Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-02-04

Wright, has for some time been en-
gagged in this inquiry. Some of the
results of its investigation were laid
before Congress at its last session,
while the tariff bill was pending in
the Senate. 1t had no effect upon
Republican Senators. According to
Colonel Wright's report the average
value of the labor in one net ton of
bituminous coal in 126 mines in the
United States, including not simply
the wages of the miners, but all mine
laborers, is 89.7 cents. The average
cost in five Canada mines is 90 cents
a day; in eight mines on the continent
of Europe, 1877 cents, and in eight
mines in Great Britain, 75.9 cents.
The labor in ton of soft coal, then,
costs 1873 cents more than it does in
Great Britain, but on the pretense
that it is great deal more than that
we levy duty of rs cents ton on
coal, which is more than the whole
earnings of the miners, and nearly as
much as all the labor value in a ton
of coal.
The average value Of labor in one
ton of iron ore at 62 American mines
is $1.O96, and at IS European mines
it is 1922 cents. The labor cost of
one ton of iron, then, is pa cents
more in this country than in Europe.
But the mine owners have political
influence enough to keep duty of rs
cents ton on ore.
The average value of labor in one
ton of pig iron at 20 furnaces in the
Northern part of the United States is
81 81 at 26 furnaces in the Southern
part of the United States it is 81 .537 /;
at six furnaces on the continent of
Europe it is 69.7 cents, and at eight
furnaces in Great Britain it is 6S.3
cents. The difference between the
cost of labor ut Northern furnaces and
the furnaces on the continent of Europe
is S6.3 cents, but as pretended offset
to this we maintain duty of 1912 per
ton on ore.
Averaging seven furnaces in this
country, eight on the continent of
Europe and four in Great Britain,
the labor cost in one ton of steel ingots
is 1884 in this country, SLIPS in
Great Britain and 94.6 cents on the
continent of Europe. The difference
in the cost of labor in every ton of
steel ingots between this country and
the continent of Europe is 93.S cents.
Our duty is As per cent, being on in
gots worth eight-tepths of cent a
pound, the grade most imported last
year, $40 per net ton.
The average wages in one ton of
steel rails in two American mills is
81 461 ; in seven European mills, So
637, and in two English mills, 81 958,
so that the labor in the rolling mills
cost less per ton of product in the
United States than abroad. The en-
tire labor cost of ton Of steels is,
s11.59 in this country and 81 80 in
Europe, but to offset this difference of
81 cents the duty on steel rails under
the new law is S13.44.
During the past year the Massachus-
etts bureau of labor statistics has pub
lished large amotnt of information
in this same line. In 2.37 per cent.
of Massach usetts manufactures, the
wages paid is one-half, or more than
one-half the value of the product. In
in nearly one-fourth of all the manu-
features of the State the amount of
wages paid is not more than one-fiftb
of the value of the product. In an.
other quarter of all the manufactures
of the State the wages paid range be-
tween one-third and one-half the
value of the product. In almost one.
half the manufactures of the State the
wages paid range between one-fifth
and one third Of the product. As
duties are. on rough average, near
ly equal to one.half of the value of
the product, it will be seen that the
existing duties are not only more
than the difference between European
and Massachusetts, wages, but in most
cases they are a great deal more than
the whole Of the Massachusetts, wages
To use an illustration A dollar
article contains 20 or 30 cents worth
of labor and is protected by duty of
so constitutional Democrat.