The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-28

Port Townsend Leader.

Port Townsend Leader.
The tariff question is not. and cannot
be. eliminated from the present cam
paign, although the Republicans are per-
fectly willing to fight the battle on the
money question as the main issue. That
the tariff issue Is a local matter or con-
siderable Importance TO the people Of JET
ferson county, however. is shown by the
following extract which we are permitted
10 use. from private letter received a
few days ago by Mr.. w. H. Lee, OF Iron
dale. from Abraham Halsey. secretary OF
the Puget Sound Iron Company, owners
OF the Irondale smelter:
Replying to your inquiry as TO tae
probability of the Puget Sound Iron Com
pany starting UP Its furnaces and engag-
ing In the manufacture OF pig iron or other
products. l can only say, what you now
really know, that with the present prices
of pig iron ii Is simply impossible 10 en-
gage In the manufacture of II at our
works on Puget sound. Iron is almost
entirely the product of labor.
The ore in the mine from which IL is
made has little value. Labor must bring
II out of the mine and follow 1t ineessant-
~ through every process OF manufacture,
from pig iron to watch spring or a razor
blade. The cost OF that labor. therefore.
is the chief element to be considered by
any man or association OF men who pro-
poses 10 undertake the business of max
ing iron or steel in our country.
1t seems strange to say. that pig iron
can be and Is made In England and Scot
land and shipped thousands OF miles by
sea into Puget sound ports, at a less price
than the same can be made in a well-con-
structed plant in immediate vicinity OF
those ports The difference in cost Is
chiefly the difference in labor IN that coun-
try and In ours.
when our works were erected and for
the years we continued In operation, the
iron industry of the entire country was
protected by a tariff. that in measure
Offset the difference in the cost of labor
between this and other countries. and we
could and did make an excellent article
of pig iron at Irondale al a small profit
per ton. We paid out about so. no a
month when in operation. nearly all OF
which went directly into the hands of
labor. change in political affairs
brought with * reduction I'm this tariff
regulation. and our Industry, I'm common
with many others, was absolutely ruined.
And so il will remain. until either the
tariff Is restored or labor comes down 20
an equality with those countries which
now supply the Sound with iron I have
not the least doubt that under the PRES
ent conditions we could ship OUR ore TO
Japan. have II made into iron and return
ca 10 Puget sound ports cheaper than We
could make 1T into iron at Irondale and
pay American prices Of laror.
we do not believe In English or Japa-
nese wages for our workmen in America.
and unless a change shall come in the
political affairs Of this country and some
measures are taken 10 protect Us from
the products Of cheap labor. as also cheap
labor itself. our furnace stacks viii crlim-
BILE and decay from non-use. sid the ruins
thereof be a monument TO the policy
which has brought ruin 10 ~ and hard
times 70 the country generally"