Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-10-19
Te|egTaphic Tidiings
AS CLEAR AS MUD.
4 Highly Scientific Account II the Mex
lean Ore Problem.

New York, Oct. ia special to tn
Herald from Washington relative to tn,
position of the treasury department. Oh
! the question OF the importation OF Mex
lean ores says: 1t is not expected tha
the secretary will under any circumstances
materially change the regulations of July
II, which are admitted to repres ent his
matured judgment of the least that can
or should be done to prevent
fraudulent importation of dutable ores
under color OF their being silver ores.
The only question now open for serious
consideration is whether or not ore con-
taiiiug both lead and silver as the COM
ponent Of chief value, is to be classified
as lead ore or silver ore. 1t is deemed
impossible to recognize or classify such
ores as silver ores merely because the en-
forced quantity of silver in them is OF
greater commercial value than the su.
perlor quantity of lead.
The weight of evidence and authority
is deemed to be against the contention OF
those importers who have been calling
their importaions silver ore and getting
them passed duly free without n deter
mination of their true character. The
secretary is represented rs finding that
the testimony of experts serves only to
darken such expert evidence strongly for
the side that produces it. So many new
and material facts are considered to come
into the record that Sec. Fairchild him
self would be expected to regard the ques-
lion as still open if he were at the head OF
the department.
The department proposes to look at the
vl,pia iv,n ;,,it nd Ioto
ing what the statute means by the term
lead ore, and one of the facts intended to |
he looked into is that vast quantities OF
lead in the form Of ore has been making
its way into the United States from Mex
leo will l.out the payment of duty. 1t will
not be presumed by the department that
congress uses the terms of description in
80 technical a sense as to defeat the very
object for which they are used. Some
difficulty is found in formulating a deci-
sion that shall serve as practical rule in
all cases where question may arise
whether fluxing ore Of low grade is to be
classified as silver ore or lead ore, but the
acts are deemed to be all in the hands OF
he authorities. All have been cited and
he principles have been evolved, SO that
he secretary will in q short time he en-
!bleo to announce a decision, and the
pinion is that it is expected to stand the
est of reason.
1t is denied strenuously that there is
ny politics in the question. Both poiti- {
al parties are said to be represented on I
ither side of the controversy, and so to I
ONE extent are particular localities. The d
ecretary congratulates himself in being t
ntirely free from partisan inducement to a
ecide the question in one way or the d
ther, and he is held to be equally fortu-
ate in having at his service the long con-
nued and uniform practices and usages OF
liners, operators, and dealers ia discrim- !!
lating mines and products Of silver from Il
lose OF lead. P
AS to the international aspect of the h
lestion, it is considered enough 80 say 8
lat the Mexican governmel.s up'oids its II
WI initiative, and in pursuit Of its own d
seal policy has elected for discrimination q
the ports of each nation against the
tipping Of the other. This of course
oes not directly touch the question OF \,
ciprocity in exchange of commodities, N, N,
1t it is stated that there are documents =,
the treasury department which would r
} far to justify the failure of congress
give effect and operation to the Grant
escott treaty.