The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1921-02-10
NINE OPERATORS
PRESENT NEEDS OF
METAL INDUSTRY
Ernest Hamburger of Utah
and j.. Day of Idaho Plead
for Specific Duty on Lead
Before House Committee

Washington, Jan. 29-The ncccs.
s'ty for n duty Of cents a pound on
lead was explained to the house com.
mittce on ways aud means 10y Jerome
j. Day Of Wallace, representing the
lead producers of the Occur d'Alvue.
mining district Of Idaho, and by Ernest
Bumbergcr, representing the Ujah
nine operators. Their presentation
was mudc with view to having their
statements considered when the ways
ana means committee next session
starts In tu formulate tie new tariff
h!ll which Is to suporsrdr the Under
wood law.
Mr. Day made general statement
IN behalf Of the industry and was FOL.
lowed Icy Air, Eumhrr. r. who went
'omcwhat more into detail and spoke
more particularly Of the Utah sitUa
ion.
l. eamberger Takes Stand.
Mr. Bumbergcr took the stand and
testified rs follows:
Mr. Chairman and members OF the
committee, the lcad-ore producers of
Ulah come before YOU, not asking u
arm which Is proh!bltlve or one which
VII tend to produce extreme profits.
I'VE present to you the bald, plain
statement that without protection the
lead Industry OF Utah, as well as all
ether western states, cannot survive
The largest lead producer has closed
down, throwing 200 or more men out of
employment. Several other producers
asVe reduced the extent Of their oper.
atoms. Many Of us would cease pro.
duclng II II were practicable. Az Il Ii,
We are mining and shipping our pro.
lHcts, wasting eur ore bodies, our as.
acts. with no pront.
In connection with Schedule G, par.
sgraphS l52 and l53, We favor u speed
&c daty on lead IN ores at the rate Of
cents per pound"
Mr.. Young-How does that compare
with the duty In the Payne lawI
Mr., Bamberger-That Is half n cent
higher.
Mr.. iOmng-A half cent a poundi
mendntlon vt this time regarding the
duty on lead bullion. That does not
| affect the producer who Is not smelling
| his own ore, but We have no objection
70 q higher rate on lead bullion, etc,
giving u diffprential over lead in ore
sufficient to cover the increase cost OF
smelling, etc, In the United States.
Ad Valorem Duty Opposed.
We oppose an al valOrem duty he
rause We believe that such form OF
miy would cause endless disputes ana
Unlroycr'ies aud would he uusutisfar.
DRY both 10 the government and to tho
roduccr. Under an al Nalur,m duty
I considerable amount Of lead might he
rOught into This country free OF duty
u ores containing insufficient lead 20
pay smelling charges, but high enough
IN other metals 10 warrant production.
!."1h is the determining factor In
most IL the metal mines In Utah. THIS
state during the period Of 1913 10 1920
has produced about onc-SINth Of the
productinn ~ the Uu.ted safes and
rne-twclfih Of the worlds production.
Over 30 per cent of all Of the wage
rarn"rs Of the slate covered by the
work 'u;.mpn'S compensation net are On.
gagged IN mining, milling aud smelling
Miue products supply 81 per cent ~
ne ru'lrUal tonnage az The state. Min
ing nUd allied ludHs:rics farm 'sh m,
great market for the states ngrIcuIW
ral products.
W" IRE c"utrnding with h,sh laho"
anu supply costs, constantly lncrcu~.
ing freight and smelling charges. As
production decreases Smvltlng charges
rise rapidly. W. anticipate IN the
Iuear future increased World "udlc.irn.
The Broken IIiIlS strike has been set
tied. Mexico. with the opening of ~
vast resources, will bring Into The mar
kctS larg" Quantities Of chruply pro.
duccd Head. Rich deposits. nt compur-
atly"l" shallow depths, eriici,nt and
cheap labor !.vc (" Mexico I'm ad9aut.
age we cannot overcome.
The mines ~ Iiuh are expensive 10
rNplurr, To- develop, and To operate.
The ore bodies, rs u rule are Irregular.
many Of them small and often few and
f,,r h"tNron. Th"s' milne, are worked
80 considerable d"uDhs, lursrly through
SHAFTS with cwT"spoulngly high costs
ana often with hatyy pmH'ug CHARGES.
Mining diyid"uda and ururDS are II
mlsuomcr. In addition to more than
average returns which should he ok
pcCtCd FROM nm extra hazardous bust.
ness DE return on the capital invested
and interest m TINT capital during the
period 0f developing property to q
paying basis must not be disregarded.