The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-23
AIM TO RETAIN
FULL TARIFF On
LEAD BULLION
Western Lead Ore Producers
Association Organized in a
Meeting at Salt Lake.
HOPES OF INFLUENCING
CONGRESS IN RIGHT WAY
STRONG RESOLUTIONS WILL BE
REPORTED BY COMMITTEE AT
SESSION THIS FORENOON.

:: :: = :. = :. :: :: :. :, :. :. :. :: = :. =
= The Western Lead Ore Produc- =
= ers' association was organized in =
= salt Lake City yesterday. Z"
:: Four states were represented y
:: Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Colo =
= RADIO. -
:. Harry L. Day of Wallace. Ida, =
= was elected president, and George -
= w. Ritter of Salt Lake, secretary. -
:: finance committee was APP =
= pointed. -
= The object of the organization is =
:, to defeat the proposed reduction of =
I. the tariff on lead. =
= At II O'Clock this forenoon Teso- -
:. buttons will be reported, which =
: will be carried to Washington to =
= be used in support of the eonten- :.
:: ton that the taking off of the tar =
:. if on lead ores would be almost =
= fatal blow to the industry in the -
= iHteFmOuntain region. =
- = - = - : = - = :. = - = = (. = =
Fully convinced that the threatened
reduction of the tariff on lead by the
congress is a dire menace to the min
ing industry of the intermountain re-
gion, prominent lead ore producers from
four states met at the Commercial club
yesterday and organized the Western
Lead ore Producers association. The
states represented are Utah, Colorado,
Nevada and Idaho. Harry L. Day of
Idaho was elected president, and George
W. Ritter of Salt Lake, secretary
Strong speeches were made by promi-
nent mining men, and committee of
five will, at II o'clock this forenoon, re-
port a set of resolutions strongly urging
the congress to leave the present scbed-
ule on lead as it is These resolutions
viii be reinforced with carefully COM
piled statistics showing the amount of
production, the cost of reduction, the
profits that remain. and the evil effects
that must necessarily follow the reduc-
ton of the tariff.
Cannot Compete With Other Coun-
tries.
The trend of the speeches was to the
effect that if the tariff were taken off
lead, the mines of this section would
suffer, perhaps to the extent of being
put out of business. at least in some
cases. It was shown by statistics that
the competition from other countries is
such as to render the profitable produc-
ton of lead ores practically impossible.
This competition is the more keen in
Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and
other South American countries 1t
was pointed out that the cost of labor
in Mexico is virtually only % cents the
day, whereas the wages in this country
are $3.50 and 81. One incident was cited
where the Mexican producers, after
smelling even, gained a profit fully four
times as large as that which the Utah
producer could obtain.
Rate on Mineral Lead.
1t was the report of men who had
waited on the ways and means COM
mittee of the house that Chairman
Payne is not disposed to grant the re
quests of the western men, and that
Speaker Cannon is opposed to the re-
tentiOn of the duty as it stands at pres
ent.
The ways and means committee at
first decided to reduce the tariff on lead
in ores from IL per cent TO 1 per cent,
and the duty on mineral lead. or bullion.
from 21s per cent to IL per cent. Aft
erward the committee agreed to restore
the schedule on lead in ores to IL per
cent, but let the reduction on mineral
lead or bullion stand. 1t is this feature
that the new organization seeks to
if it be possible.
Senate and Conference Committee.
1t was the unanimous opinion that the
work that is TO be done with the con-
Eress with regard to the retention of the
duty on lead at the present rate must
be done with the senate committee and
with a conference committee that will be
appointed by the house and the senate
on the revision of the tariff
The testimony was that Speaker Can
non is possibly tractable if he be shown |
in black and white, and in indisputable |
facts and figures. the situation that would |
be brought about in this region were the |
duty on lead to be reduced. Mr.. Cannon |
is believed TO be open to reason on this |
point. but he will have to be shown, and |
for the purpose of showing him, 4 dele |
cation will be sent to Washington to ham
die the matter.
Committees Are Appointed.
The convention yesterday was called to 1
order by Harry 5. Joseph. who presided /
until the regular organiza ton had been /
effected. This committee was named on |
resolutions: ]. w. Knight. Utah: J. f. |
Cailbritf, Colorado; w. Clayton Miller /
Idaho; MyrOn a. Folsom, Idaho: jackson /
c. McCbrystal. Utah.
Addresses were made by W. +. James, /
Continued on Page 10.