The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-06-13
FREE RAW MATERIALS.
THE EFFECT UPON OUR MINING
INDUSTRIES AND MINERS.

resources. Coal and iron are the two
products of our mines which are of the
greatest Importance. Beside these, cop
per, lead, zinc, limestone and the various
structural materials require in the aggre-
gate for their production large invest
ments of capital, and much labor. Coal
and iron areof this importance from their
general use, their wide extent, the large
amount of capital and labor engaged in
their production, and their relation to
the manufacturing industries, since they
are essential to the carrying on of nu-
merous manufacturing operations.
In great part the labor which finds
employment in the various mining in
dustries, like that engaged in the pro-
duction of other raw materials, is I'M
skilled and rude. 1t is estimated upon
careful authority that 80 per cent. of all
engaged in manual occupations are en-
ployed in labor which requires a mini
mum, or only moderate, degree of skill.
1t is this labor, more than any other,
that needs the protecting care of govern
ment. The disparity of wages between
the skilled labor of the United States
and the skilled labor of England is much
less noticeable than the difference be-
tween the wages of common labor in the
same countries.
Bituminous coal and iron ore each
bear a duty of rs cents per ton. An
thracite coal is admitted free of all duty,
the annual importation amounting to
but few thousand dollars in value.
This anthracite coal, too, which feels no
influence of a protective duty, is the one
with which great trust is concerned.
Bituninous coal, protected by duty of
rs cents per ton, is comparatively free
from attempts artificially to limit the
supply and arbitrarily to fix prices. We
have scarcely more than made a begin
ming of developing our almost limitless
deposits of iron and coal. The wide ex-
tent of these two minerals, often in close
proximity, together with limestone, rem
ders their development peculiarly ad-
vantageous. Our total production of
iron ore in 1886, in round numbers,
amounted to 10000, 600 long tons of 2,240
pounds each
In the same year our imports of iron
ore were 10000 long tons. Though the
amount imported is small, if we con-
slider the value of this raw ore when
brought to the American markets, we
see that great amount of wealth goes
to foreign countries in the purchase of a
commodity the sources of which are
nearly inexhaustible with us but not yet
fully developed. This money, too, rep
resents in large measure wages which
would go to American laborers if the
iron were taken from our own mines;
for large portion of the value of iron
ore ready to be shipped, or to be smelted,
is the cost of the labor expended upon it.
The total production OF bituminous coal
for the same year, exclusive of colliery
consumption, was $40, 98j, 734 tons of z, 900
pounds each. The value of this product
at the mines was $75, 1854 SEQ. Our i'm
ports of coal for the same period were
less than a million tons. This is rela-
lively small, and indicates q healthy
condition of our coal mining industry.
If we stop to consider the low value of
coal per ton at the surface of the mines.
and the large ratio to this value which
the customs duty of 7j cents per ton
bears, we may imagine what would be
the importation If this tariff were re-
moved, and the same remark might
properly have been made of the produc-
ton of iron ore.
If the duty were removed, for time
we would have both coal and iron cheap
er than now; that is, for q time long
enough to divert the labor and capital, or
part of it, from the mining of coal and
iron, and then prices would rise again
with the increased demand made upon
foreign producers. With the present
duty the competition of foreign coal pro-
ducers is not such as seriously to affect
our coal interests, with the exception of
some local districts. Under the existing
tariff the opening of mines is growing
steadily, and in some localities rapidly,
and will increase still more with enlarged
facilities for cheap transportation. Great
Britain ships coal both to the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts. Nova Scotia exports
to the Atlantic coast. Australia and
British Columbia can pay the duty of 70
cents per ton, and still give disastrous
competition to the coal producers of Cal
ifornia and the state of Washington.
This competition efficiently retards the
development of the coal mines along the
Pacific coast, and these are the local dis
tricts seriously affected by competition
in coal production.
There is hardly a state of the south
that has not an abundance of iron ore,
and likewise Of coal and limestone.
These resources are comparatively unde-
veloped, although there is now mani
tested greater tendency TO make use
of them. 1t seems that scarcely any
present sacrifice can be too great if, by
means of it, the opening Of these mines
can be secured. When once ore is pro-
duced in sufficient quantities, and smelt-
ed in the same region to avoid the 50 or
81 cost per ton for transportation to
northern markets, there will be large
demand for southern coal. With the
development of these two mining indus
tries, with the furnaces and factories,
there will come a strong demand for
laborers, and these laborers will make
bot fnr .lt rnl