New-York tribune., 1909-05-15
THE IRON ORE VOTE.

The Senate's vote late Thursday afternoon
on the iron ore item in the metal schedule OF
the tariff bill aptly illustrated the circuitous-
ness of the policy of the managers of that
measure. 1t has been announced that the
Finance Committee does not really favor I'M
posing a duty on iron ore and that the SenateS
representatives in conference committee will
assent to the Houses demand for free ore. Yet
for purposes not entirely ineligible the Sen
ate is encouraged TO vote by threefourths
majority in favor of taxing importa tions of iron
ore at the rate of % cents a ton. The Senate
thereby demonstrates a Pickwickian disagree
ment with the House, which it intends to re-
consider later. by an almost equally decisive
vote. This may be subtle parliamentary STRAIT
egy. But the unnitiated outside observer will
continue to wonder why it is necessary 10 set
up a legislative straw man simply for the sat
isfaction of tearing him down. The Finance
Committee and its supporters could have ap-
proved the House provision TO iron ore on
Thursday and ended the discussion. They con
troll apparently. from thirty five to forty votes
Adding these TO the twenty-four votes cast for
the House rate would have produced a larger
total for free iron ore than was rolled up on
Thursday against it.
Possibly the real purpose of the man9uvre
was to permit the Democratic minority in the
Senate TO put itself in a ridiculous situation. The
Democrats in the Senate have no intelligible
tariff policy. They held caucus at the be-
ginning of the session and found that 1t would
be impossible TO secure united action any
item in the tariff bill. Some of them are high
protectioniStS. some moderate protection
lists some are for a tariff for revenue with in
cidental protection. and practically all of them
are for one of these three policies when articles
are affected which are produced in their own
states. although they favor a liberal reduction
of duties on articles in the production of which
their particular constituencies are not inter
ested. On the vote on iron ore the Democratic
minority in the Senate had ample opportunity
70 show how little it values Democratic prece-
dents and professions and how completely dis
organized and adrift it is to-day national
party. There is nothing in the last Democratic
national platform which can Justify any Demo
Crat in voting for tax on iron ore Free iron
ore was long one of the cardinal demands Of
the Democratic tariff TefOrmers, and if the
platform of 1908 means anything 1t clearly de
clares in favor of an extension of the policy Of
free admission of raw materials. Yet of the
Democratic Senators voting on Thursday
eighteen favored duty on iron ore. and only
ten opposed il. -Four did not vote only two of
them being paired with absent Republicans
The Republican party is not committed
conditonally To the policy of free raw ma
terials. With Republicans their admission free
is entirely matter of expedency. If they can
he admitted without harm TO domestic industry
and are needed TO supply the wants of domestic
manufacturers. sound protection policy iusti-
fes their admission. Under protective tariffs
hides have been admitted free-and it is be
lieved by great majority of protectionists that
they should be put again on the free list 1t
is the same with coal and iron ore. The iron
ore importations are small Under the present
law the duty is 40 cents ton, and ore coming
from Cuba is admitted under the terms Of the
reciprocity treaty at a reduction of 20 per cent
in duty-or al 80 cents ton. The ore imported
from Cuba in 1906-'07 amounted In value to
50, ,137, 7S4. nearly twice the value of all other
ore imported. The revenue Cuban ore was
S1S7. .O94 and on other ore S204. .450. The House
proposed 10 surrender this revenue of S391. .544 /
and let all ore in free. The Senate bill retain
ing duty of q cents ton on non Cuban ore /
and 90 cents ton on Cuban ore, would bring !
in S244 600 in revenue
The amounts are trivial The Cuban ore can /
he used TO advantage by the independent steel /
and iron plants the Atlantic sea board II |
cannot he imported in large enough quantities |
10 affect the iron and steel industry west of the
AlIeghanies or the ore mining industry in the |
lake region The trainers of the House bill /
were, in our opinion, justified in making iron
ore free. It is agreeable TO be assured that the
Senate will drop the duty IN conference. the
net result being only n demonstration Of the
minority's hopeless ohfuscation on the tariff