The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-28
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THE TARIFF ON LEAD,

| metals so lar rs the tariff is CON
cerned on practically The same basis
Is one OF the most vicious proposition,
ever sprung in American cconomics
mere is not a particle of reason OF
logic IN the proposition that becaus,
our IRON and steel production is The
greatest OF any nation aud dominate.
the world, therefore the situation Will
respect to all other metals must neces
sariiy be the same. AS matter OF
fact and of practice. every ono knows
mat the production Of each separate
metal must rest upon its own basis,
cconomically or in part artificiallY as
helped by tariff duties.
The IRON and steel production of tho
United States ia the most magnificent
IN the world, To treat it as an indus
try needing protection, is economically
a farce and practically absurd. We
have the greatest and most accessible
iron mines in the world, aud can pro
duce iron and steel moro rapidly, more
cheaplv, and more available for general
purposes than can any other people.
Our iron and steel manufacturers go
INTO all the world and take choice con
tracts away from all competitors. re-
gardless of scales Of wages and Of
what might be supposed to be unfa-
vorable conditions. Our iron and steel
men pay more for their labor per man
than other peoples do. but still. by rea-
son Of the economic advantages which
we possess and of the better machinery
which we employ, our iron and steel
production dominates the world
Nothing of this kind can be alleged
as to the production OF lead and zinc.
We have no such command Of the world
markets in these metals as we have in
iron and steel; In fact. the production
OF lead In most parts Of the. United
States may be said to be a precarious
industry, depending upon the protective
tariff to make it possible to produce
lead IN any quantity and pay American
wages. In Canada the government
gives bounty on the production Of
lead which serves the same purpose for
the Canadian miners that our tariff
does for the lead miners of the United
States. We do not go into all the
world and take contracts for the use
of lead, nor is our ability to produce
lead or our actual production on any
such scale compared with the world
tion bears to the iron and steel pro-
duction Of the world. And since the
production of lead and zinc in this
country can not compare with our pro-
duction Of iron and steel, but rather
is in contrast, so the conditions which
the American Congress has to deal with
in respect to these contracts require
different treatment,
From time to time, when there have
been attacks made upon the lead in
dustry through efforts to reduce the
tariff, the lead ore producers Of this
region have been obliged to fight that
They have raised money
to present their case to the committees
in Congress, and have never failed to
make good case. There is this to
say about it also. that when the lead
case is presented it is an impregnable
case, and there is no possible way of
getting round the facts and the force
Of the logic and the economic position
as shown in favor of fair tariff on
lead. And all that is said with respect
to the lead tariff can be said with
equal Justice, force, and truth with
respect to the tariff on zinc.
Now that there is a renewal Of the
periodic assaults upon the lead mining
industry of this region through the
effort to destroy the protective prin-
ciple as applied to the question OF lead
and zinc, undoubtedly the Ore Pro-
ducers' Association of Utah will join
with other interests that have facts
and principles in common, and will
present anew their case to the COM
mittees in Congress, With this pre-
sentatIon, if IT shall be fairly and can
didly considered, there can be no doubt
Of the successful issue of the fight 10
retain the protective tariff on lead SO
that the production of that metal may
stiIl be practicable throughout this re-
gIon, and American wages be paid,
the tariff protection, it would
be necessary either TO close down
large portion of the lead ore producing
mines of all this region or materially
reduce the wages of miners. Either
Of these propositions would be not only
extremely distasteful. it would be heavy
raid on the industrial activity and
financial prosperity of all this region,
and even of the whole country. We
cannot believe that there is any real
disposition in Congress to inflict this
blow upon great industries in the
United States. The sentiment for such
action is based undoubtedly upon a
wrong apprehension as TO the facts in the
case. aud since this is so, IL behooves
the lead producing interests to get busy
without delay, and make such force
ful and practical presentation of con-
Il