Show LED ORE UESTIN Position Defined By Ore Producers Association Associaton CHAIRMAN JAMES + LETTER k WHICH WAS ADDRESSED TO SENATOBIALrCANDII > ATES 7 Replies t Three Important Questions Received From Messrs SIcCune Powers and Cannon Utahs Lead Ore Production Lost Year Over 84000000 Largest In Its History t The Utah Ore Producers association a organization which has ben in eXstenceir nearly twentytwo years has beet a important factor in promoting pro-moting such legislation a was calculated cal-culated to further the interests of the miners and thereby the welfare of al the people of the state and to prevent discrimination against Utah iin the tariff laws particularly In regard to lead ore Tha association is composed of the principal mine owners and others interested in mining the state W F James Is its president J B Dooly treasurer W G Van Horn secretary and Messrs R C Chambers J J Daly J Q Packard J F Woodman R N Baskin C E Holden Charles Watson P T Farnsworth J R Walker and C W Bennett directors A part of the associations work In the past ha been to accomplish the just execution of such tariff laws in regard to lead ore a have been on the statute books or in other Words to prevent the smuggling of lead ores into the United States principally from Mexico Formerly many thousands of tons of lead ores were shipped in free of duty by the lead ore being covered over with a small auantitv of rich sil ver ore on the cars so a to make it appear that it was all silver ore This was corrected through the Instrumentality Instrumen-tality of the Ore Producers association as was also a fraudulent allowance of a supposed loss of 20 per cent in smelting and refining A favorite and successful method of smuggling in lead ore was under the name of type metal a composition composed of lead tin and antimony This was also corrected by a ruling of the treasury department r ulring that the percentage of these metals be declared de-clared and that the duty of 2 cents per pound be paid on the lead Slag was Imported which contained 85 per cent of lead and after a contest con-test the treasury ordered that duty be paid not only on the lead but also on the slag Again copper matte containing con-taining lead was also imported and the treasury after another contest ordered that duty be paid on the percentage of lead These two latter decisions were appealed to the oard orf appraisers and reversed and large quantities of I lead ore is now coming In free of duty a slag and copper matte The Ore Producers association feel that some change in the tariff law to correct this is necessary and the association desires to commend this to the attention of Utahs representatives in congress including I cluding the senator to be elected by the present legislature The production of lead ore in Utah last year is the largest in the history of the state being over 4000000 in value hence its importance import-ance will readily appear Chairman James of the association on Ja 5 addressed letters on the subject to the leading candidates for the senatorship viz Judge Powers Congressman King Hon A W Mc Cune Hon C C Richards and Senator Cannon PRESIDENT JAMES LETTER Salt Lake City Jan 5 im Dear SirThe Utah Ore Producers association as-sociation composed as i is of mineown ers mine managers miners and others interested in-terested in mines represents to a large extent the entire product of the mines of the state The association is absolutely nonpartisan san numbering among its members men of all parties and of various political creeds and for twentyone years its constant con-stant effort has been to promote Utahs chief industry mining Its work has been I done In various places but chiefly In I Washington where much labor has been d in favorable tariff expended securing tarif leg islation the benefits of which have been felt here at home and in an increasing endeavor to icstoro silver to its proper place as a money of ultimate redemption in hr ha I gy work ltl has distributed through the southern middle and western west-ern states 2700000 copies of silver speeches I delivered in tho senate and house of representatives For many years wo had but a single representative in congress and ever since tho admission of Utah into the Union and the consequent increase of congressional congres-sional representation from the state It has been a difficult task to protect our industry from unjust discrimination The lead combine one of the mosf powerful trusts in tho United States with its paid lobbyists and employees the best that money will have is constantly at work in favor of free lead lead mined by peon labor at half the wages paid in this state for similar work To counteract coun-teract their efforts and to secure protection protec-tion to American lead so that we may continue our present wage system has been tho constant aim of the Ore Producers Pro-ducers association Continual vigilant and comprehensive work keeping everlastingly at it to use a homely expression Is necessary to divert I di-vert the many schemes put in motion by the lead combine to get lead into this country free of duty Therefore without interfering in matters mat-ters political or attempting to in any manner dictate how 3 senator shall vote on n new tariff but with a desire to see Utahs senators protect her ncoplc in what has been given them by the Dingley tariff law and further protect them from future legislation which would in anyway any-way discriminate against the mining industry in-dustry or fail to furnish to that industry a protection proportionately equal to that given any other Industry in the United States the Utah Ore Producers 1 association associa-tion deems it its duty as well as its privilege priv-ilege to address to you as a prominent candidate for a sixyear term in the United States senate these several questions ques-tions with the request that you hive an early answer I elected to the senate will you I FIrstGive your vote and inllucnce to prevent the repeal of the present duties