White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-13
FIGHT TO RETAIN
TARIFF ON ZINC
MEMORIAL PRESENTED TO CON-
GRESS TO PRESENT ACTION
CONSIDERED RUINOUS TO M
PORTANT WESTERN MINING.

| The lead and zinc industry of
the country Is threatened by the pos
sibilty of the removal of the tariff
from those commodities, by the
present Democratic congress, which
has gone into session with the ex-
press purpose of a general overhaul
ing of the tariff schedule. The lead
and zinc men of the country are
very much up in arms at the pros
cept, and at conference in Salt Lake
City the past week, plans were formu-
lated to take up the matter with
congress and prevent If possible the
proposed cut in the lead and zinc
tariff Five intermountain states
were represented at the conference.
and it is believed by the producers
interested that If the question is put
before congress in comprehensive
manner the threatened blow to an
important industry will be ayerted.
The situation is we'll set forth in a
memorial prepared at the conference,
to be presented to congress as fol-
lows:
To the President, to the Senate and
to the House of Representatives:
The lead producers of the Rocky
mountain states respectfully present
for your consideration the following
facts relative to their industry:
The entire population of Utah, Ne
vada, Colorado, Idaho and Montana
is dependent on the mining industry.
of which lead mining forms very
important part.
The output of gold and silver
is largely associated with and depen-
dent upon the silver ore being smelt-
ed on the lead basis. Restriction of
the output of lead will therefore re-
duee the output of the precious
metals.
The men employed in the lead
mines receive the highest wages paid
to mining labor in the United States.
Almost all are native born or
naturalized citizens, of a high average
of intelligence.
OF the total traffic of the rail-
roads of the western states, il has
been shown by railway statistics that
over so per cent is furnished by min
eral products.
i All of the lead ores of the
Rocky Mountain States contain
some precious metal. Without these
precious metals the lead could not
be produced. for the cost of produc-
ton exceeds the value of the precious
metals, such as gold and silver against
the cost of producing the lead, the
average profit does not exceed one
half cent per pound of lead, at the
price of A cents, which is the aver
age price for the last five yers.
This profit. is in most, cases, less
than per cent on the capital in
vested, which is inadequate in view
of the risks involved in all mining en-
terprises.
The present duties on lead have
produced for the last ten years an
average annual revenue of 1924, ,63S,
which is approximately so per cent
more than the revenue as estimated
in the bill introduced in the last con-
gress Oh. r. 1S642). 1t is clear,
therefore, that the present duties are
not in any sense prohibitive. but, ON
the contrary, are competitive and
revenue producing.
1t may be admitted, however,
that there is disparity between the
duty on lead in ore and that on lead
in pigs, bars and bullion, and that
the latter might be reduced to the
same as the lead in ore, without any
serious detriment to the lead produ-
GERS. But the protection afforded by
the duty on lead in ore is absolutely
essential to the maintenace of the
lead industry in this country. The
fact that, even with the present duty
CONTINUED on page five.)