Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-07
ASHURST DEMANDS
| MANGANESE DUTY
Senator Cites Profits of Steel
Manufacturers to Show
M Ability to Pay.
By the Associated Press.

4 raw material used in the manufac'
ture Of steel, was made in the Senate
today by Senator Ashu~st, Democrat
of Arizona, who said statistics in taS
returns of the big steel corporations
showed they had made a net profit OF
$3.50, ISL .05s since enactment of the
present tariff law.
Ashurst took the floor after Sen
ator Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana
said he had been informed President
Hoover favored the free listing OF
manganese and asked If this had
prompted the Senate finance commit
tee TO place the product on the free
list after once deciding to put duty
upon 1t.
Chairman Smoot denied Mr.. Hoover
had influenced the committee in revers-
ing its decision.
Can Afford Duty.
The Arizona Senator said he cited the
profits of the steel interests to show
they could afford to pay a duty on man.
ganese. He first sounded out Senators
on the propriety of using the statistics
which we're supplied by the Treasury 10
the finance committee.
Ashurst referred to the profits OF
eight steel cOTpOTdtlOllS.
The Arizonan then made public sta
tistics which listed net profits Of the
United States Steel Corporation for the
wears 1929, inclusive, as $642,8l2.l2B
He gave the profits by years as follows
For the year 1922, $39,653,455; 1928,
SlOS ITO O64; 1924, $S5, 1l0,940; 1925,
SOC, 500. $50; 1926, $ll6,667 ,404; 1927,
Ss7 ,S96,S36; 1928. $l14,173,744.
Bethlehem Profits.
Net profits of the Bethlehem Steel
CORPORATION were given as follows: 1917,
S46O7 254; 1928, Sl2,710,712; 1924, So
2.446; 1925, $l3,866. 1853: 1925, S20,-
246,166; 1927, $l5,52s,sl7; 1928 3d.
For the Gulf States Steel Co.: 1922,
se5s ao7: 1928 s1.57e,52I; 1924. s9l2,-
s73; 1926. sI,0S6.777; 1926. 1872;
1927. $756, 4O3; 1928, $s24,745.
For Inland Steel Co. of Chicago
1922. $l,15O.O Os; 1923. $500, 1853; 1924,
s6 100 500; 1925. $5,538, 734; 1925, S.
03s, 7O4; 1927, $7,sO0,S94; 1928, &c.
Republic Iron & Steel Co., starting
with 1s23-s6,644, 345; 1924, $2.o6s,2sI;
1925. s3,Sl3 .484; 1926, $3.623,774; 1927,
s3,oIs,2s2; 1928, $4,642,45
Wheeling Co. Earnings.
Wheeling Co.-1s22, $1,725, $50; 1928,
S5.44S, l69: 1924, 1851 1925, $4.073,-
2s5: 1925, $5.566,l84; 1927, $4,o2S.sl6;
1928, $6,443, 795.
American Rolling Mills-1922, So, $685.
900: 1928. s3.5l8, 200; 1924, $2,662, 631 !;
1925. $2,755 .O93; 1926, $4,015, 999; 1927,
S3,452,S4 1928, $14,O62,s7s.
Otis Steel Co., with two years miss
ing-1922, $496, POT; 1928. 1888, 23l;
1925, $l,162,612; 1927, $l,S5s, sO4; 1928,
&3,746,81I.
Oppose Steel Industry.
The Senate coalition OF Democrats
and independent Western Republicans
stood sularely opposed to the wishes of
the powerful American steel industry
and threw itself determinedly into an
effort 20 impose an import duty on
manganese ore.
USING manganese as an important
hardening alloy. the steel men wanted
it restored, after seven years, to the
free list. and had the support OF the
Senate finance committee ana the ad-
ministration group.
The manganese miners, on the other
hand, we're anxious for tariff protection
and were given the backing OF the
coalition, which repeatedly had DEM
onstrated its ability to override the
tariff proposals of the administration
camp.
The most recent exhibition OF the
coalitions strength came late yesterday
in a vote on the first major industrial
rate schedule to be reached, that fixing
the duty on pig iron. BY wide ma
iority, the coalition was successful in
fixing this rate at rs cents q ton, q
figure Just half that proposed by the
administration group and 37la cents
less than the present duty. The vote
was 48 to 80.
one Of the most controversial IN the
bill At present the rate is cent pei
pound, duty approved for continuation
by the House and at first by the Senate
committee. The latter reconsidered.
however, voted again on the schedule
and recommended that 1t be restored
to the free list, from which it was lifted
seven years ago by the Fordney-Mc-
Cumber bill.
May Cut UndutiabIe Maximum.
The present law and the House pro-
posal AFFECT ore with a manganese con-
tent of 30 per cent or more. There
was talk that in addition to urging a
continuation of the duty the coalition
proposed to reduce the undutiable MAXI
mum from 80 to 10 per cent.
The circumstances under which the
committee reversed les stand on this
item came under the fire of the coali-
ton, too, and furnished one Of the
major controversy producing points OF
the debate.
Action on the pig iron paragraphs
yesterday provoked a sharp exchange
between Reed Of Pennsylvania, a leader
of the administration group, and Norris
of Nebraska, one of the spokesman Of
the independents. The former said that
the vote could only serve to uphold his
contention that the tariff bill was dead
and that the House could never agree
to the wholesale changes which the
coalition was making.
Norris replied that the Pennsylvania
had come "perilously near to violating
the rules OF the Senate and had gone
beyond the bound Of ordinary sports
manship>"
He asserted that he was tired Of
Reeds lectures" and that it was not
becoming in the latter to question The
intelligence of the Senate after it Lad
spent several hours in debating al
issue with a result not to the Pennsyl-
vanian's liking.
An effort to limit debate on the
metals schedule by unanimous consent
was defeated through the objection OF
several Senators, who wished to speak
at length on the manganese duty.
PIIRPIISS Tn SPEAK