The San Francisco call., 1903-01-15
COAL DUTIES REPEALED.

from the scarcity OF coal in the East Congress
~ has authorized and required the Secretary OF
the Treasury TO make full rebates OF duties imposed
by law on coal OF every kind and description inn
ported into the United States from foreign countries
Tor the period of one year from and after the passage
OF this act
The vote for the bill in the House was almost
unanimous and yet il is doubtful if majority of the
members expect any great measure of good to re-
suit from it. That much is made evident by the re-
port OF the Ways and Means Committee, which in
recommending the passage of the bill says: This
Is an emergency measure dlmanded because OF the
scarcity and high price OF coal, resulting from the
recent prolonged strike inthe anthracite coal mines
Precedents for such legislation are found in the Chi
oago FIRE and the rl at Eastport Me- In these cases
Congress rebated the demand on lumber used in re-
building in the burned districts Whether the leg
isation viii increase the importations or reduce the
price of coal is question on which men differ But
II IS all Congress do in the premises and will
satisfy the demand OF many OF our citizens While
there threatened coal famine in any part of the
country turn deaf TO the cries OF the
people"
1t IS to be noted in any consideration OF the bill
that 1t was carefully drawn as to form no prece-
dent for tinkering with the tariff piecemea The
committee. in fact expressly declared an unwilling
TO go into the question of tariff revision even
on this one article"
Credit viii be given to the committee and to those
who voted for the bill for their intention to avoid
tariff tnkering, but after all is said and done that
viii be the effect OF their act The duty on i'm
ported coal IS practically removed for year The
country is to have an experiment in free trade in
that article and coal operators miners and dealers
viii have to face the consequences
A notable feature Of the recommendation of the
bill IS she statement, Whether the legislation will
increase the importatons reduce the price of coal
is question on which men differ" Suppose it
should increase the importations without reducing
the price? 1t is just about likely to have that effect
as any other.
The foreign coal producers are as a rule about as
closely bound together in their various localities as
those Of the coal in this country They will
OF course profit by the chance to pour their coal
into the United States market but there is no rea-
TO suppose they going to cut the throats of
one another IN effort to sell it cheaply to the
United States consumer.
Furthermore, there remains TO be seen what the
effect will be on the American coal industry Last
summer the anthracite miners asked for higher
wages and struck when their demands were refused
The operators asserted the time that at the exist
ing price of coal they could not afford to pay higher
wages; that should the demands of the men be
granted there would have to be an increase in the
price OF coal to the consumer as otherwise the
mining Of anthracite could be protabIy carried
ON. On that showing large importation OF foreign
coal. should the foreigner reduce the price would
put the American miners in worse position than
ihey were last year.
We shall see in due time the result OF this hastv
legislation. passed emergency measure and
L. IL
al IT'S bearings upon American industry it will have
the effect OF once more teaching the lesson of main
tanning the protective system unmpaired Ii seems
absolutely necessary to have object lesson of that
kiRd once every often satisfy those who look
TO free trade as remedy for all the ills of the coun
try Fortunately this time are to have the lesson
on a comparatively small scale and for year only
Still it is to be regretted that after so manv similar
lessons in the past there should be any need of an
other any scale whatever.