The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-10
IRON AN INFANT INDUSTRY.
THE OLDER 1T GROWS THE MORE
PROTECTION PAP 1T WANTS.

The Ways and Means Committee OF
the House DcvOtes the Day to Iron
and Lead Ores, Metals and Manu-
factures ThePeof-A Californian
Claims Development of Ore Mines
| in His state Has Ceased Under tho
Present TnriR-Ten Cents n Pound
Asked ON Nickel.
! Washington, Jan. 9.-The hearing before
the ways and means committee to-day was
devoted to iron and lead ores, metals and
manufactures thereof.
Representative Draper of Massachusetts,,
on behalf of the manufacturers of ma
chinery in New England presented, with
out comment their request for a restora-
ton of the Mckinley rates of duty on their
product.
W. Fl. Alexander of Omaha, Neb., sug-
gested the following modification of the
present paragraph in the law relating to
lead ores: "All ores Of which lead is a
component part shall be dutiable at the
rate of three-quarters of one cent per
pound on the lead collected therein.
John d. Davis of California said there
were immensce bodies of Galena ore in
San Bernardino county, Cal, awaiting de-
velopments. The industry has been start
ed under the Mckinney law, but had been
forced to suspend under the present law.
| Thousands of tons of this ore had been
taken from the mines and placed on the
dumps ready for delivery and If protec-
tion was given, these mines would again
be worked He advocated a duty OF one
| cent. per pound on lead ores.
d. A. Jones of New York, representing
the St. Joseph (Mo) Smelling Company,
appealed for a duty on lead ores which
would preserve the industry in this coun-
try.
Representative Herman of Oregon ap-
pealed for a duty of 10 cents per pound
upon nickel in order to allow the devel-
opment of our nickel mines. Up to 1891,
It was thought that there were no nickel
mines In the United States of any value.
Since then valuable mines had been dis
covered In North Carolina, Washington.
Nevada and Oregon. The nickel now used
in the United States, especially In the man.
ufacture of armor, was being imported
from Canada. The ores here were very
rich and could be produced cents per
pound cheaper than in Canada.
The duty on pig iron under the present
law was claimed by some to be a sufficient
protection, because very little foreign pig
iron was now imported and some few
pig iron was abnormally high abroad and
domestic pig iron abnormally low at home.
William A. Ingram of Philadelphia, on
behalf or the Eastern Pig Iron Associa-
ton, asked for the restoration OF the Nc
Kinley rates of duty on pig iron.
In the Lehigh valley and New Jer-
sey districts the Hudson river dis
district, including the Lake Champlain
plants the Schuylkill river district, In
cluding the Lebanon and East Pennsyl-
vania valleys, the Susquehanna river dis
trict and the Juniata river district, there
were l04 furnace stacks; of these twenty
two were running and eighty-two idle.
Some of these idle furnaces would never
start again without reorganization. which
means practically an absolute loss to the
original stockholders and bondholders
who have to take the properties and re-
/ organize.
The history Of the Virginia and West
Virginia furnaces would tell the same
story.
AS the present capacity Of the furnaces
in the United States was largely In ex-
cess of the probable demands of the mar
ket for some years to come, there was
no danger of the prices rising to an un-
reasonable limit by virtue of the restora-
ton of the duty named In the Mckinley
| bill. The putting of idle furnaces In blast
would, by competition, protect the con-
sumers. They further asked for re-
| vision of the duties on bar iron, black
| sheets and tin plate, and that cotton ties
and fence wire be subjected to the same
rates as other like material. They asked
this because 1t was for our interest that
our customers, the makers of bar iron,
black sheets, tin plate, fence wire and
cotton ties should be protected.
And. further because a duty depending
on the purpose for which an article was
| Intended, opened the door to outrageous
frauds on the revenue. They request the
committee to adopt as a basis for the new
tariff the so-called Mckinley act, and not
the so-called Wilson act.
]. c. Thropp OF Everett, Pa, thought
the present duty on pig iron was ade-
quate now, but II fair market and fair
prices should prevail 1t would attract the
foreign product and then the duty would
not be sufficient. Competition would keep
the prices here at a normal figure and
| protect the consumer.
w. G. Cronemeyer of Pittsburg, a repre-
sentative of the tin plate industry, asked
for increases of from 1s to X cent on va
rious grades and a new clause TO cover
plates below No. 30 wire gauge, which
were now manufactured here and needed
protection.
The committee adjourned until Monday.
which will be the last day of the hear
| ings. Various schedules, including sun
dries and the free list will be taken up.