Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-01-20
A FallaCy Cleared Up.

Saward about sizes up the situation in his
Coal Trade journal when he says:
Some of the clearest-headed say that if the
duty on coal must come off, Canada should
be barred from the American market until
she removes the 60 cent duty now imposed
on American coal. This would allow our
coal to go into West Canada and offset the
incursion into New England from Nova SEQ
tia.
Let the clause which puts coal on the free
list in the Wilson bill be amended to read
Goal, anthracite or bitumnous, slack or
culm, FREE ONLY from those countries which
admit the product of the United States ofsn-
liar kind free of duty" This was done for
petroleum and should be done for COAL
Cumberland Times.
The JOURNAL very clearly pointed
out last week that undutiable coal
might not be hurtful to Goals in the
Northern States, but to those in Mary
land and Virginia it is certain to be
ruinous.
This, no matter whether the Can
adam duty be retained or not.
The coal of this region cannot be
hauled across the Alleghanies in com
petition with those that are already
over there, or are 200 miles nearer the
Ontario market.
Hence our natural market is the
seaboard-the only one we can hope
to supply to meet even the strong do
nestle competition with which we
have to contend.
Coal on the free list gices the entire sea-
Joard to Nora Scotia,
This is the long and short of fact
that cannot be rubbed out.
The JOURNAL believes that the coal
clause Of the Wilson bill should not be
conditioned upon anything Canada
may do but read
Coal-anthracite or bitumlnous, slack or
culm, 20 per cent'm I'D yalorem.
AS Nova Scotia coal would get
higher in cost the farther South it
came, the nearer home markets would
be assured to us and We would enjoy
an even chance with that product i'll
New England, both of which advant-
ages we are justly entitled to.
But leaving out of view the matter
of deserts, no other plan will justly
measure the real value of either the
home or foreign product. Nova Scotia
will then stand in market solely on its
merit. If it cannot thus compete with
us the market is ours.
The JOURNAL would 90 further.
Rather than miss the ad calorem plan,
the 20 per cent. proposal failing, it
would alter the amendment to read as
follows:
Coal-anthracite or bituminous slack or
culm, 16i per cent,om al ral0ren.
This would concede to New England
a larger reduction than manufactures
have sustained, especially in view of
the fact that when, three years ago,
the duties on manufactures were
greatly increased, coal was left where
it is.
To our Congressman the JOURNAL
would repeat
|, If possible, haye the current duty
re-instated.
>, If impossible, have the bill tax the
landing of foreign coal at one-ffth Of
its value at the port Of entry.
), This failing, seek to tax it one
sixth of its value, etc.
4, And while we would get all the
incidental protection available, it
should be remembered that what is
called "a small duty" will be no
hindrance to the foreign producer, no
benefit to the home miner and the
source of but little revenue to the
government.
In short. 1t would be free trade with a
little incidental revenue.