Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-08-22
IRON ORE AND DUTIES.

Four Republican Senators,
Messrs. Plumb and ingalls,, OF
Kansas; Paddock, of Nebraska,
and Dawes, of Massachusetts,
voted with the Democrats for a re-
duction of the duty on iron ore to
30 cents per ton. 1t is now % cents
and even at that rate the lmp0r-
tatlOns haYe been large enough to
close up many Of the mines i'll the
Eastern States. The actual pro-
duction of ore during last year is
reported by the Iron aud Steel
Association as 14,096,727 tons,
against 1864, 800, according to the
census of 1880, an increase OF near
ly 100 per cent. But the imports
were S53, 573 tons, and have so in
creased of late that during the
last twelve months they doubtless
exceed 100000 tons. New York
mines produced in 1890, according
to the census, I,239,7j9 tons, but
the ASSOCIATION reports only 49,.
023 for mines of this State last
year. New Jersey production APP.
pears TO have declined from 134,-
S72 tons in 1880 to 4S2, 1863 last
year. Unquestionably the compe.
tition of foreign ore has closed a
great many mines east OF the ALLIE
ghanies, and thrown out of en-
ployment many thousand miners,
even while the production in the
interior, too tar from the seaboard
to be stopped by imports of ore,
has enormously increased. 1t IS
now proposed to reduce the duty
by One.ffth, in order to let in more
fore ign ore, and the effect would
be to close more American mines
east of the Alleghanies, and to
close more American workers.
The theory is that ore would
thus be supplied at less cost to
American furnaces, so that they
could produce iron more cheaply.
The foreign ore imported during
the last twelve months has aver.
aged in foreign price 500 per ton,
which with duty and freight wOnld
make the cost at seaports about
81 per ton, and the transportation
thence to furnaces would involve
an additional cost of dollar or
more according 20 the distance.
At s., which would be the cost at
the nearest furnaces not located
directly on the seacoast, the pro-
posed reduction in duties OF ID
cents would be 3 per cent OF the
cost, and the difference in cost OF
plg.iron might be 80 cents per tOu
if the producers should not prefer
to take the added profits them
selves. To all furnaces except
those of single company the re-
ductlon would be of no advantage
worth mentioning. But the Penn.
sylyanla Steele Company, owning
its mines in Cuba, from when
256,27S tons were imported last
year and 100000 are expected to
come in this year, and which has
furnaces erected by tidewa;er for
the express purpose tor using this
ore, would have enormous advan-
tages over any other Eastern pro
ducers. The real effect of the
amendment which Mr. Plumb was
induced to offer, and which three
other Republican Senators support
ed, is TO bestOw upon that one
company a bounty of SGO,OOO a
year, and to enable it more effectu-
ally to crush competition of other
Eastern producers. This is not a
protective policy. The change for
which these Senators voted will
not benefit the American people.
But it will benefit a single rich cor
pOration and throw many Ameri-
can miners out of employment, and
it is distinctly at variance with
the protective policy Of the Re-
publican party which other Re
publican Senators successfully
maintain.-N. Y. Tribune.