The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-03-17
COMPETITION IN IRON MINING.

In discussing inc PIoPoseu
customs duty of forty cents a ton
provided in the new tariff bill as
| II comes from the senate sub
committee, the Marquette. Mich,
Mining Journal asserts that the
duty should be quite as effective
in protecting the iron ore inter-
ests OF this country as was the
duty of seventy-five cents q ton
when originally levied as a
change from an ad valorem duty
of thirty-fve per cent. Inc
Journal adds that under the
present conditions OF the ore
market a duty Of forty cents a
ton lis really q duty for revenue
rather than for protection. Inc
Milwaukee Sentinel deems this a
peculiar statement and adds: II
| the ore market is now so much
depressed that there is no sale
| for the product of the mines OF
| this country, to say nothing OF
imported ores, surely the duty
will not be productive OF revenue;
No revenue is TO be obtained
from the duty OF forty cents per
ton on foreign ores unless there
are importations OF such ores
III there are importations in suth-
Gent quantities to make the
revenue an item of Importance,
! then the duty will not be protec-
tive.
The latest reports as TO the
purposes of the wealthy owners
of the Mesaba ore properties is
, we'll calculated TO arouse the
Marquette paper TO a further
, discussion of what it terms the
: solution of the problem confront
: ing the iron ore producers. The
!, paper had scarcely remarked
: that Intelligent regulation oil
' production is what the iron ore
(. industry needs" before the
scheme of the Rockefeller syndi-
cate is announced which proposes
. TO Law ore down in the Eastern
> market at a lower price than II
: is now sold, and at which mines
:. on the old ranges cannot bt
!; operated at u profit. OF course
\ this is a gigantic bid by the syn
dictate for business, and If the
q wealthy mine owners can sell orr
q at the prices quoted they will
, find the first and surest market
- Whatever succeeds in the tiel'
= of industry establishes its meth
- DDS. where such a thing is pos
y sible. 1t is claimed that tn
10 Mesaba mines can supply onl.
20 a small portion OF the demand
n of the market during prosperou
20 times. IL that is the case, tn
- mines able TO supply ore at tn
4. next highest price will find
IA market for their product.
The Marquette paper shoul
al know that the only regulate
10 of production" allowable under
= free competitive system is thu
as which will give the lowest price
Ia consistent with good wages
,s labor and fair profit TO the mir
- owners. 1t is such regulatic
~ that the Rockefeller syndica
proposes. If that syndicate ca
"A supply ore at low prices and su
,et coed, the other mine owne
20 must compete with those pric'
'ae or go out OF the business. 1t
ne not improbable that the syno
.tv cate is making the low price 4
81 no other purpose than 10 GROW
re- out the smaller competito-
no But that is one of the results
he competitive industry, and 1t
40 going on in all lines Of produ
tive occupation. All the mi
The owners OF this country can re
,ts sonably ask is protection frc
for low wage competition in foreiI
IN lands. Given equality OF wa
conditions and the Americ
,ns mine owners must work out the
10 own salvation, and the min
that are able 10 undersell
the competitors, and still pay hi
cal wages TO workmen, will bless I
,aI. country with cheaper ore secur
new by correct economic process
,ls All the other mines must ado
en-. those processes or close. ~
~ is the law OF the fittest, and
"a tains under the industrial pol
! 10 which has prevailed in Z
the country for the past thirty yea
han Herein lies the vindication OF
policy OF protection.