The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-17
LEAD, AND MISLED.
The Arguments for a Tariff on
Mexican Ores.
AFTER THE CIRCUS, THE MURDER
A Son Kills His Father-Hypolite's Victory
About Railroad Rebates
Other Items.

WASHINGTON, May 16.-The hearing in
regard to the classification of lead ore was
continued before Assistant Secretary Itch
enor at the treasury department Argu-
ments in support of the present ruling
under which lead ore mixed with silver OF
greater value is admitted free, were made
by Ex-Governor McCrary, Judge j. K Nc
Cannon, Oscar Keenin of Newark, and A.
j. Meyer of Kansas City. Arguments in
favor of this change in the practice to com
pei lead ore to pay duty as lead, no matter
how much silver it contained the follow
/ ing orders were made by Senator Wolcott,
OF Colorado, Ex-Governor Grant, of Color
ado, and Il. M. White New Mexico.
A large number of affidavits were submit
ted to show that ore containing lead was
commercially known as lead ore, regardless
OF the percentage of silver contained in it,
and Prof Gray, of Yale college. submitted
a paper practically sustaining this view
from scientific standard. He argued that
compound ores of this kind should be des-
| crlbed by the names of both constituents.
White, of New Mexico, stated that
it was not true that Mexican ore
was necessary for smelling the domestic
product. The advocates Of the continuance
of the present practice of classifying silver
ores containing lead argued that those ores
are commercially and technically known as
silver ores, and that Congress was well
aware Of that fact when the present tariff
was enacted. They held that the question
had been already adjudicated and settled,
and that our smelling industries were born
and had grown up under the present CON
struction of the law.
Ind AToCorp,,,o,, -, /
| the case was free from any question of fact,
because the highest known official expert
authority had designated ores contain
! ing silver greater in value than
the base metal, both technically and com
mercially, as silver ores. This classifi-
cation was known and acted on, he said
when the act of 1888 became law. which
did not change the status of ores in respect
to paying duties thereon, except as pointed
out by the Judiciary committee
I'D. Wilson and Eli Breedsteer. repre-
sentiAg the board of trade of Laredo,
Texas, filed paper protesting against any
change in the present classification
The advocates of production for Ameri-
can lead mining interests introduced testi-
mony from nearly all the leading mining
operators, smelterS and business men of
the intermountain country, showing that
the universal designation and classification
OF ores was and has been for twenty years
past as follows: That whenever ore CON
tanned enough lead to be reduced and form
lead bullion, 1t was lead ore. That this dis |
tnction existed at the time of the passage
OF the tariff act and was contemplated
by that act, which was passed to protect
the mining OF just such ore. They further |
cited a long line of techni |
cal authorities of high repute to |
support their definition of lead ore. Tney
assert that the law was passed to protect |
the industry and that the ruling of the |
secretary of the treasury in 1880 was not |
on lead ore, but was ruling on a special |
lot OF iron ore containing silver and APP
pied only to that. This did no harm to
any protected industry, they said. because
the iron was lost IN the Stag in reduction.
They held this ruling was no support to
rulings admitting lead ore con-
tanning silver free of duty, and that
the application of the component of chief
value rule to such ores was uncalled for.
An extension of the principle of the former
ruling was not warranted by the wording
of it. They also insisted that the opinion
OF the Judiciary committee was founded on
a false assumption of fact, based on untrue
information as to the commercial designa-
ton OF such ores, and that such misleading
information came from secretary of the
treasury unfriendly to the protection of
American industries.
Senator Walcott said that he appeared
for no client nor corporation, but for 80 per
cent. of the people of Colorado as well as
the mining states and territories of the
northwest.
Inc question IS simply whether there is
aw for the protection Of lead interests
IF the United States, and if so, whether
hat law was being violated by the con-
;truction under which lead from Mexico
was admitted free of duty. He contended
hot tha,,o &c oh n Io,, i Al. =. |
Violated every day. If the law meant any
hing, said he, it meant that the lead inter
st OF the United States should be protected
rom foreign competition, and not that
orelgn lead should be admitted free be-
'ause the silver was of greater value CON
AIMED IN the ore. If it should, the present
construction. of the law will be a farce.
he gave ST. tistics showing that 600
pounds OF lead were brought in free with
very ton of ore carrying silver. In 1886.
,OOO tons OF lead were brought in free from 7
Mexico. In 1887 the amount increased to
u ,0OO tons; in 1SSSit still further increased :
o S6,OOO, and the indications are that the 3
mportations in 1890 will be even larger. |
Continue the present practice of classify I
ng Mexican lead" said he, land the lead i
Industries of the west, representing hun f
reds of millions of dollars, will be ruined 5
nd Mexican mine owners enriched accord
ngly." He said there was no interest in O
be United States that stood more in need T
t the fos tering care of the protective sys- 4
EN- than the lead industries of the west. 5
'ut as the case now stood, American lead (
Ias the principal interest unprotected. I
here ought to be no misunderstanding in 8
egard to the proper definition of lead ore, Q
nd the law certainly intended that if ore Y
ad lead in it and came into competition d
nth lead produced in this country it should e
ay duty at the rate of IA cents per r.
ound, provided by Congress as protec-
on to domestic producers.
Senator Wolcott closed by referring to
ne great, interest taken by the people of :,
lie west in this question, expressing the Il
ope that the treasury department would n
i've the law the consideration that the law II
akers intended it should have t
The hearing closed at this point with the S
understanding that either side may file ad- al
tional evidence bearing upon the CONNER t.
al designation of the ore. S
Assistant Secretary Tichenor says the S,
lestion will be thoroughly considered by
lie department, but cannot well be decided
# month yet
The Eternal HaytIen Trouble. ~
New YORK, May 16-Advices from Hayti ~
the 9th inst have been received Tn an