Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-30
TARIFF ON LEAD IN THE ORE
Will Mske the Subject Of Warm Debate in
the Senate.
SMELLING INTERESTS ON THEIR METTLE
Insist that the Duty Named I'm the nil
VIII Result In Throwing
Many Men out of Em-
pIoyment.
MELTING INTERESTS ON THEIR MtrrLE

WASHINGTON, May 29.-(Special.)- Two
subjects for tariff debate, in which Nebraska
is vitality interested, are lead aud sugar the
| former of which will be reached early next
week. The schedule as reported of Y cents
on lead in ores is beyond all reason accord
| ing to the men engaged in the smelling bus
inees, and IL it should be adopted would
throw from 800 to 500 men out OF employ
ment at Omaha, quite as many at Kansas
City, while other smelters throughout the
United States would be affected In proper
tion. This is therefore grave proposition
as the smelling interests with their millions
of capital would be compelled to do their
smelling in Mexico and British Columbia
sending the finished product into the United
States as lead in pigs for manufacturing
| purposes.
The house bill laid the duty at 1 cent per
| pound on lead in ores after hearings .ac-
corded all interests. The smelling people
| accepted this ircrease, rather than endanger
the bill, although they felt that 1t would
| be much fairer to have the duty three-fourths
| Of 1 cent on the unfinished and ~ cents
| on the finished product. But they acqui-
esced in the schedule and thought that every
| thing was harmonious, when to their sur
! prise the senate finance committee reported
the bill with / " cents duty on lead in ores.
| There was skurrying to Washington and
| at once efforts were made to have the duty
| changed. Whether these efforts will be sue
| cessful is now subject of serious cortempla.
tion. Senators Shoup of Idaho. Carter of
| Montana and Jones of Nevada, who are lead.
ing the fight for the duty as reported, are
! determined to keep the rate in the bill.
Allen and Thurston of Nebraska, Baker OF
| Kansas ahd Turner of Washington are fight
| ing as hard the other way. Mr.. Rosewate.
| n Rpn is a. lan nj cd >yit
| Mr. Alexander Of the Omaha G. Grant Smelt-
ing works in having a reduction in the
| rate made, and no stones are being left un-
! turned that may bring help to an Omaha in
| dustry, which, If compelled to run on third
| force would bring widespread desolation to
many homes.
1t is the desire of the smelling interests
to have the rate reduced to the house bill
agreed upon in the finance committee, there
by avoiding a fight on the floor, which could
not help but become acrimonious in view of
charges and counter charges that have been
made. And powerful force is at work to
accomplish this, Notwithstanding that Sena-
tor Shoup told The Bee yesterday that he
would help defeat the bill if the senate
''monkeyed" with the tariff on lead.
One of the smallest warrants ever drawn
| by the Treasury department was signed by
| Acting Secretary Howell in favor of the
| Sioux City & Pacific Railroad company for
cents In payment to that company for
hauling headstones for the graves of union |
| soldiers. This was the balance due the COM |
| pany for transportation, and as these ac- |
| counts must be rigidly kept, warrant was |
| necessary TO pay off tie governments in !
| deDtedness. There is tradition about the !
Treasury building that a smaller warrant |
was drawn than the one above referred to- !
| namely for l cent, shortly after the war but |
| no record has been kept of it, or at least no !
! one has been able to put his hand upon the !
| order for the warrant. So the warrant of |,
| Yesterday ibn Hast
| issued by the government. Ex-Presdent !
! Cleveland received check at one time dur |
| ing his career as chief executive for cents |
| in payment of a balance on his monthly |
salary. but nobody or corporation ever re- |
ceived so small warrant as that of the I
Sioux City e Pacific Railroad company. |
| The supreme court of the United States, in |
| passing upon the question whether the In |
| terstate Commerce commission had the right |
| to fix rates had this to say of the Nebraska |
| statute creating the State Board of Trans !
| portation. The opinion of the court is by
| Mr.. Justice Brewer, and is found in the
case of the Commission against the New
| Orleans G Texas Railroad company:
We have not overlooked the statute of Ne
| braska nor the decision or the supreme
statute was approved March 81, 1887 a few
weeks after the passage Of the interstate
| and was obviously largely, patterned upon |
that act: The general obligations incor-
pSrated into that act act ,l In respect to reason
| tons, undue preferences, etc.. are all in |
| the Nebraska statute. A commission called !
"a board of transportation Is also pro-
vided for (section I'D and is charged with the |
general duty of enforcing the act and SUI
Section II. which is more full and specific
| than any to be found in the interstate com
merce act, provides that said board, shall
have the general supervision of all railroads
| inquire into any neglect of duty or or viola
pa Of hs sa by n
| vestigate any complaint made in writing and i
under oath concerning any lack of facilities.
= or against any unjust discrimination
against either person, firm or corporation
locality, either in rates facilities furnished
| or otherwise; and whenever in the Judgment
mode of conducting its business or operating
its road is reasonable and expedient in order
to promote the security and accommodation
Of the public, or in order to prevent unjust
C, places il shall make a finding Of tho facts,
and an order requiring said railroad cor
poration to make such repairs and improve
In State against Fremont Elkhorn & Mis-
souri, Valley Railroad Company .(22 Neb
alton had found that certain rates enforced
upon the road Of the, defendant company
than the rates in force were reasonable and
just. On application TO the supreme, court
1t was held that the state was entitled to
a mandamus compelling obedience to such
determination, the court obseryinga "In the
case under consideration the board found
that the rates and charges of the respondent
were excessive; in other words that there
unjust discrimination against that part
of the state, and, having so found the
board is clothed with ample power to re-
qure such railway company to reduce its
rates and charges The power OF the board
therefore, to establish regular rates and
charges of the railways within the state Of
Nebraska is full. ample and complete"
Without criticizing in the least the logic
of this decision. II is enough to say that 1t