the Minnesota
district. which had increased largely within
the same dates. In 1866 the total produe-
tion of American mines had been 10, 600, 900
tons, while the estimated production for
1889 was between II, 600, 900 and 15 00O, 900.
A QUESTION OF WAGES.
The question Of duty, Mr.. Ely said, was
question of wages. In the Spanish mines
the hours of labor we're 72 hours week; in
the Lake Superior region the hours were So
week. In Spain the wages of drillers and
miners were so to 70 cents day, and of
common laborers 36 to 80 cents. In the
Lake Superior mines the wages for driIlers
and miners were 50 25 to 50 IS day, and
for laborers 81 go to 50. He believed in the
protection of American labor and in keep
ing up the rates of wages to American
workmen. He did not ask for any increase
of duty, but he earnestly urged the reten-
tion of the present rate. The duty had
operated to make up part of the difference
between the wages at home and abroad. If
the duty was high enough to make full
equivalent for this difference, 1t would be ut
least 81 80 ton.
George Toby, OF Massachusetts, addressed
the committee In favor of the free importa-
tiOn Of iron ore and coal. He read a long
memorial prepared by New England manu-
facturers of iron and steel, in support of the
position which he advocated, and he con-
tended that thepresent tariff was prejudicial
to the interests of the Atlantic coast. while
it Disseminated in favor of the Western
Pennsylvania section.
NEW ENGLAND's WANTS.
It was not just, said Mr.. Toby, that there
or two States to kill out the iron interests of
other sections. New England should not be
forbidden by the tariff laws from enioying
the advantages which her location on the
seacoast naturally presented her. She
should not be set back in civilization BY the
impeachment arising from the want of cheap
iron and STEEL: Massachusetts asked for
cheaper raw material. Her contest was not
with England, but with highly protected
Pennsylvania.
In response to questions by Mr. Bayne,
Mr.. Toby stated that the abolition Of duty
on coal would stimulate work in the Cana.
dian coal fields, but he thought that any
bad effect that ptght result to the coal
miners of Pennsylvania would be more than
compensated by the increased business
which would be done in the New England
States.
Mr.. Gear inquired as to the general posi-
ton which the witness held to the tariff,
and received the reply thar, in his opinion,
no horizontal reduction should be made.
A DEATH BLOW TO MINING.
f. S. Witherbee, of New York, President
of the Eastern Iron Association, argued
that the chief obstacle to the development
OF New England manufactures was the al
most prohibitory freight rates charged bv
the New England railroads. The manu-
interests would be best protected
by keeping steady duty on the raw ma
terial. That duty stimulated the mining
industry. If it was removed capital would
be intimidated, and he believed that all the
mines in his section Of the country would be
abandoned.
At the close of Mr.. Witherbee's argu-
ment, the committee took recess of 80
minutes. After the recess, the committee
heard statements from v. K. Moore and
Powell Stackhouse, of Michigan, and the
questions directed to them by members of |
the committee were intended to draw from
them information as to the amount of labor
and OF capital contained in ton of iron
ore.