New-York tribune., 1891-05-08

crude and primitive way at the hacendas. Within
q few years this domestic industry has peen vir-
tually abandoned since the Omaha. hahsas Cl.y
and other Western smeltcrs have been purchasing
ore on a large scale in Mexico. Now the Mexican
furnaces are expected TO take all the ORES OF tne
country, and to reduce them more ecohomicaiiy
than the American smelters ne pIo inu'sS coro ~
quence Of the exclusion OF ores coz
tanning iron and lead from the .ni'ea
States. 1t is restored, moreover. 70
large extent by the employment Of American cap.
ital in the Mexican smelters In the cnort 10 shuo
out certain class Of low grade fuxing ores t'io
United States has driven It's own smeiters in.o
Mexico TO build up national industry. Nv "hion
ali classes of ores will be reduced there
In order to explain the smelling process wi,honS
recourse TO technical terms l may remha the
reader that lump OF sugar can be melted Dy diiect
heat. bat that a much lower temperature VIII pe
required il a few drops of water be added 10 ~ In
the came way silver ore can be reduced WIN hign
process is greatly facilitated and the Temperature
is lowered. The commonly found In the
Rocky Mountains are refractory or siIci1as; con,
order that these ores may be economically smeioeo
lower grades containing lead; iIon and limestone
must be mixed with them. Ihe Mexican ores hase
everything that is needed for fiuxing material ana
the products, instead Of being worthless. as they
are when limestone alone is worked with slliclous
silver ore are intrnsically valuable DesideS peEiS
of great utility in releasing the silver Inc NC
mand for Mexican ores was created by the nature
of the ores handled by the smelters III tfe oni'ea
States. ,.,,u,,,
standard by which lead should be taxed as lead
and not admitted free under the gnlse OF siyei T;.
was carried into practice in the Tariff act ibis
provided that silver ore ana an 9the, csps ores per
pound on the lead contained therein, according 70
sample and assay at the port OF entry t!e Lne
claim is raised by miners in Mexico tina, as I ths
law is now enforced not only is lead taxed as ead,
but limestone also as lead. without reference 70
the latest Treasury rulings on this question, ~ y
safe TO assume that the great smeiting lneisss ~
the West are embarrassed by the interrup,on VI
the Mexican ore trade, and Tor TINS reaeon AZ
transferring their moneyed interests ac1oss s .n'
border. Low grade ores they DO not get In eai, g
fcient ouantity from American mines, ana loi
an excellent reason. These ores are reuuc'a
by local works near the mines ah9 .ne
cost of transporting them IN buik 70 LANES nsss
CITY and Omaha is avoided The hlgh-grade ores
are sent on to the smelling centres, but the supply
of iuxing ores from Mexico has been cut OF. ine
result has been rise in smelling CHARGES which
has injuriously affected all mining lnlerests eA'
cent the ores producing high-grade lead ores
From the point of view of international trade
and / am now excluding the argument tnat tne
free admission of Mexican lead ores was stopping
certain mines and throwing American woIkmen Ius
of employment-this interruption OF business Dy
which American smelters and railways ana Amer
lean investors in Mexican mines and railways were
mutually profting is grave mlsiort9ns. ,,,dn IA
ores had enormously increased and employment
had been provided for thousands OF American
| workmen in transporting and reducing them inis
| trade was source Of profit TO the railways on
| each side of the border II promoted c0inmerclal
| exchanges and good feeling in both countries. ~
| brought American capital into Mexico LOT invest
ment in mining lands and railways 1t was q
substantial gain TO silver miners in the Unieo
| States whose silicouS ores were reduced moro
economically when there was an abundance OK
chcap fiuxing ores. The only Industrial Interests
that were damaged were those of lead producers,
whose ores could always be reduced economically
without railway transportation. The interruption
of this border trade has been followed Dy Tarlit
war on live stock, by which both countries nave
suffered and now it is involving the development
of the smelling industry on Mexican SOIL by whicn
ores formerly handled in large quantities In tne
United States will be reduced beyond the Dorder.
Whether reciprocity negotiations can success
fully be invoked in order TO arrest the nnforti-
nate consequences of tariff legislation and treasury
rulings is delicate question: which have not tne
hardihOod to discuss The Mexican Governments
assumes to be entirely satisfied with the present
situation and not anxious 70 have its ores ad-
mitted into the United States on the old basis
of Secretary Sherman's Treasury ruling. III this
be So reciprocity will leave the ore question where
the tariff makers have left it, II Mexico does not
want free ores. but prefers to have the smelling
industry established with American capital in San
| Luis P0tosi, Monterey and elsewhere, then there
| is much narrower margin for reciprocity between
the two countries. Free would be conces-
sion to Mexico which might involve a sacrifice Of
the interests of lead producers. The State Depart
ment would expect to get something handsome m
exchange for il in game OF international barter
| 1t is at least doubtful whether Mexico at the
| present stage of the development Of its smelling
| industries will consent 70 give anything worth
having in return for the free export of its Ores