St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-16
THE coal. rARIFE.


The provision of the tariff bill that
seems likely TO evoke the greatest oppo-
sition in the senate is that which places
coal Oh the free list. The mining states
OF Pennsylvania, Ohio and West VIr-
GINA declare that the provision will be
ruinous 10 them, and there are also
murmurS of protest from Indiana. ILL.,
nos and Alabama. 1t makes no differ
ence that more than nne-tenthS of The
people OF the United States would be
benefited by free coil. The interests
of the few wealthy mine owners must
be first consulted.
Almost every family in the country is
a consumer of coal. The removal of
the duty on that product meauS saw
ing TO each household that will amount
on an average to twenty dollars a year.
10 manufacturers aud business estab-
lIShmentS the saving will be much
greater. In st. Paul alone our people
would save on this item alone no less
than six thousand dollars day prob
ably double the amount. In other COM
muniiies proportionate results would be
obtained. And yet, for the benefit of Il
lew hundred mine owners, the tariff
robbers would insist upon taxing the
whole people many hundreds OF mill
Ions of dollars. The product of btu
minous coal in the states west OF the
Mississippi river in 1891 amounted in
round numbers to seventeen million
tons. The tariff on this product amount
ed to twelve and three-quarters mill
ions of dollars. All of this tax went
into the pockets of the mine owners
not dollar to the national treasury, for
the tariff simply enabled the mine own
ers to add seventy five cents a ton 10
the price of their product
Bituminous coal, upon which the tariff
is levied, enters largely into manufact-
uring and domestic consumption. An
thracite is but little used. and mostly in
the homes of the rich and well-to-do.
1t carries no tariff, for it is found alone
i'll the Pennsylvania mountains, but it's
price Is governed to considerable eX
tent by the price of bituminouS coal.
The repeal of the tax on bituminOus
coal will mean an annual saving to the
people residing westof the Mississippi
river of at least thirteen mill
ion dollars. This is equivalent to a
dollar year per capita. The amount
however, does not incluGe the immense
saving to the people who are dependent
upon the Illinois and Indiana mines,
the most extensive OIL the continent. for
their supply. These mines produce
many millions OF tons annually. The
Tennessee and Alabama mines also pro-
duce large amounts, upon which the
people Of those regions are dependent.
There are, i'll the entire bitumiHous coal
region of the West. something like a
hundred and fifty mines. in which per-
haps five thousand persons are inter
eSted. These mines supply coal to a
population aggregating more than one
half the population of the entire coun-
try, and levy tribute of IS cents ton
upon tine entire product. aggregating
more than hundred and fifty million
tons. Here is more than hundred aud
twelve million dollars taken every year
from the pockets of the consumers and
added to the already plethOric posses
sions of the producers.
1t is not surprising that. with such
enormous profits at stake. the coal
barons are anxious to retain the tariff
Oh bituminous coal, and will make a
prcdiglGus effort to accomplish the pur-
pose. Perhaps the senate may listen to
the demands of the mining interests
and ignore the consumers. Such a
course would be characteristic of that
| bnGv- Rut fhn hOuSa wa feel aSsurpd
will stand by the cause of the masses
and insist that coal shall be placed upon
the free list, there to remain forever.