THE TARIFF ON LEAD in this broad land of ours conditions make for varied interests and we often find one section of the country advocating measures which are extremely detrimental to other sections it is only natural that the people of one locality should look first to their own welfare but there should be a certain consideration for the reasonable demands of others this attitude of section against section has been brought out in the late question of tariff revision when the movement to remove the tariff on lead was inaugurated there was a mighty protest from the west against such an injustice and an equally firm stand in support of such a measure by the east cast what would be beneficial for one would prove ruinous for the other the mining industry of our country and the west is the home of this industry has become second only to the agricultural interests of the land and should it maintain the same rapid rate of progress it may soon become the leading factor in contribution to our national wealth during the last three decades the mineral production of the united states has increased until in 1907 it reached the magnificent figure of over two billion and sixty nine million dollars figured in the list lead comes tenth in monetary value and it holds a most important import im portar art place in the industrial growth of the country with silver at such an extremely low mark it is even more necessary that the protection on lead be maintained as the two are closely associated in production the price of lead at present is none too high to permit of profitable operation and the present tariff should remain intact leading western men have expressed the opinion that there will be no revision of the present duty and that the producers of this metal can be assured of a steady and perhaps an increasing price