Montana labor news., 1932-04-28
MORE MONTANA COPPER TARIFF DETAILS
Continued from last edition.)
BY HOVAL A. SMITH.

The foregoing facts taken from our own domestic copper mining
industry prove cOnclusvey that We can export large quantities of
copper when the industry is rgidly protected, yet prevent the
flooding of the domestic market by the foreign product except
during excessive domestic copper prices which "a the us of the
1873 Importation
Copper Tariffs lSi6lSs4.
We note that the first copper ingot tariff was laid in 1886, practically
conddent with the recorded beginning of our domestic copper mining in
dustry. This ingot duty was repealed in 1857
We find that the first oretoingot copper tariff was passed in 1861,
which laid a duty of five per cent as against copper imported in ores, 15
cents per pound for old copper and two cents per pound for copper i'm
ported in ingot form These duties prevailed until 1869, except that in
1864 the lngot duty rate wal raised to 25 cents per pound
In 1865, we ascertain that the duties were increased to three cents for
in oes,f four cents for copper in regulus also old forms, and five
cents per pound for copper imported in ngot form. These duties were in
effect until 1883 except for a ten per cent reduction during 1924.
The tariff act of 1889 fixed a rate of 25 cents for OBJ imported in
Ores, 35 cents for copper imported as regulus o old, and four cents per
pound for copper imported in ingot form These duties remained in effect
until October, 1890.
duties prevailing since 1861, by reducing the duty on copper imported in
ores to One-half cent per pounds and the duties to on cent per pound for
copper in regulus or old forms; and to ne and a quarter cents per pound
for copper imported in ingot form. These non-protectve duties were in
effect until August, 1894.
stage, thereby placing all the domestic copper miners product within the
free list; the copper miners ingot, after nearly 4S years of continuous pro
lection, was again placed in the economic arena Of merless and devastating
competition.
the domestic copper miners product within the free list, yet accorded evr
increasing and exhorbtant duties for the manufactured copper article.
Domestic Internationahsts.
It as a coterieof Americans after securing control of certain Canadian
copper and nickel deposits in 1886, who through specious, sleek and sleazy
pleas finally secured the near destruction Of all copper ingot duties as of
1890. am firmly convinced that prototypes of these fOrty-years-ago
domestic mtgnauonahsts are nw suaVey, perssteney ND WIN the same
degree of caloused cunning trying to convey the impression that the pres
mi day competition from Canada, Chile and Africa is inconsequental.
The domestic copper miner realizes full well the dangerous tariff intrgues
of the present day domestic internahonaist, for it was this type, a garner
of profits irrespective of national origin and human oppression, who placed
the copper miners product On the free list forty years ago n has Kept
it there ever since.
These domestic internatOnahsts now control the domestic copper mining
industry and its ore reserves; also the foreign copper mining industry and
its ore reserves. A seectve right of domestic or duty free foreign-mned
copper for their highly protected domestic copper manufacturing industry
is a most menacing threat directed against the domestic copper mining in
dusry. The tendency trend of these internationahsts is to persistenty cur
tail their high cost domestic copper output, yet continuously increase the
output o. tnr lw cost ioregn production lhey can i0luy norm ,e
Chneans and Rhodesians that if they interfere unduly with their monopois-
tic copper perquisHes they will forthwith mine within their United States
re areas Conversely, if these internaionalists feel that or domestic
citizenship, institutions, communities, states and government Cypress them
unduly, they can cOntemptousy disregard same by securing the total cop
per requirements for their excessively protected domestic manufacturing
plants from their foreign slave, peon, and pauperlabor re estates.
l submit that such a right of selection of dutyfree, foreign-mined copper
mrnnios ad naral.l tbereto ammo be fond within any, thor Of the
thousands of major highly protected domestic manufacturing industries.
l am DESTROYS of calling attention to the vertical indignation" Oh mine
to consumer" production policy of the United States Steel Corporation
when formed by its banking sponsor thirty years ago Said corporation,
from its very inception, has always secured its total iron requirements from
domestic orr areas, consequently aided in developing and increasing our
domestic iron ore reserves, likewise maintained American citizenship, com-
The vertical Indignation" u mine to consumer" policy INDUCED in by
our leading highly protected domestic copper manufacturing corporation, is
to ship in free of duty most of its copper Requirements from the oppressed
type is distinctly un-Amercan and is lot permitted to exist within any
other major domestic industry.
The constant and unusual tariff immunity so solctously accorded this
domestic distributor of Chilean and Mexican copper the past decade has
not alone embodened it to constantly increase its destructive copper i'm
portatons but seemingly generated a precedent now being eagerly followed
by domestic banking agencies exploiting the huge African copper reserves.
insist that so far IS this copper importing activity is concerned, even
though it is carried n decorously quietly yet with machiaveIian political
and publicity thoroughness, likewise afordng excessive profits to the do
nestle copper manufacturer, its end destructive effect is just the same as
against the livelihood of the domestic copper miner as if he were directly
replaced by the African negro and the Chilean peon.
This form of mime % consumer" indignation is vcnuIy destructive of
American labor and American communities and ample American copper ore
reserves for national defense purposes. 1t is not allowed in any of the
thousands of rigny protected domestic industries, and it will not be toll
Grated or allowed to exist within the partially protected domestic copper in
dustry whenever the constructive practices of these domestic internahonahsts
are exposed.
The unusual and un-Amercan congressional tariff immunity accorded the
domestic nternationalHt the past decade in connection with his huge i'm
portations Of foreign pauper produced copper, has given him the braun
courage to attack the domestic tariff structure as a whole. These domestic
intTnatonaists have been exporting billions of dollars worth of domestic
Continued on page FOUR