Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-09

H. iuE6E68bSs All HIl5utlAl0At w WAC DAAA -
offered by Mr.. Reagan of Texas. to strike
out the payment Of IL cents on the lead
contained in silver ores, on the grounf
that il this clause in the bill becomes
law it viii close up or gre itly injure tht
smelling and sampling works at 81 Pasf
and Laredo. The question is an impor'
tant one, as the importation OF such oref
from Mexico forms q large proportion q
the railroad freight Of the American
railways operating in Mexico, and thus
year it is said will not fall much short
OF $4,000 tons, with the prospect OF con-
siderable development.
Although the bill was opposed in the
interest Of the Texas infant smelling
industry, the effect Of the proposed legls-
lation would be felt severely by the es-
Establishments in Denver, Socorro and
Kansas City, as they are the larger buy
ers, as is shown by their purchases in
the month Of November, when these
three places had consigned to them no
less than 14,551.OOO pounds Of ore out of
Is, 722,OOO passed through 81 Paso Gus
tom House. st. Louis and q Eastern
seaport smelters and the Selby works OF
San Francisco would also suffer by the
change.
The adyisability Of imposing the duty
on lead in silver ores is by M means SO
evident, n way or the other, as those
who have recently made it a question OF
politics would have us believe.
On the one hand. the imposition of the
duty Of $50 a ton on the lead in the ore
is intended to help the owners OF poor
lead mines which cannot make money
unless they a get higher prices for
their lead than an oyerst0cked market is
willing to pay. 1t would also help a few
smelters SO situated that they cannot get
foreign lead ores, for it might increase
the local supply, on which they depend,
and diminish the output of their rivals.
On the other hand, the imposition Of
this enormous duty, which is more than
the entire cost Of producing lead ores in
many districts in this country, would be
disastrous to many large smelling es-
Establishments which have grown up
largely through their ability to secure
these foreign lead ores, and it is needless
to say that the great public who are the
consumers of lead in various forms are
interested in having the metal cheap.
While we are quite free to say that we
favor moderate protection for the estab-
lishment of new industries, yet we be-
lieve that a duty of $50 a net ton on the
lead in ore would be extrayagant and
unnecessary and very hurtful to many
industries. So long as high tariffs are
exacted on other things, the producers
Of lead should certainly have their share
in the plumber, but we have no idea that
the imposition of even such an enor-
nous duty as this would bring to our
lead miners the benefits some Of them
seem to expect from it.
The amount which the miner receives
for his ore depends upon three things:
list. The ruling market price Of lead in
New York; I'd, upon tie shelters
charges for reducing his ore, and, Sd,
upon the grace Of the railroads in the
matter of freights.
The price Of lead here depends, when
not controlled by trusts" combine
TONS or corners" on the supply. This
country, especially since the develop
ment of the enormous deposits in Idaho,
is quite able to supply its own full con-
sumptiye requirements, and can produce
this at a profit, If a fair share OF its value
is received by the mine, when lead is
selling at 81 to 81 cents a pound in
New York. The collection of a duty of
~ cents a pound on the lead in the ore
will, of course, shut out nearly all foreign
silver-lead ores, but it should have the
effect Of enabling additional home lead
mines to run, the quantity Of lead in the
market would still be maintained OF ex-
ceeded, and the market price. which is
now in a state of very unstable equilib-
rum, would certainly not be improved.
The miner, whose interests we would
gladly aid in advancing, would not be
bettered from this direction. Unless he
can get better prices for his ore at the
mines he has no interest in the matter.
I'd. The prices the works charge for
smelling depend on the amount of COM
petition in the business and on the facil-
tiles their location offers Tor cheap work.
If they get an abundant supply OF ores
rich in lead and in iron, they can smelt
cheaper and can afford to pay higher
prices for "dry' silver ores or ores poor
in lead, such as those produced in Col
Orado and in some other mining districts,
than if they had to treat these dry ores
alone. If the supply Of fuxing lead ores
be cut off without any material improve
ment in the New York price Of lead, then
the large number Of mines producing
dry" ores, i. g., silver ores low in lead,
will get less for their product than they
do now. Their interest is evidently in
the smelters literally supplied
with lead, that they may be able to pay
the highest possible price for silver.
Sd. The grace Of the railroad, in the
matter of freights depends absolutely on
their ability to collect any more from
the miner. They invariably taFe "all
The traffic can stand" and sometimes
more than this. If there are several
roads competing for the business, then
The freights decline; if there IL but one,
and the market price Of the product will
permit it, the railroad will generally
bring up freights to the limit of compe-
ition by "bull Teams" Where the
'reights are moderated by competition,
md there is no combine" or pool" be-
;ween the roads, the miner should get a
air share of the advance in the market
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