The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-06
Iron Industry in Michigan.
To the Editor of The Herald:
Sir. In an o7;4,

10 the Editor of The Herald:
Sir In an editorial based an ev
tracts from the Detroit Fvoni,a ~
and the Lansing, Michigan ms Io ,TgwI :
you say; That under the hoastat
nlgh tariff the laboring classee
throughout the country are s,1fferiy 9
lloLl dlStresS: While thn Yl,o
nus OF the high tariff went into + tb h.
p a', OF the capitalists, etc. Refer.
~, was particularly directed to the
IRON ore business in the Lake c,,Oa,. az
region. Had the two papers n1'at t05
peen more familiar with that ind, tru
eney would be more guarded in tbai, :,
leApresSlonS While it is true that 49,
AIchinley bill is still the law n is
ifIqudlly true that neither it nor anv
n 90" can compel furnace men to bJv
ore, or mill men to buy pig iron
t TatH me tlle Iact stares them in the face
Ialhng market Good business man
agement requires that not only raw
material but labor be paid for al s,,cI,
rates as will permit sales to be mada
at profit. iiiel''e
; me product of the Michigan iron
1 4 nm Tor 1890, was in round numbers
a,zvu,oOo In the beginning of 1891. no
&C.,, co,,,,,, nad oeen made by the mining
= oo oa owing to the large amount
9,ooO'oOO tons, on the docks of Lake
ERIE ports, and the Importation dnr-
ing 1890 of 100000 tons from Snsi,
ana Cuba Ore sold in 1889 for So %
20 20 s9.9O per ton, in 1890 from s4.25 to
S 30 according to quality, and fell in
1o5l py nearly the same amount. Al
lnese prices th@e We're a number of
mines that would not pay. one mine
lhe champion, which in 1890 Skinned
over z2S,OOO tons at $3.50 per ton was
forced TO shut down not MANY months
since Dy reason of competition by
newer large and cheaply worked
mines, and threw about 600 men ont
OF employment. The owners were the
most liberal in the country in their
treatment of workmen. Others had
70 90 the same. This shows that the
robber tariff does not enrich ali
mine owners. al
The Lake Superior company last
year gave their men an eight-hour day
without request, and without reduc-
tlon OF pay This shows that they are
NOT Ihe neartless monopolists some
would represent them. It is true that
IN the Lake Superior iron region. ore
can De mined cheaper than anywhere
else IN the world. but it is eoualIr
true that nowhere does it cost more.
Ihose who know the country under
stand why this is So For the benefit
OF those who do not, I will saw that
- - h-ASit1ebi CAUSES Oh QlIerenc6 are.
quality, extent and position of ora
oodles If, as just stated, some mines
aided by tariff had to close down
what will be the result when as de.
termined by the Democratic marty
IRON ore will be made free: and If
Spain and Cuba could export 2 zoo 600
tons when hampered by a high tariff
what will be the limit unless mine
owners profits and miners wages arc
SO reduced to successfully meet the
competition?
Lake Superior miners must buv al
most everything they need, and owing
to the rigorous winters and uncorn7
monty hard work, must buy the best
of food and clothing This distributes
their earnings ali over the country.
and so tends to the general prosperity
An injury TO them is therefore a public
injury. Money sent TO Spain or Cuba
is lost to this country; while the only
possible gain is the difference between
the price of manufactures from home
mineral iron ore, and that imported. |
VIII this compensate for the millions
sent out of the country? 1 cannot be-
lieve it. Respectfully yours.
JOHN DUGGAN
Eureka, Dec. 1, 1898.