New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-27
A HEARING ON THE II AR1FF.
THE uo11sE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
LISTEN TO FACTS ABOUT COAL
AND IRON.
VIEWS OF PRoTEcTIoN1sTs AND FREETRAph"s
ALIKE INvITED-No OZARK LANTERN eIo'
s1oNs"-sEvERAL wELLKNowN MEN

|
| s1oNsn-sEvERAL wELLKNowN MEN
MAKING ARGUMENTS.
my ,,raRArH TO TRIRuvr.'
washington Dec os-In respect 10 the tariff legsla-
ton promised BY the Republican party IN us Naona'
| platform OF last year. two Things are a'cauS ~,
! 50 far az the Ways and Means Committee Oh INC
,Iorso "a CONCERNED first no Dark Lantern methods
are 10 he pursued: and, second, there IS 10 DC an
opportunity allowed not only to the trehus anu au
vocates of the protective system, but also 10 inc
Traders, represented by Messrs CARLISLE Mills CT al
| When the committee assembled TINS morning INC
| room was crowded There was no attempt ho ui'
nositIon TO exclude anybody, and the committee
patlently listened while Tobey OF Wayand Mass
read the pages OF big pamphlet showing why III MS
opinion, and in the opinion OF several oVner uh-
named persons-for he did not read inc hst Oh
slgnaturcs-iron orc coal and pig iron should be al
| mitted free Of duty "raw material MI Iobey
WAS so evidently In earnest, and so well satlshed
with himself that only one or Two members vi ue
| committee had the heart to ask nm any quesuohs.
His logic was that the miners OF the iron anu coA
producing States ought to be turned out OF employ
ment for the benefit OF the miners OF the Canadiah
| provinces SPAIN Cuba ETC., and OF an muehIlte
number of people in Massachusetts, whose wages, he
declared are only one-half the wages paid In Penn
| sylvana Ohio Indiana and other iron and coal
| producing States.
The facts in regard TO the iron coal industries
1
| the Western Ore Association and Mr.. Witherbee' oil
the Eastern Association well by other practical
| men who were present In lull Of the proceedings
| Chairman Mckinley read dispatch from smith VI.
Weed protesting, in behalf of the ironore producers
of the East, against ATTY reduction OF the duties lis
| dispatch made several members OF the Hlhoiiy VI
| the committee uncomfortable.
Another interesting incident OF the day was the
appearance Of ex Speaker Grow OF Pennsylvania, VINO
is producer Of bitumnous COAL in favor o. reclp-
rocal rate on that article between CANADA ana the
| United States. Nobody seemed to know exactly
where Mr.. Grow would land when he set out, but he
is alert and vigorous as he was when he presided
| over the session of the stormy XXXVlIh Congress-
He allowed himself to he drawn into argument by
| exSpcaker Carlisle and other Democratic members
| of the committee so that he would be able to show
| exactly where he stood lie said That IL might Dc
for the benefit of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana to
| have reciprocal agreement with Canada but that
] that agreement would not be advantageous 10
the United States west Of the Rocky Mountains, be
cause in such an event British Columbia probably
would supply all the coal necessary for the Pacific
| Slope thereby closing the mines Of Washington.
A man Of the name of Morris. from Pottstown,
Penn, made short speech, in which ne TOOK pains
| to ampfy his grievances against the Bessemer steel
Association. Part Of his speech had no relation what
ever the tariff but the committee endured II, and
was rewarded by clear, concise and comprehensive
statement from Mr.. Wharton, the chairman of the
Bessemer Association. To outsiders 1t appeared that
If Mr. Morris has any grievance, he thinks lie has,
IL is against the patent system of the United States
and not against the tariff.
When the committee took recess at O'Clock 1t was
found that good many business interested in the
iron ore pig and coal industries who present
had not been heard and that they were anxious To
go about their business The chairman therefore sug
| gested a night session TO accommodate them. Mr..
Carlisle, the leader of the minority in the committee.
said that he had an engagement for this evening.
Mr. McMlln said that he did not the need Of the
committee sitting night and day. Mr.. Flower, how
ever, a member Of the minority, moved that recess
should be taken until 40 D. m, and that motion.
seconded by Colonel Bayne, of Pennsylvania. was
agreed TO. 1t did seem funny comparing the meetings
of this committee to-day with the meetings Of the
" Dark Lantern" Committee two years ago, that so
much publicity should be given, and that the minority,
which, all by itself. sat night and day them was I'M
willing 10 hold a session tonight.
George II. Ely, president of the Western Iron Ore
Association which organized eight ago, was
the first speaker TO address the committee lie urged
| the retention Of duty iron The duty of 10
cents a ton he said, had promoted the iron and steel
interests Of the United States in remarkable degree
As an instance Of this benchcent effect he cited the
production Of the GOgebc district which had increased
from | 900 tons in 1854 to $4,000 tons during ten
months Of 1850: and Of the Minnesota district which
had increased within the time from $4,000 to |
500 900 tons In 1886 the total production Of Amer
can mines had been 10000 900 tons. while the est
mated production for 1859 between l4,oOo,OOQ |
| and $1,000 900 tons. The question OF duty, Mr. Ely |
| continued, question Of wages. In the spanish |
mines the hours Of labor seventy-two hours a !
week; in the Lake superior region the hours were |
fifty five hours week In spain the wages OF driIeIs
and miners were 80 10 ~ cents day and Of common |
| laborers SO TO 80 cents. In the Lake su-
| perior mines the wages for dFilers and
miners were 81 % to 81 75 day, and for laborers |
Al 60 TO So lie believed in the protection of Ameri
can labor and in keeping up the rates OF wages TO |
American workngmen II the range OF wages was
ever TO increase in England that country would have
10 change its policy lie did not ask for any Increase
Of duty, but he earnestly urged the retention oil the
present rate. The duty had operated to make up !
part of the difference between the wages at home and
abroad.
George Tobey read long memorial prepared by |
New England manufacturers of iron and steel and he
conended that the present tariff iron ore and coal
preudical TO the interests of the Atlanuc coast
while il Disseminated In favor OF the Western Pennsy
vania section. 1t not just that there Should be
such tariff rate enabled Or two States to Kill
out the iron interests OF other sections. New England
should forbidden by the tariff laws to enjoy the
advantages which her location on the sea coast |
naturally presented She should not be set back |
in civilization by the impediment 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 10 questions BY Mr.. Bayne Mr. Iobey |
stated that the abolition of duty coal would stint
ulate work in the Canadian coal fields but he thought
that any bad effect which might result to the coal
miners Of Pennsylvania would be more than cont
pcnsated by the increased business which would be |
done in the New England States MIR. Gear inquired |
as 10 the general position which the witness held to
the tariff and received the reply that Mr.. Tobey |
al madn
+. Witherbee, OF New York. president OF the East
Iron Association argued that the chlei obstacle 10
the development OF New England MANUFACTURES was |
the almost prohbitory freight rates charged ny the
New England railroads. The manufactures Interest |
would be best protected by keeping steady duty on
the raw material That duty stimulated the mining |
industry. Il 1t removed capital would De IN |
Inundated and he. believed that ali the mines In his
part of the country would be abandoned Al the end
OF Mr.. Wltherbee's argument the committee took a
rpcp Of mi