Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-03-01
SMUGGLING LEAD ORES.
Prom Tho Mining and soIontIao Pros..

lead miners Of the United States has been
turned 70 the Mexioan border, where lead
ores are being brought into this country
without paying any duty. The question iE
a very important one to western mining
and smelling men. The traffic lie carried
On under ruling Of the secretary Of the
treasury to the effect that the duty, if any,
is paid on the predominating metal in the
ore. The silver ore comes in free of duty,
so as long as the ore contains more in val
ne in silver than in lead, then the lead in
it pays no duty. In this way large guam
titles of lead ore are coming in free to the
great detriment of the American lead
producers.
We had a conversation this week with
Ivan G. Michels, statician Of the commit
tee on mines and mining, of the United
States senate, who is on this coast engaged
in Investigations concerning alien owner
ship of mines. He spoke of this subject
of smuggling of lead ores, it being one
to which he hod given considerable atten-
ton.
He says the smuggled lead ores comes
in by way of Nogales, Arizona Territory,
Laredo, Texas, and Eagle Pass, Texas.
The lead ore is conveyed by one car of sill
yer ore, say as one to nine-nine cars of
lead ore to one car of high silver ore
Under the direction and instruction of the
secretary of the treasury all of the ore
having it's chief value in silver, comes in
free, no matter how much lead, copper or
any other metal it contains.
The ores from Mexico very often con-
tain from 40 to go per cent OF lead ore,
and from to Is per cent Of silver ore, on
which freight as well as ten per cent loss,
are charged against the lead ores. In this
way all the charges are made against the
lead ore, none against the silver, thus re-
ducing the value of the lead ore materially
and correspondingly increasing the value
of silver ore. They have erected two
smelling works at FL Paso, Texas, and one
at Nogalrs, and the ores containing higher
grades Of lead anG silver are skipped tC
Kansas City, Denver and Omaha fol
smelling. AS much as 1000 tons of lead
have been brought over or smuggled in IN
one month. The Mexican government il
very much opposed to this kind OF SNUG
CLING, preferrlng to have the ores smelLec
IN Mexico, and are anxious to sell the lead
Tsey are willing to aid the United StGto
government to suppress this traffic. Th'
Utah, Montana and Idaho lead miners are
those who suffer the mOst.
We called Mr. Michels' attention to
stat ment made by the Denver Weekly
Republican, that the ruling of the treasu
rs department upon the admission of sill
yer bearing lead ores had veen brought [,
che attention of the Judiciary COMMITTEES
Of the senate, of which Senator Edmund
is chairman, and that this committee re
ported that the ruling is IN accordance
With the statutes Mr. Michels says:
Tho Denver Republican is IN erro
about it. Senator Stewart OF Nevadi
some time ago introduced resolution II
the senate asking why lead ores bearing
silver ore ceme free. This resolution wa
referred to the Judiciary committee o
which Senator Edmunds Of Vermont i
chairman. Senator Edmunds did not Civ
IN opinion as chairman of that committee
but addressed letter to the secretary 0
the treasury asking his opinion. In re
sponse the secretary Of the treasury wrot
10 Senator Edmunds informing him tina
the ruling Of the department Is that lea'
ore containing silver ore of greater vau
than the lead nre shall be considered a
silver ore and be admitted Free This lei
ter Senator Edmunds indorsed as his opin
ion also.
at is decidedly not in accordance witt
the statutes. On the contrary, the Uuit
I'd States statutes expressly provide that o
ores not otherwise provided for in tn
metal schedule of the tariff, duty of 2
per cent ad valorem shall be levied"