The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-02-03

WY WASHINGTON HAS been the
Mecca for representatives of
w the metal mining industry
during the past few weeks,
the purpose being TO testify before
the ways and means committee of
the house with the view to getting
fair tariff protection for the metals
they represent. 1t appears now that
on account Of the changed and IN
settled conditions throughout the
world the committee has found it i'm
possible to adhere to the principle
that has generally been the basis of
protective tariff, and that is the diff
ference in cost of production at home
and abroad. According to the Wash
ineton correspondent of the Engineer
ing and Mining Journal, this princi-
pie will be disregarded on account of
the many uncertainties or the situa-
ton and says that the new rates will
be fixed more or less arbitrarily. The
committee has been taking much tes-
timOny with respect to the metals and
there is no doubt that duties will be
substantially advanced, but the cor
respondent expresses the opinion that
the expectation of some asking new
rates will not be realized.
Lead Men Testify.
The lead producers recently pre-
scented their case to the committee,
representatives appearing from the
middle west and Rocky Mountain
states Clinton H. Crane, president
of the St Joseph Lead company op-
Grating in southeastern Missouri, told
the committee that it cost his COM
pany for placing lead on the New
York market including depreciation,
depletion and per cent on invested
capital $3.50 per 100 pounds. He re
commended a specific duty on lead in
ore in dross, in bullion, pigs, bars,
matte as well as the lead in copper
regulus in sheets and pipes and that
imported as old scrap He said that
he would leave it to the committee
to determine the proper rate of duty,
but declared that the present ad val
orem is most unsatisfactory.
Day Wants Cents Per Pound.
Jerome J. Day, of Wallace, presi- 1
dent of the Tamarack & Custer Con-
solidated Mining company, the North
port Smelling company and also the
Idaho Mining association, represented
the Idaho lead producers before the
committee. He asked for a specific
duty on lead in it's various forms of
2 cents per pound. He was supported
in this position by Ernest Bamberger |
of Salt Lake City representing the /
lead producers of Utah.
Zinc Men Active.
Otto RuhI of Joplin, speaking for /
the zinc producers Of the Missouri /
Kansas Oklahoma district, told the .
committee that the essential factor in
the zinc situation is the difference in
cost of production in the United .
states and Mexico. Figures were sub
mitted giving the costs in II repre- {
sentative plants from which it was
calculated that production Of coneen-
trates cost between s45 and $50 per [
ion each. The cost to the foreign
producer 1t was asserted to be about I
s24 per ton. Upon this showing the
zinc producers ask for a specific duty
of 2 cents per pound on ores contain
ing more than 25 per cent zinc. For
ores containing between 10 and 20
ner cent zinc. a duty of IL cents per
nound is asked f. Fl. Wolff presi-
dent of the American Zinc institute
told the committee that the zinc in
dustr-v in the United States is now
experiencing the worst period Of de-
nression in its history. He said the
European smelters had recovered and
that 100000 tons of slab and sheet
zinc are on hand in Europe He fur
ther stated that at this time the Am
erican cost of production is higher
than the market price Of the metal.
Present Tariff on Lead and Zinc.
Under the present tariff law known
az the Underwood, the tariff on lead
in ore having more than per cent
tcad is three fourths of a cent per
ro,,nd on the lead contained therein
on lead bullion, bars. pigs, pipes
sheets scrap; also white and red
lead % per cent ad valorem.
The tariff on zinc ore without re-
gard to grade is 10 per cent ad val
orem on the zinc content; on zinc OK
ide 10 per cent; on zinc blocks dust
scrap. pigs and sheets, Is per cent ad
valorem.