The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-21
THAT oNE-YEAR CONCESSION.

When the Republican majority in congress concede
that the removal of the tariff coal for year
good they concede that the coal tariff is bad When they
Concede that the removal of the coal tariff for year
will be good they concede that its removal for year
and six months would be good that its removal for two
years would be good, and that its removal for three
years and permanently would be good.
The appearance of the coal strike upon the situation
simply accentuates and makes prominent to the mind
of every man, and child the inherent evil of the
tariff protection of the coal trust The evil is just
real when there strike; it simply appar
The coal famine made the evil striking that the
hand OF the Republican management was forced.
The high tariff benefcaries and their political agents
and representatives bitterly opposed the humble
concession of even oneyear abolition of their coal tariff
subsidy. But public wrath demanded action. The
hearthstones of the land their chill of the
of the political bosses and shook with fear
The abolition the coal tariff for
year simply their eXpedient to prevent postpone
the main issue of free coal for the American people.
What ground is there for mulctng the people to the
of 67-cent per tariff royalty for the benefit
OF whose annual coal output is already greater
than that of the entire United Kingdom of other
nation the face of the globe?
The coal product of the United States in 1901,
though restricted by trust influences order to keep
prices reached the total of 2o32o85I6 tons,
practically 3ooooO,ooo. This is 100000 larger
than the heaviest annual output of Great Britain and
than that Of all the rest of the world combined
The United States 40 per of the worlds
annual coal product and has the capacity for easily
90 per cent whenever the operators fit to exert it.
What has the nation of the greatest coal
and the greatest productive capacity and product to fear
from foreign competition? Ocean freight alone gives
heavy domestic protection
"But there the mines of Nova Scotia right
door, eXclaim the political representatives of the ope
rators.
Yes, there is Nova Scotia and what competition
she oer The greatest product of all Canada including
Nova Scotia is only about 100000 tons, slightly
over one-fftieth Of the American output!
Nova Scotia has yet produced coal enough
to supply even Canada The United States actually has
exported into the Dominion of Canada for three years
past average of 100000 year by of the
inability Of the Nova Scotia mines supply the Cana
dian demands for consumption!
If there is skeptical high tariff exponent among
the readers of The Globe, who still labors under
delusion that the coal industry of the United States
is i'll danger from Canadian competition, let him
the pages Of the treasury report coal
exports and read that exports of domestic coal into
Canada in 1890 I53226o tons of anthracite and
2oo457S of bituminOus that i'll 1900 they I737446 of
anthracite and 67oo8I Of bituminous; that in 1901 they
185oo4o of anthracite and 3,203535 of bumnous
and that for the fiscal year ending June 3d. 1902
they amounted to I5o2437 of anthracite and 33426lo
of bitumi.ou 1t is little Nova Scotia and the
American coal trust that needs protection in this
petition.
The largest importatiohs of Nova Scotia coal into
the United States yet recorded those of the fiscal year
ending with June go only I,o77o6o tons whereas
in that year the United States exported into Can
ada 100000 tons!
1t would be good thing or the American neople
if Nova Scotia actually able put up kind
of competition. 1t would be a good thing If Nova
Scotia produced 100000 year, instead of SIX
for then the coal combine could with such mpunity
defy the public, dictate prices Cypress its 0loycs and
visit the country with fuel famine.
With absolute and permanent free list for coal
and sufficient competition hand in Canada, no
such conditions as those which have eopardzed this
nation since last May would be possible With coal
and outside competition, the coal barons last
would have treated their employees like gentlemen,
granted the slight and just demands in regard to hours
Of work and pay, and there would have been neither
coal strike fuel famine
The interests of American labor equally with those
OF the American home and of American industry and
trade III general demand free COAL and only for one
year. but forever. One year of free coal will open the
breach IN the tariff wall far that the coal barons and
their high tariff representatives in congress will never
be able to patch the gap