New-York tribune., 1890-08-08
IRON ORE AND DUTIES.

Four Republican Senators, Messrs. PLUMP
and ingalls,, Of Kansas Paddock, OF Nebraska'
and Dawes, of Massachusetts, voted with the
Democrats for reduction OF the duty on iron
ore to so cents per ton. 1t is now 10 cents,
and even at that rate the impOrtatlonS have
been large enough to close up many OF the
mines In the Eastern States. The actual pro-
duction of ore during last year is reported by
the Iron and Steel Association as 14,O9O,I3I
tons. against 1904, 500, according to the CEN
slls of 1880, an increase OF nearly lVO per
cent But the imports were S03,073 tons, ana
have so increased of late that during the last
twelve months they doubtless exceed 1,2Oo,oo
tons. New-York mines produced in 1880, ac-
oordng To the census, 1929, ,759 tons, but the
association reports only 1890 for mines of
this State last year. NewJersey production
appears to have declined from 754,S72 tons
in 1880 to 4S2 1863 last year. Cnquestionably
the competition of foreign ore has closed
great many mines east Of the Aleghanes, and
thrown out of employment many thousand
miners. even while the production in the in
terror too far from the seaboard to be stopped
by imports Of ore, has enormously increased
1t is now proposed to reduce the duty by one
fifth, in order 10 let in more foreign ore, ana
the effect would be To close more American
mines east of the Alleghanes, and to throw
cut of employment more American workers
The theory is that ore would thus be sup
nicd at less cost TO American furnaces, so that
they could produce iron more cheaply. The
foreign ore imported during the last twelve
months has averaged in foreign price ~ O7
per ton, which with duty and freight would
make the cost at seaports about S4 per ton, and
the transportation thence to furnaces would in
yolve an additional cest of a dollar or more
according to distance At S5, which would be
the cost at the nearest furnaces not located
directly on the seacoast, the proposed reduction
in duties of Il cents would be 3 per cent OF
the cost. and the difference in cost OF pig-iron
might be 80 cents per ton if the producers
should not prefer 10 take the added profits
themselves To all furnaces except those of
single company the reduction would be OF no
advantage worth mentioning But the Penn
sylvania Steel Company, owning its mines IN
Cuba. from which $50 ,27S tons were imported
last year and 400, 900 are expected to come IN
this year. and which has furnaces erected by
tide-water for the express purpose OF using
this orc. would have enormous advantages over
any other Eastern producers. The real effect
of the amendment which Mr.. Plumb was in
duced to offer, and which three other Repub-
lcan Senators supported, is to bestow upon
that one company bounty of 100000 n
year and to enable it more eifectually to crush
competition Of other Eastern producers.
This is not protective policy. The change
for which these Senators voted will not benefit
the American people But il will benefit q
single rich corporation and throw many Ameri-
can miners out of employment, and it is dis
unctly at variance with the protective policy
of the Republican party which other Repub-
lean Senators successfully maintain.