The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-28

given in the production of the iron itself,
as distinct from coal, ore, coke, ETC., on
each of which there is a special tariff, are
carefully excluded.
AS to steel rails, the report makes the
following ludicrous showing for protection:
Total cost of producing ton Of steel
rails in Great Britain, as figured from add
ing up tee various elements, from slS.5S to
S2l.90.
Total cost Of producing ton of steel rails
in the United States, from s24.79 to $27.6s.
Difference against the United States,
from S5.7S to $6.21 per ton.
Tariff per ton, taxed and charged, $14, or
more than twice the total difference in the
whole cost; yet this totalrepresents chiefly
the difference In the cost of the materials,
the labor cost in this country being only
$1.3S to sl.54 per ton, and in England from
s1.36 to S2.54 per ton.
A tariff of $l4 ton to equalize total
difference of even 1921 ton would be suf-
fciently preposterous; but has any person
on earth ever heard that our tariff is levied
for any other purpose than the protection
of American labor ? Certainly not. The
Congressman who should say the tariff
is levied for any other purpose than the
protection Of lsbor-the purchase OF ma
chinery or of raw materials, for instance
would be voted foe to American labor at
once. No other plea has yet been set up for
protection in this country except that OF
euualizing wages; equalizing interest, rent,
cost of land, machinery and materials, has
never yet been urged. Now, the difference
in labor cost is in favor of this country,
the labor cost per ton being from $l.3S to
$1.54 here Zone tenth of the tariff rate per
tsn), and from sl.36 to 1854 in England.
The mockery Of agreeing to pay our man
ufacturers Sl4 ton, in order that they may
use it in eouslizing the difference between
American aud European wages, is thus
painfully apparent.
At this point, however, the protectionist
rises and bowls that the cost of raw ma
terials is practically all labor cost, and that
some of the tariff of sl4 per ton on steel
rails goes to pay for the protection of the
men who mine the coal, the iron ore, the
limestone, and who prepare the coke-the
raw materials used in the production of
steel rails.
This ingenious subterfuge, however,
loses all its deceptive value as protection
argument when it is seen that there is a
special tariff on coal, iron ore and coke, that
is sufficient to pay every cent of wages in
volved in producing these raw materials.
OF course this tariff is charged up to those
who buy coal, coke and ore, thus enhanc-
ing the cost of raw materials to the iron
master; but the labor involved is fully pro-
tected by special tariffs on these articles in
addition to that on perfected iron or steel
rails. So that the talk that any of the tar
| if on steel rails is for the protection of
labor in the production of the raw mater
lals for steel making, is the sheerest and
most barefaced hypocrisy.
But the whole system of adding IS cents
a ton to the price of domestic coal, under
the pretense of shielding our miners, who
receive from 40 to 72115 cents ton for min
ing the coal, from the 'pauper labor" OF
Europe; and dong the same thing in the
case of iron ore, coke, and other materials
illustrates another fundamental iniquity OF
the so-called protective system. This ad
vance in the cost of all raw materials
by reason of the tariff, brings the cost of
the materials for ton of steel rails in this
country up to S21 to $25 as compared with
SIS to 500 in Europe; and this is the reason
and The only reason that the total cost of
ton of steel rails in this country is greater
than in Europe. Our labor costs less, bu
our material costs more; and the mate
rails cost more because of the tariff OF
them-the sham tariff that is supposed T.
be given to labor, but which the min
owner puts into his own pocket 1t is tn
tariff that prevents this country iron
underselling Europe on iron in the market
of the world.
We have followed to finish the figure
of the commissioner on steel rails as b
gives them; but observe what the commits
sioner himself adds to these figures, whic
for several reasons DO not represent th
actual situation. He says:
The labor cost in one ton of steel rails shoul
be less per ton relatively in this country than
Great Britain or on the continent, becaus
, American producers of rails dispense with
least one expensive process still adhered to
many foreign producers, and materials used
the United States are purer than those used
+, most other countries. Hence the quantities
I ore required for the production of ton of raj
: is less in this country than in many other plac,
d abroad and the labor required to handle Il
Z materials in a way to produce ton is less.
The commissioner then gives the resps,
: tive amounts of ore required, and couclud,
as follows:
The entire direct cost [of ton of rails W
q Si1.59 for the United States S7Sl for Gre
4 Britain, and $50 for the continent of Euror
n showing a difference as against the Unit
States Of S37S in favor of Great Britain a
s3.4e in favor Of the continent of Europe
If any further demonstration of the utt
;. robbery of tariff of Sl4 per ton on ste
rails were needed, these last remarks
:. Commissioner WRIGHT supply it.
a The following, from the same authorit
10 shows who pays the tariff:
lie Price Of English rails per ton without tarif
in at Liverpool, s25; at New York, S25. Price
m $50; at Chicago, s44; at San Francisco, $780,.
But enough is feast; and in she
~ time we shall have the complete report
"a the commissioner, and shall have somethi
s further to say upon it.
Oh AN IDAHO newspaper advocates the no
CT ination of Senator Nc CoNNELL for Vic
. President, on ticket with BLAINE. 7