The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-10
WASHINGTON. Jan. s-rne house

WASHINGTON. Jan. s.-Tne house
committee on ways and means reached
the iron and steel schedule today. Repre-
sentative Draper. OF Massachusetts, In
behalf OF the machinery manufacturers
of New England. advocated the restora-
ton of the Mckinley rates.
w. IL. Alexander. OF the Grant Smelt-
ing Company. Of Omaha, spoke for lower
rates an lead ore. asking for a provision
that lead Ia AL metals containing lead
orc he dutiahle at !. of a cent a pound.
The Importation Of lead ore was neoes-
sary for smelling. he held and under
erroneous Interpretation OF the present
law IL paid as high rates and 5ia
cents per pound Duties OF IL cents on
lead bullion and l% cents on pig lead
We're asked. American capital was in
vested in Mexico and British Columbia
for producing ores.
John u. Davis, of California. asked
for a duty OF / cent per pound on lead
ores. California. he said, could produce
sll the lead ores needed by American
smelters. and had begun TO supply the
demand under the Mckinley law. bat tho
business had been stagnated under tho
Wilson law. The product ne represented
contained 40 to 60 par cent. lead and 30
per cent silver.
Dwight A. Jones. Of New York. repre-
senting the ST. Joseph Lead Company.
8 4.
would enable Americans to conserve their
lead supply and prevent the abandonment
OF the mines. The bondirs system en-
abled the Mexican ores 70 affect the
American market inJuriously. Under the
Wilson law they controlled the market.
Representative Hermann OF oregon, rec
commended duty OF 10 cents n pound on
nickel in behalf of his constituents. lie re-
called the fact that congress had passed a
resolution in 1891 authorizing the secre-
tary OF the navy TO contract for the pur-
chase of 81 0la 600 worth OF nickel for srmor
plate, on the assumption that II could not
he produced in the United States. Since
that time ores had been discovered In va
rious parts OF the United States; IN Ne
vada bearing Is per cent; In Jackson
county, North Carolina. and Fremont
county Colorado. bearing u TO II per cent.
and Saline county Ark, in Washington
aud Oregon, where there were mountains
OF ore. Oregon producers claimed 70 be
able to produce nickel at cents per
pound cheaper than Canadians.
Representative Turner OF Georgia sug-
gested that II Americans could do that II
would be necessary 10 offer bounty 10
Canadians to compete.
Hermann replied that az soon as Ameri-
cans got into the market the Canadians
combired TO drive them out. Freight rates
also favored Canadians.
A reply was made by Robert NJ. Thomp-
sen, of New York. the principal reflner of
nickel in the United States. His state
ment was that he and Mr.. Wharton. of
Camden. the other chief rsfner. had ex-
amined all the other nickel mines spoken
of by Mr.. Hermann and found that none
OF them could be made TO pay at reason
able duty.
stevenson Burke, OF Cleveland. spoke
for the Canadian Copper Company. Of
which he is president. entirely an Ohio
corporation. They had sold TO the gov
ernment copper nickel matte at II cents
a pound when the market price was 2e
cents so that fits value In armor plate
might be proved II a duty was put on
the orc the refining in the United States
would be stopped lie knew OF ores
as rich as 10 or Is per cent. nickel.
II. J. Cantwell spoke for the Missouri
Association of Lead Miners. He said that
the organization had nothing TO do with
the control OF prices: that the labor cost
OF producing lead was so great factor
that IL should not be classed as raw ma
terial. All of the companies except a
few in the Southwestern part OF the
state had made positive loss In 1896,
The subject or pig iron was next taken
up. William Ingham. of Philadelphia. for
the Eastern Pig Iron Association, asked
a restoration OF the duty or the Mckinley
rate.
X. T. Smith. a representative OF tho
Canned Goods Association. OF Baltimore.
protested against any increase in the tin-
plate duties on the ground that u would
decrease the governments revenue and
enable home manufacturers 10 raise
prices. Three Baltimore tin-ptate mills,
he said. had been closed under the Wilson
law but tho witness thought from other
causes than that law. For a year past
American tin plate had been from Is TO
% cents per hundred pounds cheaper than
foreign plate delivered at American ports
Representative Morse OF Massachusetts,
made statement In behalf OF tho tack
manufacturers.
IS. q. Crojemeyer. OF PTttsburg asked
the following advances IN tin plate and
similar wares: on tin plates or sheets os
iron or steel from 1-l5 cent 20 Ia cents
per pound: sheet iron or sheet steel. pol
ished or azed. from nc 20 iac per pound:
sheet iron or black. between TO and 3
wire gauge from 1-iGc 10 I g-i0c. Witness
saId congress had guaranteed six years
protection 10 the tin plate interest. and
Stree then Providence had favored them
after the government had deserted them
ana they had been able 10 continue IN
business. American engineers had been
able 20 make great in1prove eFnent but ths
manufacturers had been obliged to re-
duce wages TO 1--we. The witness com
planned that the Standard Oil Company
obtained rates on tinwsrs imported and
afterwards shipped out OF the country
with oil, the labor on which would give
American workmSn 8 0p3.go A year II
made In the United States.
The wants OF shotgun manufacturers
we're presented by Thomas Hunter, OF New
York Hs said since the adoption % ne
Wilson law wages had been reduced Is per
cent. and working forces reduced ~ per
cent.
r. =. Hastings. of Philadelphia. spoke
for the makers Of gold, silver and aluni-
rum leaf
II W. Hartman. o, Elwood city. Pa.
spoke for makers OF seamless tubes. Tee
chief use of the products is in bicycles.
The manufacturers desired changes ~hica
would prevent the unaeryaIuatiOn under
a. yaiorern rates
Here the committee adjourned.