Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-08-07
Tin TArir settled.

L
TIN Tariff Settled.
just as we are ready 10 60 to press, we
are informed that E. q Johnson of Hill
City, has received telegram from Sem
ator Gamble, stating that the Senate
voted tariff of four cents per pound on
pig tin and tin ore concentrates and that
he was successful in having his amend
ment retained by the Conference Com
mittee, and the Presidents signature to
the whole bill now makes il law.
While the Gertie tin mill at Hill City
and the linton tin mill at linton were
just ready to start, still there was as yet
no steady production oftin in this coun-
try, and duty on tin was looked upon
as bnrdensome tax on raw material
without any industry to be benefited or
protected. This was the long establish
ed principle Of the tariff for protection
policy which Mr.. johnson had to over
come when he started out to procure a
duty on pig tin ore. But through the
able assistance of Senator Gamble in
congress the effort has produced results.
There is one provision however, that
must be complied with before the
amendment takes effect, The amend.
ment verbatim. reads as follows:
Provided, that there shall be i'm.
posed and paid upon cassiterite, or
black oxide of tin, and upon bar, block,
pig tin and grain or granulated, duty
of four cents per pound when 1t is made
to appear to the satisfaction of the
President oethe Uaitad s.etns thar the
mines of the United States are produc-
ing, and will continue to produce. one
thousand five hundred tons of cassiterite
and bar, block, and pig tin per year.
The President shall make known this
fact and fix the date upon which this
duty shall 60 into effect by proclama-
tion."
Under the present circumstances and
conditions of the tin industry this was
the very best concession that could be
obtained from the Senate, and Senator
Gamble is to be congratulated upon
securing that much. 1t is good-sized
opening wedge, and as our tin mining
industry grows, more can be hoped for
later. While few of our tin mines can
pay handsomely under this protection,
and some of them with no duty at all,
still there are hundreds Of tin prospects
in the Black Hills that are not so rich
and need the ten cents per pound duty,
that Mr.. johnson asked for and still
hopes to get later on.
As far as the 1900 tons annual pro-
duction is concerned, that should be
easy. The Gertie tin mill is all COM
pleted and has been started with steam
from the mine boilers and small en-
CINE formerly used in the testing mill
and the machinery runs perfectly; but
with small capacity of ore going thro'
it stops for lack of power, The mill re-
quires an engine at least three times as
large, and boiler plant to run it. Efforts
are now being made to finance a new
power plant for the whole works, both
mine and mill. The present mine boil
ers are at the shaft house, requiring all
fuel to be hauled from the depot up the
long steep hill to the mine. With a
central power plans on the railroad and
Spring creek, 800 feet below the mine,
all expense Of handling coal and haul
ing by teams would be saved.
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This item from the Buffalo Gap Gaz-
ette, will apply to the Custer postofice
as well: tThe postmaster desires to