I on lead n the Din IeY tariff act SeeondDo till inf your power to enforce en-force a ttlct payment of the duty as fixed bv lav on all lead imported into the United States ThirdWhen the intent of the law is evaded by some technical constructign or department ruling use your every effort and exert your influence to correct cor-rect the condition existing by securing law favorable rulings or by amending the MCUNES REPLY A W McCunes answer was as follows fol-lows 1 Dear SirI am in receipt of your letter of the Gth inst requesting a statement of my present and prospective attitude in relation to the lead schedule of the Ding ley tariff law In the event of my elec tion to the United States senate you ask If I will pledge my support t the present lead schedule seek to enforce the Import duties i levies and use my inJluencc to I have the present law corrected wherein it Is evaded on technicalities To that point that the national Democratic Demo-cratic platform approves a tariff I shall I chosen to represent Utah in the United States senate use all my Influence to scours sc-ours this state every aid that tho present tariff was intended to conveywhether that involves additional t rithi make that already passed effective or to bring influence to bear as to prevent in the Interest pf the lead combine an evasion eva-sion of the duties now imposed As I stand upon the Chicago platform which commends a tariff to he levied so as to equalize the burdens and advantages thereof to all parts x > f the nation i seems to me no other answer Is needed but I reply specilicaHy because the inquiry you make is specific in its interrogation My understanding is that tho position of the Democratic representative In congress con-gress from Utah hasb en satisfactory to the Interests represented by your asfio ciation I may fairly be assumed that my course will apt be out of harmony th 4 utt TWJ r < vv > i S Tbmsints sent i > 4 < to the national congress from this state conc ths state My devotion t the cause qf Democracy and my personal Interests in this pernal Interets state would of necessity prevent any action on acton my part that could Injure the welfare of I tho industries of the west v KING DIDNT ANSWER Congressman King has sp far mae n formal reply to the letter but it is understood that he answers all the questions in the afurmative JUDGE POWERS follows The reply of Judge Powers < was as Salt Lake City a 10 1SS9 My Dear Slr1 owe a pology for JailIng Jail-Ing to promptly aner your favor of Jan 5 1EI Standing as I d squarely upon the Chicago Chi-cago platform and believingthat a tariff should be so adjusted a not to discriminate discrim-inate between class or section I answer in most positive terms l < rst that If I am elected United States senator I will give my vote and influence to prevent the repeal of the present duties on lead Second I will do al in toy power to enforce en-force a strict payment of the auty as axed by law on all lead imported into the United States Third When th intent of the law Is evaded by some technical construction or departmental ruling I will use my every effort and exert my influence to correct the condition existing by securing favorable favor-able rulings or by amandin the law Assuring you that U elected I shall work for the material interests of Utah and shall light any and all legislation discrim obedient inating against servant her producers I am your FROM SENATOR CANNON Senator Cannon answered thus My Dear Mr James Replying to your interesting letter of tho 5th instant and to the categorical questions propounded therein I elected to the senate I will Flr tGlye my voteand influence to secure se-cure the repeal of the present duties on lead In the Dlngloy tariff act and the substitution therefor of duties not only adequate in amount but sufficiently methodical me-thodical and just in imposition as to afford af-ford genuine protection to the lead producers pro-ducers of the United States SecondI will do all In my power to enforce a strict payment of the duty upon lead as fixed by law imported Into tho United States Third When tho intent of the law is evaded by some technical construction or departmental ruling a such intent is now evaded to the serious injury of the leadproducinpr interest I iiS use my f 1furl effort and Influence to correct such l con dition I am answering your letter without having my statistics at immediate hand but my retollection is that under the absurd ab-surd and unjust bonding provision or the present Dlngloy bill practically no duty is collected On lOad Imported into tho United States I my recollection serves me right we imported during the first eleven months under tho Dingle bill ZOO pounds of lead all of which was held In suspension in this country during dur-ing the pleasure of tho importers and 2300000 pounds were exported during these eleven months at the same pleasure Under the existing law the importer of lead can bring In any quantity of lead l In bond transfer such lead from smelter to refinery from refinery to manufactory and finally send the same out of the country coun-try and all the clerical guardianship of such imported and bonded lead are a the expense of the United States for tho importer im-porter does not pay a cent of duty so long ns he can show that he has set apart for transfer in bond and final export an amount of lead equivalent to the quantity of Importation Importaton The presence In the country of so large a mass of lead held in suspension and possible to be lossed upon our market by the mere payment of the duty of itself self must have 0 depressing effect upon the lead market even If there were no frauds perpetrated directly In the evasion of the duty I think that the lead schedule of the Dinglcy bill was in some respects preferable pre-ferable to that of the Wilson bill but I shall hope at an early date to see a just schedule enacted for the benefit of this chief industry of Utah namely 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