The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-13
PLENTY OF IRON
Senate Is Told There's Enough
for 5000 Years.
Deposits in Cuba Are of Almost
Equal Extent.
CAN'T GET THE TRUTH
Senator Rayner Says the Tariff
Peryerts the Mind.
Never Saw Such an Aggregation
of Liars i'm His Life.

Washington, May 13-After a call of
the senate had shown that So senators
were present today Mr.. Burrows spoke
I'D favor of a duty on iron ore as a
source of revenue for the government
The present duty of 40 cents a ton
which the committee proposes to re-
duce to 25 cents, yields, he said, a rev.
enue of $500 which would be lost
by placing iron ore on the free list as
proposed by the house
Mr- Burrows said that it was rea-
sonable to state that at the present
time 5o.5O0 men were employed receiv-
ing wages amounting to $31 500. 900 in
the production of iron ore which in
dustry he said it was now proposed
to open up to the competition of the
world.
! Mr.. Burrows read a description of
extensive iron ore deposits in Cuba,
which, he said, belonged to the Penn
I sylvania Steel company. This body of
ore on the north coast of Cuba. he
said was larger than the iron deposits
| or the Lake Superior region and all
conditions were favorable to placing
that ore on the market at a cheap cost.
What is the relation of this Penn
syivania Steel company to the United
States Steel corporation?" asked Mr..
Brown of Nebraska. That is not ma
terial," replied Mr. Burrows. IT will
appear later
1T seems to me to be very mater
ial,' said Mr.. Brown.
Senator Cummins said he under
stood the Cuban ore could not be taken
west of the Alleghenies on account of
the freight rates.
MI Burrows stated that from the
lake region to Pittsburg the freight rate
was s2.2S a ton, while from Cuba to
PittSburg the rate was S2.35.
Quoting from advance proof sheets
! of the next annual report of the
geological survey, Mr.. Burrows said
| there are now iE available ore in the
! United States $500 million tons of
| high grade ore. while in Michigan,
/ Minnesota and Wisconsin there were
! of lower grades that will be available
and are now useful II billions tons
making 75.500 million tons in addi-
| ton TO which it is estimated that the
| Cuban deposits of high grade ore
amount to 1.57S million tons
Enough for 5000 Years.
! Speaking of the basis of the facts
| he said:
1.-THE senator from South Dakota
yesterday told US that our iron ore
years, but according to the statement
| of the geological survey at the rate
of consumption now going on the
iron ore of these three states will last
a little over 5000 years. so that [
think We need not concern ourselves
| about the exhaustion of these prod
ucts 5000 years hence
He presented petitions from bodies
| of iron ore miners in Michigan and
| elsewhere, protesting against the
withdrawal of the duty on iron ore.
Saying that if the senate should re-
| ject the amendment of the committee
on finance, placing duty of 25 cents
! a ton on iron ore, he would later
move to put that article on the
/ free list, Mr. Rayner proceeded
to discuss the iron ore Industry. He
read extracts from newspapers to the
effect that if the duty on iron ore
should be retained the act would re-
dound to the benefit of the United
! States Steel corporation as the owner
of the ore lands and would in1ure the
/ Independent steel companies as these
companies must buy their iron ore
from the steel corporation If they
could not import it free of duty.
Mr. Rayner read from a statement
| of Representative Payne In the house
in defense of the actions Of the ways
and means committee in placing IRON
| ore on the free list and remarked to
the Republican side of the chamber:
Rayner Protecting Payne.
CT am here protecting Mr. Payne
from the Republicans of the senate :"
He said he did not believe the Cuban
| iron ore would go west of the Allie
| ghenies. but it would be available for
| the steel companies on the Atlantic
Coast in eastern Pennsylvania, Della
ware and Maryland The companies
he said. were competitors of the Uni
ted states steel corporation from
which they now buy their iron ore.
| Mr.. Smith of Michigan, quoted
! Charles Schwab as stating before the
house way and means committee that
| to nut iron ore on the free list, would
not reduce the price of the manufac-
tured product
| 81 don't believe a word he says"
| retorted Mr.. Rayner with energy. ct
| don't believe some things either" re-
piled Mr. Smith. There seems to be
| something about the tariff said Mr..
Rayner. that perverts the human
| mind and aspira tions and longing of
the soul for truth
| SIS that true of importers well as
| Of manufacturers? inquired Mr. Dick.
! 'sThe situation in Washington here
! today" replied Mr.. Rayner. lis such
that you can not get the truth out of
| ANYBODY. I am very fond of liars.
| have studied them by day and night.
but I never in my life saw such an
aggregation of them are as
sembled.'