Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-02
ELklNs PLEADS FOR OIL
Wealthy Senator From West Virginia
Advocates High Tariff for Coal and
Petroleum Industries, Regardless of
Benefits to Trusts.

Advocates High Tariff for Coal and
Petroleum Industries, Regardless of
Benefits to Trusts.
Washington, June 2.-Protection for
the coal and petroleum industries Of the
United States was the subject Of a
long speech in the senate today by
Senator Elkins, of West Virginia He
took the position that the coal produce
ers Of the country are in no position to
stand a reduction in the existing rates
OF duty Of reciprocal relations with
Canada, and that protection should be
given to Independent producers of oil
|4rssardlass of whether this would result
in benefits to the Standard Oil Com
pany or not.
According to Mr.. Elkins, the average
profit on a ton of bitumlnous coal is
about fifteen cents and during the last
two years he asserted that there had
been no profit. The largest factor in
producing COAL he said, is labor, which
constitutes about 80 per cent of the
cost. Speaking Of the large number of
people employed in the coal industry,
Mr.. Elkins said that large coal plant
is always the nucleus of town. and
that the abandonment or the closing
Of large and established mines, or their
1nterment, would destroy whole COM
muntties and towns and bring distress
and ruin to many people.
"The coal industry in West Virginia
can no more be disturbed, injured, or
impaired without great damage" said
Mr.. Elkfns. than the manufacturing
interests of New England, New York,
New Jersey. and Pennsylvania, without
bringing distress upon communities
and even disorganizing society. Plac-
ing low duty on coal would be disas-
trous to West Virginia."
After speaking at length concerning
the coal industry Of Nova Scotia and
other provinces of Canada, Mr.. Elktns
declared that If Nova Scotia coal
should be made free or the duty re-
duced 1t would in time, as new mines
are opened and developed, gradually
enter New England and displace the
sixteen million tons Of coal now shipped
there from West Virginia, Maryland
and Pennsylvania. The effect of this,
he said, would. be to destroy the mar
ket for that amount of American coal
and throw out of employment from
twelve thousand to fifteen thousand
miners and reduce the wages of the
rest. s
In speaking Of the petroleum indus
try, Mr.. Elkins. said he proposed to
vote to protect 1t by levying a rea-
sonable duty on it, and that he would
not vote otherwise In response to a
prejudice against the Standard Oil
Company. He offered figures to show
that during the past two years oil pro-
duction has doubled in the United
States. The value of oil producing
property Of independent concerns and
Independent refineries,, he said, is about
eight times greater than that Of the
Standard Oil Company. The independ-
ent producers sell most of their oil to
the Standard Oil Company, which Mr..
Elkins explained by the fact that this
company has nearly all the pipe lines
to the sea and does most of the re-
fining. According to the senator's fig
ures, the Standard oil Company pro-
duces only II per cent OF .the crude
OIL Of the United States and independ-
ent operators produce the other 80 per
cent. Placing oil on the free list, he
said. would injure the independent
producer Of oil, because he produces
nearly all the crude oil of the United
States. and foreign oil would compete
with the independent producer. Speak
ing for the $50 Independent oil pro-
ducers in West Virginia, Mr. Elkins
said that they insist that IL the couYi-
tervailing duty on crude petroleum and
Its products Is taken or, as provided
in the Payne bill. there should be a
duty Of 40 per cent ad valorum on PEI
| troleum and its products or a specific
tduty OF cent gallon on crude Oh,
Mr.. Elkins declared that no import.
ant American farm product or nianu-
lfactured product dn New England
New York. Penrssisaaa New Jersey,
the northwest and Pacific states, which
competes with fosAlgn products Is on
the free list,