The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-16
THERE rs A TARIFF ON ANTHRA>
CITE COAL.


coal. This is very natural mistake for
them TO fall into, for the tariff imposed
is not plainly expressed. In a speech
at Milwaukee on Monday. Senator
spooner, while denying Republican re-
sponsibility for the coal strike, did not
pretend there was no tariff on anthracite
coal. for he said:
1T cannot be attributed to the tariff,
for until a duty-and Il small duty--on
anthracite coal found its way, somehow
y have yet to find The man who knows
how-into the Dingley Law, there lad
been no tariff on anthracite coal"
The Louisville Courier ournal pub
fishes special from its Washington
correspondent giving extracts from the
debates on the coal section of the Ding
ley bill, which showed that Senator
Vest pointed out that the change in the
section made anthracite dutiable. That
it was intended to sneak it into the law
without attracting attention there can
be no doubt, but the watchfulness of a
Democratic Senator exposed it's purpose.
The men who dictated this change in TIE
former law were quite aware that an
thracite cannot be imported under ordi-
nary conditions in any quantity to affect
the market. But they had experience
enough to foresee a condition like that
now existing when it would be desirable
to import hard coal, so the law was
juggled to permit an additional sixty
seven cents to be added to the price of
imported Coal The point about this tax
is that it is purely in the interest of
monopoly and not to equalize condi ons
here and abroad.
The Courier Journal goes on to say:
1.-The two clauses of the tariff law, the
free list and paragraph 415-construed
together mean that anthracite is taxed
unless it contains more than per cent.
of fixed carbon, and that is what was
stated in these columns. There IS no
sort of doubt about the fact. but there
are still some people who think it can
be covered up by flood of words, or
by trying to make the Impression that
anthracite means sort OF coal that
has 90 per cent. of fixed carbon and
nothing else.
What is anthracite coal? Webster's
International Dictionary says: A hard,
compact variety of mineral coal, of high
luster. differing from bituminous coal in
containing little-or no btumen. in con
sequence of which it burns with nearly
moi L irDnt hn
mens consist almost wholly of carbon.
This last sentence indicates that the
specimens not so pure are still anthra-
cite 1t is said that the Pennsylvania
anthracite contains sometimes 81 per
cent of carbon. But anthracite with
91.99 per cent. of carbon is taxable.
1.-THE exposure of the trick with refer
ence to anthracite hurts because the
anthracite trust is just now attracting
the attention of he country, and it has
been asserted that it is not protected by
the tariff. The fact is beyond dispute,
and only ignorance or mendacity can
assail it,
The New York Journal of Commerce.
which is high authority, discussing the
same subject, gives the facts and shows
that there is duty on anthracite coal:
"In the discussion of the trusts and
their dependence upon the tariff, as well
as in all discussions of the Pennsylvania
strike, it has usually been assumed III II
anthracite coal was upon the free list.
This is not the fact. however, and if the
Government is to take any part at all
in the settlement of the strike one step,
of the wisdom and constitutionality Of
which there can be no doubt would be
removal of the anthracite duty. The
fact that there is such a duty now in
existence has escaped general attention
because it was imposed in a manner
characteristic of many of the tariff
schedules. Until 1897 anthracite coal
had always been upon the free list.
Thus the Mckinley tariff itself had upon
the dutiable list only bituminous coal
shale and culm. But when this para
graph (section 415) was reached in the
enactment OF the existing, or Dingley
tariff, these words were added: and all
Goals containing less than 80 per cent.
of fixed carbon There is no foreign
anthracite containing so much as % Der
cent. of fixed carbon, and in this man
ner all proposed importations of the
| article we're burdened with duty OF
| sixty seven cents per ton of twenty
eight bushels The object of the change
| was to forestall any possible importation
| from certain Canadian mines of anthra-
| cite, which might otherwise reach some
parts of the country more cheaply than
| the Pennsylvania article. Now there are
| thousands of tons upon the ocean bound
| to sorely tried people from number
| of foreign ports, and the Government
| is to add its siXty-seven cents to the
several dollars already added by those
| for whose benefit this particular schcd-
| ule was adopted"