Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-17
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER II, lgls
HELPS MINERS AND SOLDIERS.


The zinc owners and miners III Nc"
Mexico will have chance to rae III
tho hand wagon of prosperity II the
senate and the president approve Oh
the action of the lower house OF con-
gress in providing for taEff OF TWO
cents per pound upon that mineral
Tn 1a13 congress struck down this IN
dustry by reducing the tariff 10 ninety
cents per ton. Thereafter, unul wal
tipoe demand made production at
home necessary and profitable under
government offers, most of the zinc
came from Mexico. With the stop
mage of war needs the American
mines were hard hit again and most
of them suspended 1t was shown Per
fore the house committee that at pres.
ent the average, cost of producing
zinc in the United States is about $50
TO SOS per ton and in Mexico ss.4z'
The supply from Mexico is produced
nv Mexicans, Indians, Chinese ana
Japanese, who work for one-tnlrd Oh
the wages American miners receive
The greatest pressure for a protec-
tive tariff on zinc. came from ue
Missouri mining district where the
miners organized unions for the ex-
press purpose of securing protection,
as mines were closed through lack Oh
ability to employ the men at alb IN
competition with the Mexican zinc'
after war demand ceased and price
dropped.
In a message sent TO congress from
Paris. for the first time did a demo-
cratic president urge tariff for pro-
lection of infant industries. though
President Wilson referred only to
chemicals and dyes necessary to Sc
cure independence from European
control. He held that success could
he attained by the industry through
tariff exclusion. 1t was not for the
purpose of sustaining labor that he
asked for tariff,
But in a case like this. where large
owners capitalists or corporations, are
urging that their means of living p'
not kept from them. 1t is hardly like
". in view of the overtures the presi
dent and his party are making to laoo
forces, that he will veto a tariff Dill
forces, that he will veto this tariff.
In a speech in the house, Congress
man Mcpherson OF Missouri silencet
oratorical opposition Of and-tarif
democratic members when he sail
that many soldiers went from the Tin
mines of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahom
and New Mexico; that they foun'
upon returning that mines were close
and aliens across the border wer
getting the work of zinc mining. ina
of the thousands who worked in Am
erican zinc mines in 1918 practi
cally all were without employment. o
had to labor in other lines at wage
in sufficient to support families. eve
If living costs be reduced The Con
gresham went on to say:
These young men nave pee
abfoad-they have seen the situauo
of the working men in Europe; the
have seen the situation in France
they have seen the situation in Enc
land, and many of them have passe
through that island. 1t is certain the
are unwilling to live upon the sam
plane as workers over there. We az
unwilling that you should compel hill
to do so. and we are therefore goin
to pass iris bill. We see the situation
and not like you, no construction
the constitution to which we subscrit
forbids our remedying 1t. We PR
pose to put duty on all. the zine OF
that shall hereafter be imported so
to help solve the problem of the mig
cost Of living of those in the iii
mining industry by levying the rat
carried by the Payne-Aldrich tart
law"
At conclusion of debate the measu
received a vote of approval. withol
call from democrats for yeas ar