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Show TARIFF 01 LEAD IS II JEOPARDY B Eastern Investors Reported to H Be Unloading- Smelters on I', This Account. LOOK FOR LOWER PRICE , Utah' Producers Have One More Chance o Show" I i. Whether Tarifl' Needed. Up to Thursday the matter of a load tariff had concerned thn western states exclusively, ihe cast .heretofore turning a. doa car to the protestations of the western mineral states, and the ivest had como to bellcvo that tho eastern representatives repre-sentatives jit congress would come as they Hko in tho matter without regard "to tho fears of the west and to the utter disregard of tho east. But one of the iveakcst Issues In many months was Smeltcre yesterday on the New York" market, and one authority accounted for the drop in tho stock several points, and for tho large amount of 11 which was on tap, by tho fact tliat it is feared the lead tariff will be reduced, llow much of an authority this market undent may be Is a matter for conjecture, con-jecture, but his theory Is Interesting at least. It Implies thai the American Smelting and Refining company has a largo supply of lead on 'hand, purchased at tho comparatively high range that has prevailed during the past few months, and It Implies further that a recession ln the market price of tho metal is im-East im-East May Help West. It would appear as If Ihc west may bo able lo work up a considerable sympathetic: sym-pathetic: interest among eastern Investment Invest-ment circles in order to mako an effort to retain tho existing tariff on tho metal, "but the west, being more directly concerned con-cerned for the reason that it Iiolds tho .lead mines und Is so dependent upon the aiiccca.i of these lead mines for its general gen-eral prosperity, naturally will be looked to bv the "east to make tho burden of the light to retain the tariff. It has been said that both the old political parlies agreed that tho Payne tariff, law needed revision, but that the Democratic party believed that a downward down-ward revision wjis essential. There Is no disguising the fact that every one e:;peetw tho J'aync law to bo treated to a very close scrutiny at the hands of tho coming Democratic congress, and that the eastern lead manufacturer and cuimumer Is going to bring a tremendous tremen-dous amount of pressure to bear upon congrcsa to have the lead tariff reduced or removed. Iv West Up Against It. It la right up to the le.id states, therefore, there-fore, and Utah is included among the Hat. to demonstrate to congress that a tariff is necesfary and that tho present K'hedule is not too high. Unless it can bo Hhown conclusively that the lead producing industry needs the tariff it Is going to 'bo removed, and nothing short nt positive evidence that thn western loati ludustry requires the tariff to pro-toot pro-toot it against the production of foreign miners will suffice. If the western lead producer roally needs the tariff he should not ha.vc any difficulty in establishing estab-lishing this fact, and If ho falls in making mak-ing his proof, it will be pretty conclusive! conclu-sive! evidence that the industry docs not need protection. Utah has been extremely dilatory in bringing about any gathering of data to prove that it lead mines need protection protec-tion Tho situation has reached tho point where tho supreme effort will of necessity neces-sity have to be made, and the Utah producer pro-ducer will bo forced to alter his conduct, ach doing bin share Instead of holding' back In tho hope that some one clso will do the work and phllanlhroplcally as-. as-. umc all the expenne and burden. The 'ast chance for Utah to work in behalf of an industry worth many millions of dollars annually to the atato and to preserve pre-serve the usefulness of throe big smelting smelt-ing plants of this stale will be afforded on next Thursday evening at a meeting ealled for taking atcps in this highly important im-portant matter. Delay Inspires Doubt. All past meetings of this character have ended without any thing being accomplished. ac-complished. Tho 3cntlincnt unlvcrually has W.cn that organization la necessary, und that the Utah producer of lead should bo ablo to show his cost of production pro-duction per pound as clearly and easily ils the modern copper producer. Tin owes this to tho lead Induiitry, ;md ho nvtta It to his shareholders, and the dlla-ory dlla-ory character of his past performances has almost inspired the conviction that tho cost of producing lead In this state Is no far in excess of profits that tho producer is ashamed to show his data. This matter has been delayed far too long already, and the Utah lead producer p right up against the hardest situation In decades. mi Thn only rhanco for retrieving the fSHfi Hlluation i:i for all producers to altond ftuj next Thursday's meeting and do their lSi' tfhaxc towards preserving this important tJBr branch of the slate's Industry |
