The Monte Vista journal., 1908-03-28
CONGRESSMAN COOK TALKS.
Urges His Bill Placing Duty on Man.
qanese Ore.

washington. - Representative COOk
made his first formal speech in the
House Tuesday, his subject being his
bill to place a duty on shipments into
the United States of manganese iron
ore. Although the address was upon
an economic subject, 1t was listened to
with attention by the House and Mr..
Cook was the recipient OF many con-
gratulations on the manner in which he
handled the question at issue.
Mr.. Cook said: 1.-The Republican
party in its national platform for the
past forty-five years has proclaimed
the doctrine of the protective tariff
principle for American labor and cap
ital, against the pauper labor and cum
ming capital of foreign monarchy.
From the great Morrill, tariff bill to
the Dingley bill. in measure the
House Of Representatives and the Sen
ate of the United States have protected
the American miner and manufacturer
Of raw material of iron, ore, steel, coal.
coke. gold, copper, lead, zinc. lumber
and thousand, of other things. orig
inally produced in the United States.
THAT Congress should discriminate
used in the manufacture Of steel rails
and all other steel structural forma-
tions, and put it on the free list, is
n glaring inconsistency and smacks
strongly of special legislation for spe-
cial manufacturers
IF iron ore is favored by a high pro
tective tax and 35,OOO.OOO tons were
mined and shipped in the United States
n hn nf N
eign competition it is certainly rea'
sonable that 40 cents. or even 81 per
ton as duty passed by the Senate,
should be placed on the peculiar metal
manganese that is absolutely necessary
to make durable and perfect steel
rail, as well as all other manufactured
steel products. owing to the fact that
manganese gives iron a greater ten
sile strength, elasticity and elongation.
Before manganese ore was placed
on the free list by the conferees OF the
House. / was the largest shipper OF
manganese ore in the United States:
have shipped from Leadville, Colorado.
more than l25.000 tons of manganese
ore for steel manufacturing purposes.
mined by American labor. the wage
being 81 per day for miners. and 81
per day for engineers and pumpmen,
| precisely the same wage AS paid by
mine operators in Colorado for mining
/ gold, silver. lead and copper.bearinS
ores. in competition with wage Of 60
| to as cents per day, paid for mining
manganese ore in Russia. Chill. Brazil.
Japan and Cuba, to the absolute injury
| OF intelligent American labor. From
these countries the supply is now com
ing in ballast to the United States and
used by all the steel mills In our coun'
try except the Colorado Fuel a. Iron
Company OF Pueblo. Colorado, 1.-THE
only steel works west OF Chicago) and
since the establishment OF the Colorado
Steel works in 1850. have used more
than 100000 tons OF Lcadville man
ganese ore for making spiceeleisen
the mixture with pig iron for reasons
hereinbcfore stated. mixed In covert
ing furnaces producing steel inSots
from which merchantable steel is
rolled into shapes.
Millions of tons Of iron (hematitc)
ore in the Mesaba. Hoegebec ana
Menominee ranges Of Michigan and
Minnesota are mined In open cuts with
steam shovels and placed on cars at
cost Of 2Gh cents per ton. this ole
is projected by duty as 1t should be.
Now, Mr.. Speaker. any practical
chemist or metallurgist in the United
States will say manganese does not ex'
list In It's pure state In any part OF the
world. where deposits are known 10
exist. but metallic iron IL found In
yariably in combination with the man
ganese, which Is manganitcrous Iron
ore. The 2O7.0CS tons OF manganifer
Gus iron ore that was received for
the iisca! year. ending June 30. 1907
should have paid duty to the govern
ment Of 40 cents per ton. or the sun
OF $4,000 for the year. for the good
and sufficient reason each and every
ton OF this foreign ore was manganifcr
ous iron ore. but "A departmental rul
Ing by the assistant secretary Of tht
treasury. arrogated within himself The
powers only granted under the law Il
the Congress Of the United States. thu
Treasury Department has. and stil
maintains this mnnifcstly unfair rul
ing. resulting In great loss OF revenue
to the government.
In the presentation OF these indis
putable facts OF the great injustice b,
the confcrccs Of the House of the Fifty
NTH session OF Congress. favorable con
sideration and cooperation Is carncsil,
requested to restore the duty on man
gnnese ore. thereby carrying out thu
protective principles and pledges o
the Republican party. In the Interests
Of American capital and labor"