The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-01-10
NTCARAGUAN CANAL BILL
PASSES THE HOUSE BY AN
ALMOST UNANIMOUS VOTE
MINERAL PRODUCTS ARE
VALUED AT $1,O87, SOB, ,o06
Iron and Coal Alone Yielded More Than Half the Grand To-
tal Their Combined Value Being Over $556,0O0,000
An Enormous Output of Ore

Washington January s.-The value of
the mineral products of the United
States in 1900 exceeded for the first time
| the billion dollar mark, according to
| the Geological Survey report on min
eral resources. which has just been is
sued.
The exact figures were s1.os 603. COG. as
compared with $971 100. S94 in 1899. a gain
| of s95. zoe. ZIP, or 9S5 per cent. Iron and
coal alone yielded more than half of the
grand total, their combined value be-
| ing over s566,ooO.OOo. The statistical sum-
mary of the production of the various
minerals already has been published. OF
the total iron ore output of 2755s.161 long
tons, the Lake Superior region. embrace
ing mines in Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota, produced its maximum out
put of 2O.5O4,2ss long tons. or 70 per cent
of the total of the United States. The
| Mesaba range in Minnesota alone pro-
duced S,15S. .45O long tons, or 80 per cent
| of the total domestic product.
! The total value at the mines of the
27,55S161 long tons produced in 1900 was
$6s. sO,5O4, as compared with $349s9.O77 In
1899. gain of 1925 per cent. The average
price was $242 per long ton. as compared
with $1.42 per ton in 1899. gain of 70.i
cents per ton. The lowest price per ton
was 50 cents in Texas where convict
| labor is an element in mining. The high
| est price was s371. in Colorado. OF 49,
| 059393 long tons shipped from the Lake
Superior region in 1900. only 49s,0S7 tons
went by rail. Over 2,Oo,00o long tons went
| to furnaces at Chicago and in Michigan
| and Wisconsin. and over Is, ,7O0,0 900 tons
went to lower lake ports. of which the
three ports of Ashtabula, Cleveland and
Conneaut. In Ohio. received more than
| $500, 900 tons.
The report shows that pig iron produc-
ton in 1900 increased 1.24 per cent. in
| tonnage and over per cent in value over
the record-breaking year of 1899. The
| total steel production was a decrease of
over 10000 long tons from 1899.
| &>-e<<$-~-es~->-<-e-s- -e-e-<-~-<->-<->-<<>t
| bers. But he offered then and there to
| give Mr.. Cannon the speech and sent it
over to him by pageas-.4>s.---.
Mr. Cannon. discussing the language of
| the bill. asked what was meant by au-
! thorizsag the President to obtain full
| control" over the land upon which the
canal was to be built. Did 1t mean the
| purchase and ownership of miles of prop
/ erty owned by spectators, both American
/ and Nicaraguan? With great emphasis
Mr.. Cannon declared that, in his judg-
ment the general appropriation which the
| bill contained and the artful language of
it would cause the claim that 1t gave the
President full power not only to pay Mica
| ragua and Costa Rica, but the maritime
| canal company European American and
| Nicaraguan spectators, how much he
could not tell. 1t might be FIVE ten or
| twenty-five millions
Denounced Undue Haste.
He denounced what he termed the un-
due haste of those who wanted to build
this canal "between now and sunrise to-
morrow He also objected to the au-
thorization the bill contained to negotiate
contracts for the whole work. Mr.. Can
non said he would vote for the Morris
amendment, and If 1t failed he would
move to recommit the bill. with amend
ments he had suggested
Mr.. DeArmond of Missouri said the
question before the American people was
not as to whether Congress would pass
bill for the isthfnan canal, but whether
the bill would be matured and proper
| when passed II confidence existed in the
President, why should he not be given
the opportunity to negotiate with CO.
| lombia or Nicaragua according to the in
formation in his possession? Alternative
authority would enable him to make bet
ter terms Experts differed as to the ad-
| vantages of the two routes. Why not
give the President the discretion to Sc
lect? Neither peril nor risk would be in
| volved In It, The BILL he urged, needed
maturing. Were the army engineers to
build the canal, or was there to be one
gigantic syndicate whose influence, bale
full perhaps but consequently mighty,
would extend over many years? Were the
principles of cicil service to obtain or
were political considerations to govern?
He was tired of passing legislation in the
House and allowing the Senate to per-
feet It,
Mr.. vandiver of Missouri and Mr..
Hooker of Mississippi advocated the pass
age of the unamended Hepburn bill
Hepburn Answers Criticism.
Mr. Hepburn answered the criticisms
adduced against the bill during the debate
devoting considerable time to Mr.. Can
non. The gentleman from Illinois he
said demanded clearness and definiteness,
yet he proposed to support the Norris
| amendment which, Mr.. Hepburn point
| ed out, was vague and indefinite. He
had impugned bad motives to no one
but he believed that forces were working
for delay. IT do not impugn the mo-
| tFcS VI Tie gentleman lTOIil lluilOlS, Sdlu
he, when he says he is In favor of this
| canal. In a parliamentary sense l am
convinced, yet am free to confess that
only the obligations of parliamentary law
would convince me when remember that
he has invariably been a stickler for de-
| lay
Mr. Hepburn then proceeded to re-
| view Mr.. Cannons record on canal Iegis-
lation to show that his declarations of
! friendship did not harmonize with his
constant course of hostile delay. He re-
peatedly drew applause and laughter
| after he loosed his shafts of sarcasm
| on the chairman of the appropriations
| committee.
| Mr.. Cannon seemed to take 1t all good
naturedly joining in the laughter pro-
| voked at his expense. Mr.. Hepburn said
| that Mr.. Cannon posed as a business
| man, yet he said. he wanted to pay $40.-
| 900 900 for something the commission said
| was worth $4,000. With regard to the
| alleged claims of the maritime canal
| company. which the gentleman from IL
linois discovered In the pale moonlight"
| the commission reported that they had
| already been extinguished.
Read Democratic Doctrine.
| Addressing the Democratic side he read
| the plank in the Kansas City platform
| pledging the party to the Nicaraguan
| canal
| rtat he said amid laughter .va q, NV