The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-16
LEAD ORE QUESTION
Position Defined BY Ore Producers
Association.
CHAIRMAN JAMES LETTER
WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO
SENATORIAL CANDIDATES.
Replies to Three Important Questions
Received From Messrs. McCune,
Powers and Cannon-Ut tabs Lead
Ore Production Last Year Over
$4,000, 600, Largest In Its History

The Utah Ore Producers association,
an organization which has been in
existence for nearly twenty-five years,
has been AN important factor in pro-
noting such legislation as was cal
culated to further the interests of the
miners and thereby the welfare of all
the people of the state and to prevent
discrimination against Utah lin the
tariff laws, particularly in regard to
lead ore. The association is composed
of the principal mine owners and others
interested in mining in the state. w. T.
James is its president j. E. Dolly,
treasurer; w. G. Van Horn, secretary,
and Messrs. r. C. Chambers, j. j.
DAILY, j. @. Packard, j. f. Woodman,
r. N. Baskin, c. E. Holden, Charles
Watson, 2. T. Farnsworth, J. r..
Walker and c. w. Bennett, directors. .
A part of the associations work in
the past has been to accomplish the
just execution Of such tariff laws in
regard to lead ore as have been on
the statute books, or in other words to
prevent the smuggling of lead ores into
the United States, principally from
Mexico. Formerly many thousands of
tons of lead ores were shipped in free
of duty by the lead ore being covered
ONOA viii oiildlt Vi 1tCn Sll-
yer ore on the cars so as to make it
appear that it was all silver ore. This
was corrected through the instrument
tally of the Ore Producers association,
as was also a fraudulent allowance of
a supposed loss of 20 per cent in
smelling and refining.
A favorite and successful method Of
smuggling in lead ore was under the
name of type metal, a composition
composed of lead, tin and anthony.
This was also corrected by ruling of
the treasury department recurring that
the percentage Of these metals be de-
clared and that the duty of 21s cents
per pound be paid on the lead.
Stag was imported which contained
50 per cent of lead and after con-
test the treasury ordered that duty be
paid, not only on the lead, but also on
the Stag. Again copper matte, con-
tanning lead, was also imported and the
treasury; after another contest ordered
that duty be paid on the percentage of
lead. These two latter decisions were
appealed to the board of appraisers
and reversed and large quantities of
lead ore is now coming in free of duty
as Stag and copper matte. The Ore
Producers association feel that some
change in the tariff law to correct this
is necessary and the association desires
to commend this to the attention OF
Utah's representatives in congress, in
Guiding the senator to be elected by the
present legislature. The production of
lead ore in Utah last year is the largest
in the history of the state, being over
81, 600, 900 in value. hence its import
ance will readily appear.
Chairman James Of the association,
on Jan. 5, addressed letters on the
subject to the leading candidates for
the senatorship. viz: Judge Powers,
Congressman King, Hon. A. w. Nc
Cune, Hon. C. c. Richards and Senator
Cannon.